Loblaw to deploy 50 self-driving delivery trucks in the Toronto area

Loblaw has signed a multi-year agreement with global autonomous vehicle company Gatik to build out a self-driving truck network in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Under the deal, 50 trucks from Gatik's autonomous fleet will be deployed over the next year — 20 by the end of the year, with an additional 30 throughout 2026. Loblaw says this is the largest-planned rollout of autonomous trucks in North America, servicing more than 300 of its grocery stores in the region. The companies first teamed up in 2022 to deploy Canada's first driverless commercial fleet.

As part of this new phase of the partnership, safety drivers will be on board the vehicles before transitioning to "Freight-Only" (driverless) operations across Loblaw's regional distribution networks in the GTA. The vehicles use the Gatik Driver AI platform and are capable of safely transporting temperature-controlled goods.

Loblaw also says Gatik worked closely with the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) to develop the Automated Commercial Motor Vehicle (ACMV) Pilot Program, a provincial regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles. The companies say this will ensure safety in their self-driving fleet.

In an email statement, Loblaw said the partnership with Gatik would have "no impact" on its workforce. Instead, the company said it was "about adding capacity and building a more innovative, resilient supply chain."

However, the company did not answer questions about how many drivers it currently employs.

Per Loblaw's Q2 2025 report, the company employed over 220,000 full- and part-time employees across over 2,800 locations, though it's not clear how many of that total are drivers.

Loblaw also faced significant controversy last year over rising grocery prices, with thousands of frustrated Canadians choosing to boycott the company.