PepsiCo runs US driverless freight fleet of 41 trucks

PepsiCo has quietly established the largest commercial autonomous freight operation in the United States, deploying 41 fully driverless trucks across public roads in Arizona, Texas, and Arkansas. The food and beverage giant began its transition to fully driverless operations in June 2025 after a multi-year partnership with autonomous logistics firm Gatik, marking a significant milestone in the real-world application of self-driving technology.

The fleet consists of Isuzu box trucks equipped with Gatik's suite of cameras, radar, and lidar sensors. These vehicles handle short-haul deliveries, transporting products like Doritos, Cheetos, and beverages between bottling plants, warehouses, and major retailers including Walmart and Dollar General. The company reports that since removing safety drivers, the fleet has been involved in zero accidents and maintains a 99 percent on-time delivery rate when excluding uncontrollable factors like traffic and weather. This performance exceeds the Federal Highway Administration's suggested 95 percent on-time expectation for traditional trucking.

Jim Farrell, PepsiCo's senior vice president of supply chain, emphasized that these are commercial...