07:49 AM EDT, 09/23/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Grocer Loblaw ( LBLCF ) said Tuesday it has expanded its commercial partnership with Gatik, a player in autonomous freight for regional logistics networks, by signing a multi-year agreement to deploy Gatik's autonomous fleet across Loblaw's ( LBLCF ) distribution network in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The company has also made a strategic investment in Gatik, but details on that were not released.

Under the initial phase of the expansion, 20 autonomous trucks equipped with Gatik's 'next generation sensor suite' will be in use by the end of this year with a further 30 autonomous trucks by the end of 2026.

The five-year agreement will see the largest planned roll-out of autonomous trucks in North America. The expanded fleet will initially be deployed with safety drivers onboard, before transitioning to driverless operations across Loblaw's ( LBLCF ) regional distribution networks in the GTA, to deliver goods to more than 300 Loblaw ( LBLCF ) stores, a statement said.

"This expanded partnership with and investment in Gatik represents a significant step forward in our commitment to innovation and supply chain sustainability," said Rob Wiebe, Loblaw ( LBLCF ) chief administrator. "Autonomous logistics will enable us to move more orders more frequently for our customers. We are excited to continue leading the way nationally in retail distribution with Gatik's groundbreaking technology which has already been proven across our operations."

The new fleet will include cold-chain-ready vehicles optimized for the movement of time-sensitive grocery and household items.

Gatik co-founder and chief executive Gautam Narang said this is the first time a major retailer has transitioned from pilot to commercial scale with autonomous trucks,