PepsiCo has begun using fully driverless trucks to deliver snacks and beverages across the US, marking a major step in autonomous freight logistics.
The future of trucking just rolled a little closer, and this time it’s driverless. PepsiCo has started deploying fully autonomous trucks to move products like Doritos and Cheetos across parts of Arizona, Texas, and Arkansas, in what’s being described as a major shift in US freight operations.
As the Wall Street Journal reports, the snack giant is now using a fleet of self-driving box trucks that operate without a human behind the wheel, moving goods between warehouses, bottling plants, and retail stores such as Walmart and Dollar General.
The vehicles, developed in partnership with autonomous trucking firm Gatik and Isuzu Motors, are designed for short, repeatable routes where conditions are more predictable. These aren’t experimental test runs either they’re live deliveries happening on public roads.
As the source of the news reports, PepsiCo’s rollout is being positioned as a major milestone for logistics automation, especially as the company pushes for more efficient and reliable delivery systems. Early performance data shows high on-time delivery rates, suggesting the technology is already functioning at scale in controlled routes.
Still, questions remain around jobs, regulation, and how quickly driverless systems can expand beyond short-haul networks into long-distance freight. For now, though, the trucks are moving and there’s nobody in the driver’s seat.
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