Autonomous vehicle startup Gatik Inc. claimed an industry first on Monday, saying it has operated two box trucks without drivers for Walmart Inc. since August.
The Mountain View company said the trucks traveled 12 hours a day on a 7-mile loop between a fulfillment center to a neighborhood grocery store in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Walmart (NYSE:WMT) is headquartered.
Gatik said this is the first time that an autonomous truck company has pulled the safety driver from a commercial delivery route on the middle mile.
"This milestone signifies a revolutionary breakthrough for the autonomous trucking industry," Gatik CEO Gautam Narang said in the announcement of what his company and Walmart have been doing.
His company has grown through partnerships like this one with Walmart and others with Canadian supermarket chain Loblaws Inc. and with Isuzu.
"We are a very partnership-heavy business," Gatik Chief Technology Officer Arjun Narang recently told the Business Journal after announcing an investment and deal with Ryder Systems Inc.
Walmart appears happy with its partnership with the company.
"We’re thrilled to be working with Gatik to achieve this industry-first, driverless milestone in our home state of Arkansas and look forward to continuing to use this technology to serve Walmart customers with speed," Tom Ward, senior vice president of last mile at Walmart U.S., said in Monday's announcement.
Gatik has raised about $120 million in funding and is valued at about $850 million, according to PitchBook Data. It was profiled in The Pitch in July 2019.
