Driverless delivery trucks are becoming a far more familiar sight on North Texas roads as testing and limited commercial runs spread out from Fort Worth’s Alliance hub. The company behind the rollout says it already has about 10 fully driverless delivery trucks operating on public streets in Texas, Arkansas and Arizona. It plans to scale that fleet to roughly 60 vehicles in the coming weeks or months, with hundreds expected across multiple jurisdictions later this year. For now, the boxy rigs are focused on short-haul routes that shuttle goods from regional distribution centers to store shelves.
Who’s running the tests
Mountain View-based Gatik operates a Texas hub at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport, using 26- and 30-foot freight-only box trucks that carry ambient, refrigerated and frozen goods for major retailers. In a January press release, Gatik said those trucks complete daily deliveries without a human driver or onboard safety observer and that the company has logged thousands of driverless miles and tens of thousands of driverless orders. Company materials say the model is built to increase delivery frequency while lowering costs and easing a national shortage of truck drivers.
Why North Texas
North Texas offers a ready-made proving ground. AllianceTexas’ Mobility Innovation Zone and Perot Field Alliance Airport provide intermodal infrastructure and room to test, industry partners say, according to Dallas Innovates. The state has also created a Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Task Force to coordinate testing and policy, and the task force’s white paper outlines how Texas agencies and local partners plan to manage freight automation on public roads. Those policies and site advantages are frequently cited by companies choosing the region for early commercial runs.
Safety, oversight and scaling
Company safety leaders insist the expansion will not outrun validation. “We move at the speed of safety,” Dr. Adam Campbell, Gatik’s head of safety innovation, told Trucking Dive, adding that the firm will not conduct operations until its safety case is closed. Gatik’s press materials also say the current fleet counts about 10 driverless trucks and that the company expects to build up to roughly 60 vehicles soon and to hundreds across jurisdictions this year, a ramp-up the firm says is backed by large multiyear contracts.
What this looks like on the road
Drivers in North Texas may already be spotting the box trucks at distribution centers and store docks as Gatik continues short-haul runs, NBC DFW reported. Independent coverage and industry outlets note Gatik logged more than 10,000 driverless miles and completed roughly 60,000 driverless orders without incident, signaling the kind of repetitive, day-in-day-out operation the company says is crucial to making the technology reliable. PYMNTS and other outlets have summarized those figures from the company’s January report.
As tests move from the Alliance hub into routine supply chains, local governments, first responders and retailers will be watching how routing, signage and dock procedures adjust. For now, Gatik and state task forces say the combination of a logistics-focused testing ground and an emphasis on independent safety validation will shape how fast driverless freight becomes just another part of the traffic mix on North Texas roads.
