Why it matters:
- New FAA rules could pave the way for more last-mile delivery from aerial drones, which could provide a unique delivery solution for retailers and restaurants of any size.
- Companies such as Gatik are helping retailers like Kroger and Sam’s Club get products to their stores.
- Large companies like Chipotle and DoorDash have been the early adopters of these technologies, but their rapid growth indicates that could soon become more widely accessible for small and medium-sized businesses as well.
Companies are increasingly deploying robotic delivery vehicles throughout the entire supply chain, from factories to warehouses, from warehouses to retail stores, and finally from stores and restaurants to consumers.
Technologies including advanced sensors and cameras, improved connectivity, and artificial intelligence are helping driverless vehicles navigate both wide open, high-speed freeways and crowded urban environments. Extensive safety tests and legislation have followed, as automated vehicles grab an increasing share of the logistics industry.
Here is a closer look at how the evolution of automated delivery is having an impact throughout the supply chain.
Retailers and restaurants see opportunities for last-mile delivery drones of consumer goods and takeout meals
As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) works to allow more widespread drone deliveries, retailers and restaurants could soon see more opportunities to leverage this last-mile solution.
Chipotle Mexican Grill is among the restaurant operators partnering with drone companies on limited tests of this delivery method. The fast-casual restaurant operator recently launched a test of drone delivery in the Dallas area with the Zipline mobile app, which operates in several countries around the world.
Consumers in the greater Dallas area can use the app to order from a single Chipotle location in Rowlett, Texas. The service, dubbed “Zipotle,” launched with a limited number of Zipline users.
The service allows Chipotle to deliver directly to places that have historically posed challenges for traditional delivery services, such as backyards and public parks, Chipotle said in a statement announcing the test.
Third-party restaurant delivery service provider DoorDash has also launched several tests of drone delivery, including in southwest Virginia, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Charlotte, N.C. DoorDash, which is partnering with aerial drone operator Wing for the tests, if offering delivery of food from Wendy’s and other restaurants in its test markets.
The global autonomous last mile delivery market size was estimated at $1.75 billion in 2024, according to a Precedence Research report, about 47%, or $822.5 million, of which was attributed to North America. The global market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 23.81% from 2025 to 2034, reaching about $14.82 billion, the report said.
“Significant technological advancements have played a crucial role in driving this growth forward,” the report concluded.
Transforming an old school industry like trucking is never easy, but we can’t ignore the safety and efficiency benefits this technology can deliver.Richard Stocking, CEO of Hirschbach Motor Lines
Testing autonomous deliveries to the ‘middle miles’
While much of the public’s attention has focused on the small-package delivery capabilities of aerial drones and self-driving sidewalk carts, several businesses, including major national retailers such as Walmart and Kroger, have begun testing autonomous delivery vehicles in the so-called “middle miles” between warehouses and retail stores.
Kroger, for example, in 2023 launched a test with autonomous truck provider Gatik to deliver bundled grocery orders from a fulfillment center in Dallas to local Kroger supermarkets in the area, where the orders could then be picked up by customers who placed their orders online. Kroger uses Gatik’s 20-foot refrigerated box trucks, operating initially with safety drivers on board.
By consistently making delivery runs 18 to 20 hours per day, Kroger has been able to speed the e-commerce fulfillment process and improve customer service levels, said Mike Baker, Head of Final Mile at Kroger, in a video posted by Gatik.
“Gatik’s autonomous box trucks will help us deliver on [our] commitment to the customer,” he said.
Gatik has also partnered with several other companies for warehouse-to-store deliveries, including CPG products manufacturer Georgia-Pacific and logistics solutions provider KBX Logistics. The companies together launched a test, also in Dallas, in which Gatik autonomous box trucks deliver products from Georgia-Pacific’s warehouses to Sam’s Club stores in the region.
Autonomous heavy-duty trucks hit the road to offset driver shortages and rising costs
Earlier this year, the first autonomous, heavy duty trucks began driving routes between Houston and Dallas using the Aurora Driver system.
Aurora Innovation is partnering with Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines, which specializes in temperature-controlled freight, on the new service, which had been tested extensively with both companies before launching in May. Aurora said it planned to expand the service to El Paso and Phoenix by the end of this year.
Richard Stocking, CEO of Hirschbach Motor Lines, said the company planned to use the autonomous trucks on longer, less desirable routes, while human drivers would handle the shorter routes that many of them prefer.
The expansion of autonomous delivery to the long-haul trucking market comes as the trucking industry faces pressure from driver shortages, tariffs on imported goods, and rising costs for fuel, insurance, and other inputs.
Trucks hauled 11.27 billion tons of freight in 2024, down from 11.41 billion tons in 2023, according to the 2025 edition of American Trucking Trends from the American Trucking Associations. Revenues in 2024 declined almost 10%, to $906 billion, from just over $1 trillion in 2023.
“Transforming an old school industry like trucking is never easy, but we can’t ignore the safety and efficiency benefits this technology can deliver,” said Stocking.
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