Driverless freight trucks are no longer the future—they’ve arrived on Canadian roads. In Ontario, a fully autonomous box truck operated by Gatik Inc. is now completing daily grocery deliveries between Loblaw facilities in Etobicoke and Brampton. Outfitted with more than two dozen advanced sensors, including lidar, radar, and high-resolution cameras, the truck navigates its 25-kilometre route without a human behind the wheel. It marks a significant leap in Canada’s adoption of autonomous vehicle technology.
Gatik, originally from California but deeply rooted in Canada, has been operating in the Greater Toronto Area since 2020. Today, the company has six autonomous trucks in service, most still accompanied by onboard safety drivers. They’re not alone in this space—Toronto’s NuPort Robotics is running trials with autonomous Volvo trucks inside Canadian Tire’s distribution hubs, while Waabi Innovation Inc., led by renowned AI researcher Raquel Urtasun, is testing its long-haul trucks in Texas under a partnership with Uber Freight. Waabi plans to roll out Canada’s first truly driverless transport truck by the end of 2025.
Supporters believe the shift to automation offers major advantages. With a projected shortfall of over 40,000 truck drivers in Canada by 2030, autonomous trucks could fill a critical labor gap. They also boast up to 20% greater fuel efficiency and the ability to operate around the clock without fatigue. Waabi’s AV 2.0 platform uses generative AI to simulate complex driving scenarios, a method Urtasun compares to the leap from traditional search engines to technologies like ChatGPT.
But while excitement builds, caution remains. High-profile incidents—such as the 2022 crash involving a TuSimple autonomous truck in Arizona—underscore the risks of system failure. Experts have also raised concerns about AI systems struggling with visibility in poor weather and detecting pedestrians, particularly children or people with darker skin tones. Researchers and safety advocates continue to push for stronger regulation and more transparency.
Currently, Ontario is the only Canadian province allowing autonomous truck testing, thanks to a tightly controlled pilot program. While nationwide regulations are still catching up, the technology’s momentum shows no signs of slowing. For Urtasun, the self-driving revolution is more than just innovation—it’s a personal mission. With millions in investment and real-world operations already underway, Canada’s freight industry is moving full speed ahead into an automated future.