Autonomous vehicles have been “coming soon” to the modern supply chain for more than a decade. But this isn’t a pilot. This isn’t a demo. And it isn’t happening in Silicon Valley. Loblaw and Gatik are on the cusp of launching Canada’s first fully autonomous commercial delivery operation, moving goods between facilities in Ontario with minimal human intervention—safely, legally, and at scale. In this episode, I sit down with Richard Steiner from Gatik, to go inside the years-long journey from controlled trials to real-world deployment, what convinced Loblaw the technology was more than ready, and how autonomous middle-mile delivery is set to reshape reliability and resilience across the Canadian grocery supply chain.
Autonomous vehicles have long been promised as the future of logistics, but in this episode of The FEED powered by Loblaw, that future arrives decisively in Canada. Host Michael LeBlanc sits down with Rich Steiner, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs at Gatik, to explore how Loblaw and Gatik are launching Canada’s first fully autonomous, commercial middle-mile delivery operation, moving goods between facilities across Ontario—safely, legally, and at scale.
Steiner outlines Gatik’s evolution from a Silicon Valley garage startup to a North American autonomous trucking leader, now operating hundreds of vehicles across multiple jurisdictions. Unlike long-haul autonomous trucking or last-mile consumer delivery, Gatik specializes in regional, middle-mile logistics—the critical but often invisible segment that connects distribution centres, micro-fulfillment hubs, and retail stores. This is where retailers feel the greatest operational strain, particularly in an era defined by on-demand consumer expectations, labour shortages, and supply-chain volatility.
A central theme of the conversation is safety by design. Steiner explains how Gatik’s autonomous driving system integrates LiDAR, radar, cameras, and GNSS to create 360-degree visibility—day or night, in snow, fog, or dust storms. The trucks operate with no blind spots, prioritize defensive driving strategies, and even reroute to avoid unprotected left turns when safer alternatives exist. This safety-first philosophy extends beyond the vehicle itself, encompassing rigorous simulation testing, phased deployment, and extensive collaboration with Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation.
The episode also dives into regulatory leadership, positioning Ontario as Canada’s most advanced jurisdiction for autonomous commercial vehicles. Under a new provincial framework launched in 2025, Gatik is deploying 50 autonomous trucks for Loblaw, representing the largest single autonomous trucking deployment in North America. Steiner discusses why harmonized regulations across provinces—and eventually across borders—will be essential to unlocking the next phase of scale.
From a retail perspective, the implications are profound. Autonomous middle-mile delivery improves reliability, reduces costs, enhances supply-chain resilience, and supports store-level inventory precision—especially during peak periods like the holiday season. Importantly, Steiner emphasizes that autonomy is not about replacing workers, but augmenting existing transportation networks to meet rising consumer demand.