AI in Logistics: Driverless Trucks, Delivery Drones and Robots in 2026

AI in logistics in 2026 is two things: software that plans, and machines that move goods without a human driver.

The software side handles the heavy lifting of logistics. It optimizes routes, forecasts demand, and orchestrates warehouse operations. The hardware side is visible on the road and in the air. You see driverless trucks hauling freight, drones dropping packages, and sidewalk robots navigating city sidewalks.

But there is a gap between the headlines and the actual scale of the industry. Most driverless operations are still small compared to the total volume of global logistics. Many of the impressive figures you read are company claims, not independent audits.

This article looks at the hard data. It covers planning software, warehouse automation, driverless trucking, and drone delivery. It strips away the hype to show what is actually operating in 2026.

Planning software: routes, forecasts and networks

Logistics planning has moved from spreadsheets to optimization and machine learning software that weighs thousands of variables at once. The software side of AI in logistics focuses on three main areas: route optimization, demand forecasting, and network design.

UPS is one of the best-documented examples. Its ORION (On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation) system has been in use for years. According to the company, ORION has saved about 100 million miles and 10 million gallons of fuel per year since deployment (UPS, 2020). That is not a projection. It is a reported figure from years of operational data.

The impact of AI on broader supply chains is also documented. A McKinsey report from around 2021 found that early adopters of AI-enabled supply-chain management improved logistics costs by 15%, inventory levels by 35%, and service levels by 65% compared with slower-moving competitors. These figures highlight the efficiency gains of predictive AI, not just route planning.

FedEx has taken a different approach with its Network 2.0 consolidation programme. At its 2026 investor day, FedEx said the programme cut pickup-and-delivery costs by about 10% in markets where it rolled out. It is important to note that this is a network redesign figure, not specifically an AI figure. The software supports the strategy, but the gains come from physical consolidation.

These planning tools are the backbone of modern logistics. They allow companies to react to disruptions in real time. They reduce waste and improve reliability. But they are only as good as the data they process.

Warehouse robots

Inside warehouses, the shift from manual labor to automated systems is accelerating. Amazon is the most visible example. In mid-2025, the company deployed its 1 millionth robot across more than 300 facilities worldwide. This is not just about moving boxes. It is about combining computer vision and fleet-scheduling software to coordinate every movement.

Amazon is also rolling out DeepFleet, a generative AI foundation model. The company projects it will improve robot fleet travel efficiency by 10%. This is a projection, not a past result. It shows where the industry is heading.

In May 2025, Amazon introduced Vulcan, its first warehouse robot with a sense of touch. It uses force sensors to handle delicate items. Amazon says it can pick about 75% of the items it stores. This is a significant step toward general-purpose robotic handling.

Symbotic and Walmart have a major partnership. In January 2025, Symbotic agreed to buy Walmart’s Advanced Systems and Robotics business for $200 million plus up to $350 million in contingent payments. Symbotic’s automated storage and retrieval systems are being deployed in all 42 Walmart regional distribution centres. This integration is a key part of Walmart’s supply chain strategy.

AutoStore is another major player. As of August 2026, the company has about 2,000 systems installed in 68 countries. These cube-based storage systems use robots to retrieve bins. They are designed to store more goods in less floor space.

Agility Robotics is testing humanoid robots. In November 2025, the company reported that its Digit humanoid robot moved more than 100,000 totes at a GXO warehouse in Georgia. It is an early commercial deployment, and it shows how humanoid robots are being tested in buildings designed for people.

The warehouse of the future is not fully autonomous yet. But the trend is clear. Robots are handling more of the repetitive, heavy, and precise tasks.

Driverless trucks

The trucking industry is undergoing a slow but steady transformation. Driverless trucks are on the road, but their scale is limited. Regulations, weather, and technology constraints keep them in specific lanes and routes.

Aurora: Launch and Operations

Aurora launched commercial driverless trucking between Dallas and Houston on 1 May 2025. Two weeks later, it put an observer back in the driver’s seat at the request of truck maker Paccar. Aurora said the observer is not required for safe operation, but it complied with the manufacturer’s condition.

Night driving started in July 2025. Aurora says its January 2026 software validated rain, fog, and wind. This is a key capability. Weather is a major challenge for autonomous vehicles.

The company expanded its routes. It added Fort Worth–El Paso (about 600 miles) in October 2025. It also runs a Fort Worth–Phoenix run of about 1,000 miles in about 15 hours, versus an 11-hour daily driving limit for human drivers. This shows the potential for longer hauls.

In July 2026, Aurora began running driverless trucks built on the International LT with no one behind the wheel. Paccar-built trucks still carry an observer.

In September 2026, Aurora said it had completed more than 500,000 driverless miles since launch, with zero collisions attributed to the Aurora Driver through mid-2026 (company claim). It targets 200 driverless trucks by the end of 2026 and more than 30,000 by 2030.

Kodiak and the Permian Basin

Kodiak Robotics went public on Nasdaq (ticker KDK) in September 2025. Its driverless trucks haul frac sand for Atlas Energy Solutions on private lease roads in the Permian Basin in Texas. This is a controlled environment.

Kodiak reported 35 customer-owned driverless trucks and more than 20,000 cumulative loads in August 2026. Atlas plans 100 trucks by mid-2027. Kodiak targets driverless long-haul between Dallas and Houston by the end of 2026.

Gatik: Middle-Mile Routes

Gatik runs driverless box trucks on short, repeated “middle-mile” routes between warehouses and stores. It operates with no safety driver or observer. In August 2026, it reported 85,000 driverless orders, raised $200 million, and said it plans more than 100 trucks by the end of 2026, including 41 on PepsiCo/Frito-Lay routes.

This is a different model. Short routes are easier to automate. The environment is predictable.

Waabi and PlusAI

Waabi and Volvo began hauling customer freight between Dallas and Houston on 5 October 2026, still with an observer in the driver’s seat.

PlusAI’s planned stock-market listing through a merger with Churchill Capital IX was terminated in April 2026. In September 2026, it announced a new merger agreement. It targets factory-built driverless trucks with TRATON and IVECO in 2027.

TuSimple wound down its US business in late 2023 and later rebranded as CreateAI, focused on AI animation and games.

US Rules and Regulations

Federal rules require warning triangles to be placed around a stopped truck. After FMCSA refused Aurora’s exemption request in December 2024 and Aurora sued, FMCSA has since October 2025 issued short-term waivers letting Aurora use cab-mounted warning beacons instead.

In California, the DMV approved rules in April 2026 that for the first time allow testing of autonomous vehicles over 10,001 lb, in phases (testing with a safety driver, driverless testing, then deployment), each requiring 500,000 test miles for heavy trucks. Aurora and Kodiak received testing permits that require a safety driver. The Teamsters union sued the DMV over the rules. California governors vetoed bills requiring a human operator in autonomous trucks in 2023 and 2024; Colorado’s governor vetoed a similar bill in May 2026 for the second year in a row.

China

Pony.ai says its fourth-generation Robotruck entered mass production in 2026 and that commercial driverless operations have started at Mawan Port in Shenzhen. Inceptio says its trucks, which keep a driver in the cab, have covered more than 1 billion km of commercial autonomous driving (September 2026).

Delivery drones

How a delivery drone flight works

Delivery drones are a different machine from the spray drones covered in our guide to AI in agriculture, but they rely on the same mix of automated flight and remote supervision. A typical autonomous delivery flight follows a precise, pre-programmed sequence that minimizes human intervention from the moment an order is placed. The process begins when a customer completes a purchase through a retailer’s app or website. The order is routed to a local fulfillment point, such as a store or a dedicated distribution hub. At these locations, the package is loaded into a specialized container, often referred to as a “nest” or launch station. This container is then secured to the drone, which is designed specifically for the weight and dimensions of the payload.

Once loaded, the drone takes off and ascends to a low altitude, following a planned flight path that avoids obstacles and restricted airspace. Flight-planning software sets the route around obstacles and restricted airspace. During the flight, the drone holds its course without direct pilot control, using satellite positioning and onboard sensors, and it can fly beyond the visual line of sight of the ground crew where the operator holds the necessary FAA approvals.

Upon reaching the designated drop-off location, the drone executes the final delivery phase. Different companies use different methods for this critical step. Some, like Wing and Zipline, use a tether system where a small delivery pod is lowered gently to the ground while the drone hovers in place. This method ensures the package lands softly and reduces the risk of damage or injury. Others may drop the package into a marked area or a designated bin. Once the payload is delivered, the drone returns to its home base. There, it lands, and the container is either swapped for a new one or the drone is recharged.

Remote operators monitor these flights from ground stations. One operator might supervise several drones simultaneously, watching for anomalies or weather changes that require manual intervention. However, the actual flight path is largely autonomous. Deliveries are currently limited by several factors. Weight restrictions are strict, usually capping payloads at a few pounds. Weather conditions, particularly high winds and heavy rain, can ground fleets. Airspace approvals vary by region, meaning a drone that flies freely in one town might be grounded in the next due to local regulations.

Walmart’s drone delivery network

Walmart has established one of the most extensive commercial drone delivery networks in the United States. As of May 2026, the retailer reported completing more than 1 million drone deliveries. These deliveries are conducted in partnership with two major drone operators: Wing, an Alphabet subsidiary, and Zipline. The network operates from 66 stores located across Texas, Arkansas, Georgia, and North Carolina.

The efficiency of this network is notable. Walmart stated that the average delivery time is approximately 23 minutes from the moment the order is placed. This speed is achieved by positioning drone hubs directly within or adjacent to existing retail locations, reducing the distance the drone must travel.

Walmart’s strategy relies on scaling through partnerships rather than building its own drone fleet. By leveraging Wing’s technology and Zipline’s logistics infrastructure, Walmart can expand its coverage rapidly. Wing alone plans to serve more than 270 Walmart stores by 2027, which it says will reach about 10% of the U.S. population, making drone delivery a viable option for a significant segment of the consumer base.

Wing and Zipline

Wing and Zipline are Walmart’s two drone partners. Wing, owned by Alphabet, announced in January 2026 that it would add 150 more Walmart stores to its network. This expansion brings the total number of participating stores to over 270 by 2027. Wing also reported in June 2026 that it had passed 1 million commercial deliveries. The company’s approach focuses on integrating drone logistics into existing retail infrastructure, minimizing the need for new real estate.

Zipline reported more than 2 million deliveries and a valuation of $7.6 billion in January 2026. By August 2026, the company announced it had completed more than 2.7 million deliveries globally.

A key innovation from Zipline is the P2 system. This system uses a tether to lower the delivery package to the ground while the drone remains airborne. This method allows for precise placement in tight urban spaces where landing might be difficult or unsafe. Zipline also announced a partnership with Uber in August 2026 to launch Uber Eats drone deliveries in Dallas and Houston in late 2026. The company has set an ambitious target of achieving 1 million drone deliveries per day by the end of 2029, signaling its intent to become a major player in food and retail logistics.

Amazon Prime Air

Amazon’s Prime Air program has faced both significant milestones and public setbacks. In January 2025, Amazon paused deliveries after two MK30 drones crashed during testing in Oregon in December 2024. The company resumed operations after implementing a software update to address the issue. However, challenges persisted. In October 2025, two drones collided with a crane in Tolleson, Arizona, prompting investigations by both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The incidents showed how hard it is to operate around obstacles such as cranes and cables.

Despite these setbacks, Amazon continued to expand its footprint. In 2026, the company reported that Prime Air operates at 11 sites across seven U.S. states, as well as in Darlington, United Kingdom. The service delivers items weighing up to 5 pounds. Amazon aims to reach nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of 2026, indicating a rapid scaling of its drone network.

Amazon’s long-term goal is substantial. CEO Andy Jassy reiterated a target of delivering approximately 500 million packages via drone by the end of the decade. This scale would require not only technological reliability but also significant regulatory approval.

The rules

The regulatory landscape for drone delivery is currently defined by individual waivers rather than a comprehensive federal rule. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a rule for routine beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operations in August 2025. As of October 2026, the final rule had not been published. This delay means that companies like Amazon, Wing, and Zipline must operate under specific waivers and exemptions granted by the FAA.

These waivers allow companies to fly drones beyond the pilot’s line of sight, but they come with restrictions. Operators must demonstrate that their safety protocols are sufficient to mitigate risks to people and property on the ground. The waiver process is often case-by-case, meaning that a company approved to fly in one city might need to reapply for a different region. This patchwork of regulations creates uncertainty for scaling operations.

The lack of a unified rule also means that safety standards can vary. Some operators may have more stringent requirements than others, depending on the risk profile of their operations. As the FAA moves toward a final rule, the industry expects a more standardized approach to safety, airspace integration, and operational limits. Until then, companies must navigate a complex regulatory environment to expand their drone delivery networks.

Sidewalk delivery robots

Sidewalk delivery robots are small, autonomous vehicles designed to navigate pedestrian areas. They typically have six wheels and move at about walking pace. They use cameras and other sensors to detect obstacles, pedestrians and curbs. They are programmed to follow sidewalks and crosswalks, stopping for traffic and yielding to people.

In complex situations, such as busy intersections or construction zones, remote supervisors can assist. These operators monitor the robot’s camera feed and can provide guidance if the robot encounters a problem it cannot resolve autonomously. This mix of autonomy and remote help is how most operators handle situations the software cannot resolve on its own.

Starship Technologies is the largest operator with published figures. As of May 2026, the company had deployed more than 3,000 robots and completed 10 million deliveries across eight countries. In June 2026, Starship announced it would wind down its university campus deliveries in the U.S. and shift focus to grocery delivery. The company plans to move more than 1,200 robots to this new use case. Starship also reported that about 20% of grocery deliveries in Finland are now handled by its robots.

A legal challenge highlights the risks of sidewalk operations. A former Arizona State University employee is suing Starship, alleging that a robot reversed into her and knocked her down in 2023. Starship disputes the claim, but the lawsuit underscores the potential for injury and the need for robust safety protocols.

Serve Robotics, a publicly traded company, passed 2,000 deployed robots in December 2025. The company delivers for Uber Eats and DoorDash. However, Serve Robotics averaged about 792 daily active robots in the second quarter of 2026 and cut its 2026 revenue guidance to $9–10 million, suggesting that scaling robot fleets is more challenging than initially projected.

Coco, another player in the market, raised $80 million in June 2025 and had completed more than 500,000 deliveries. Nuro, which initially built its own delivery vehicles, has shifted to licensing its self-driving software. In 2025, Nuro agreed with Uber and Lucid to deploy Lucid Gravity robotaxis using Nuro’s software, indicating a trend toward software-focused autonomous delivery solutions.

Ports and ships

The maritime industry is also adopting autonomous technologies. On 22 May 2026, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the MASS Code, the first international safety code for autonomous and remotely operated ships. This code provides a framework for the safe operation of ships with varying degrees of automation, from remote-controlled vessels to fully autonomous ones.

The MASS Code is voluntary from 1 July 2026, allowing shipowners and operators to test and refine their autonomous systems. A mandatory version of the code is planned to enter into force on 1 January 2032. This phased approach gives the industry time to adapt to the new regulations and develop the necessary infrastructure for autonomous shipping.

The adoption of the MASS Code is a significant step toward the automation of global trade. How quickly autonomous and remotely operated ships are adopted, and what that means for crews and ports, is still open. The code provides a standardized safety baseline, but individual port authorities and ship operators will determine how quickly and extensively they adopt these technologies.

Jobs, safety and what to watch

The impact of autonomous vehicles on jobs is a subject of ongoing debate. A 2021 study by the U.S. Department of Transportation projected no forced layoffs of long-haul truck drivers in its slow and medium adoption scenarios. In a fast adoption scenario, the study estimated at most about 11,000 layoffs. In contrast, a 2018 UC Berkeley Labor Center analysis estimated that about 294,000 long-haul driving jobs could be at high risk. These differing figures highlight the uncertainty surrounding the pace of adoption and the definition of “at risk.”

Safety incidents have also drawn attention. Amazon’s Prime Air has experienced crashes, including the incidents in Oregon and Arizona. Additionally, the lawsuit against Starship in Arizona highlights the risks of sidewalk robots. Union opposition remains strong, particularly in the trucking industry, where drivers fear job displacement. Bills that would have required a human operator in autonomous trucks were vetoed in California in 2023 and 2024 and in Colorado in 2026, and the Teamsters are suing California’s DMV over its new heavy-truck rules.

Looking ahead, several key developments are expected in late 2026 and 2027:

• The FAA is expected to publish the final Part 108 rule, which will standardize BVLOS drone operations.
• Aurora is targeting the deployment of 200 driverless trucks by the end of 2026.
• Kodiak targets driverless long-haul trucking between Dallas and Houston by the end of 2026, beyond its private-road work in the Permian Basin.
• Uber Eats will launch drone deliveries in Dallas and Houston, expanding Zipline’s reach.
• Gatik aims to run more than 100 driverless middle-mile trucks by the end of 2026.

These developments will test the regulatory, technological, and labor markets’ ability to absorb autonomous logistics at scale.

Frequently asked questions

How is AI used in logistics?

AI is used throughout the logistics supply chain to optimize routes, predict demand, and automate warehouse operations. For example, UPS uses its ORION system to save about 100 million miles and 10 million gallons of fuel annually by calculating the most efficient delivery routes. In warehouses, AI-driven robots, such as Amazon’s deployed fleet of more than 1 million units, handle picking, packing, and sorting tasks. AI also powers autonomous vehicles, including drones and trucks, by processing sensor data to navigate safely and make real-time decisions.

Are self-driving trucks on the road today?

Yes, self-driving trucks are operating commercially in specific regions. Aurora runs driverless trucks in Texas and on routes to Phoenix, having logged more than 500,000 driverless miles by September 2026, according to company figures. Some of these trucks still carry an observer for safety. Kodiak’s driverless trucks operate on private lease roads in the Permian Basin. Gatik runs driverless box trucks with no one on board on short, repeated routes between warehouses and stores. All of these operations are still limited to specific routes and regions.

Does Walmart deliver by drone?

Yes, Walmart delivers by drone in partnership with Wing and Zipline. As of May 2026, the company had completed more than 1 million drone deliveries from 66 stores in Texas, Arkansas, Georgia, and North Carolina. The average delivery time is 23 minutes. Wing alone plans to serve more than 270 Walmart stores by 2027. The service is available to customers in participating areas, offering a fast and convenient alternative to traditional ground delivery for eligible items.

How does Amazon drone delivery work, and where is it available?

Amazon Prime Air delivers items weighing up to 5 pounds using autonomous drones. The service operates at 11 sites across seven U.S. states and in Darlington, United Kingdom, as of 2026. Customers in eligible areas choose drone delivery for qualifying items in the Amazon app, and an MK30 drone flies the order from a nearby delivery site to the customer’s location. Amazon aims to expand to nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of 2026. The service has faced some regulatory and technical challenges, including crashes in Oregon and Arizona, but continues to operate and expand its footprint.

Will driverless trucks replace truck drivers?

It is unlikely that driverless trucks will completely replace truck drivers in the near future. A 2021 U.S. Department of Transportation study projected no forced layoffs in slow and medium adoption scenarios, while a 2018 UC Berkeley study estimated that up to 294,000 long-haul driving jobs could be at risk. Current autonomous trucks often operate in specific corridors or require an observer. The technology is advancing, but full autonomy on all road types and conditions is still evolving. Union opposition and regulatory hurdles also slow widespread adoption. Driverless trucks will likely augment human drivers rather than replace them entirely in the short term.