PepsiCo has deployed 41 autonomous trucks across Arizona, Texas, and Arkansas, becoming the first major U.S. consumer-goods company to use driverless technology at scale. These 26,000-pound vehicles transport Doritos and Frito-Lay products between distribution centers and retail partners like Walmart and Dollar General on busy highways and local streets.

While at least nine autonomous truck companies operate in Southern states, most still require human monitors or limited testing. PepsiCo's operation, utilizing Gatik technology, represents a significant advancement comparable to technical milestones achieved by smaller driverless taxi services. The company runs these trucks without human operators in a live commercial network.

"These operations are real, running in multiple markets in a live network, not like some experimental test environment," said Jim Farrell, PepsiCo's senior VP of supply chain. The move signals autonomous trucking is moving beyond testing into commercial deployment, potentially reshaping logistics for consumer goods companies nationwide with more efficient supply chain operations.