If you talk to anyone in Silicon Valley, you’d think that self-driving vehicles would be dominating the streets by next week. Sure, we’re seeing plenty of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) replacing some forklifts and walkie riders in beverage warehouses across the country, but when it comes to road-worthy equipment outside the four walls of the distribution center, any meaningful deployment — especially in the beverage direct-store-delivery (DSD) space — is still many years in the future.
Still, the technology is developing rapidly and the future could be here before we know it.