Similar News: Gatik, Walmart Achieve Fully Driverless Deliveries
Walmart to Expand Drone Deliveries to 4M Households
In partnership with DroneUp, Walmart plans to expand its delivery network to 34 sites by the end of the year, providing the potential to reach four million U.S. households across six states.

Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Walmart customers can choose from many eligible items for drone delivery in as little as 30 minutes. The company is expanding its drone delivery to 34 sites by the end of the year.
Photo: Walmart
Walmart has announced its plan to expand drone deliveries by the end of the year.
In partnership with DroneUp, Walmart will increase its drone delivery network to 34 sites, providing the possibility to reach 4 million U.S. households across six states, according to a Walmart press release. These states include Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
Expanding its drone delivery network can provide Walmart the ability to deliver over 1 million packages by drone each year, according to the release.
For a delivery fee of $3.99, a customer’s drone order can total up to 10 pounds. Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., customers can choose from many eligible items for delivery by air in as little as 30 minutes.
Participating Walmart stores will have a DroneUp delivery hub that includes a team of certified pilots managing flight operations for the drone deliveries, according to the company. Once the order is placed, the item is packaged, loaded into the drone, and delivered to the customer’s yard using a cable that lowers the package.
“After completing hundreds of deliveries within a matter of months across our existing DroneUp hubs, we’ve seen firsthand how drones can offer customers a practical solution for getting certain items, fast,” Walmart stated in its press release. “While we initially thought customers could use the service for emergency items, we’re finding they use it for its sheer convenience, like a quick fix for a weeknight meal. Case in point: The top-selling item at one of our current hubs is Hamburger Helper.”
However, Walmart’s drone system does have some restrictions. Because the FAA requires that a drone be operated within view of a human operator, Walmart has constructed 30-feet-tall control towers in its stores’ parking lots to offer the drone service, according to a report by Ars Technica. This means deliveries need to happen within a 1.5-mile radius of each store (about as far as an operator in this control tower can see a drone).
More Fleet Forward

NETS Crash-Cost Data and CoolSys’ 80% Loss Reduction Take Center Stage at FFC
NETS will present findings from its latest Cost of Crashes research, then CoolSys safety leader and author Shawn Martinez will explain how the company built a safer driving culture across 3,500 employees.
Read More →
Is Your Grey Fleet Creating an Unmanaged Safety Risk?
NCR Atleos Fleet Manager Jose Rocha will join Cardata and SambaSafety experts at Fleet Forward Conference to examine how fleets can extend safety oversight to every employee who drives for business.
Read More →
Agentic AI Session at FFC Will Help Fleets Turn Data Into TCO Action
Mike Albert Fleet Solutions and Motorq will show how agentic AI can uncover maintenance, fuel, and utilization savings buried across disconnected fleet data.
Read More →
Voting Opens for 2026 Fleet Hall of Fame
See the nominations for the 2026 Hall of Fame and select your choice for this year's class!
Read More →
7 Fleet Professionals Named Finalists for the 2026 Fleet Visionary Award
Meet the 2026 nominees for the Fleet Visionary Award.
Read More →
9 Fleet Leaders Nominated for the 2026 Fleet Manager of the Year Award
Meet the nine finalists for the 2026 Fleet Manager of the Year Award.
Read More →
Fleet Forward Conference to Debut First Registration-Based Analysis of Largest Commercial Fleets
The session will deliver an exclusive first look at registration data covering more than 1.5 million commercial vehicles, offering one of the industry's most detailed views of the private fleet market.
Read More →
Registration Opens for 2026 Fleet Forward Conference
Held on the East Coast for the first time, the Washington, D.C.-area event features expert-led education, a new IIHS Crash Test Experience, and collocation with the NAFA’s Fleet Safety Symposium.
Read More →
Earley, Mossing Named to NAFA's 2026 Class of Fellows
The honor recognizes five outstanding professionals whose leadership, service and contributions have made a significant impact on NAFA and the fleet management profession.
Read More →
