Domino's Brings Self-Driving Pizza Delivery Pilot to Houston

https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/29867-dominos-brings-self-driving-pizza-delivery-pilot-to-houston

As someone who worked for tips as a teenager delivering pizzas, I always try to give a hefty tip to delivery drivers. Their struggle is real. They've got to drive like Mario Andretti, carry themselves like Jeeves the butler, run faster than a Rottweiler, and excel in on-the-spot conflict resolution management.

Unless you've worked the job, it's hard to fathom some of the challenges delivery drivers go through just to keep your pizza looking oven fresh. I believe delivery drivers earn every penny of any tip they receive.

Cumulatively, tips constitute a significant source of revenue that Domino's (and others) may invariably seek to cash in on through the use of autonomous vehicles. At first glance, it's easy to gawk at the idea of tipping a machine. Stop and consider for a moment that there is still a human being delivering your pizza; a human being that is no less worthy of a tip. Consider the countless hours and collaborative effort expended by the thousands of programmers and engineers cross-blending technologies to carefully craft a more efficient method of pizza delivery.

So, might I consider tipping a pizza delivery machine? You bet! As someone who welcomes technological advancements in supply chain, it's a sour pill to swallow having to explain to my pizza delivering son why he may soon be out of a job. I guess it's time I teach him how to program autonomous vehicles.

-Jason Averill, EVP - Avercast, LLC