UPS will invest $120 million in 400 Pickle robots to automate unloading trucks, part of its broader $9 billion automation plan aimed at cutting labor costs and boosting profits.

The robots use AI-powered arms on mobile bases to lift boxes up to 50 pounds from shipping containers onto conveyor belts, typically paying for themselves in 18 months.

UPS plans to deploy the robots in multiple facilities in the latter half of 2026 and into 2027, following successful testing and pilot projects.

The initiative is part of UPS’s largest network reconfiguration in history, which has included closing 93 facilities and cutting 34,000 jobs, as the company reduces low-profit e-commerce volume, Transport Topics has reported.

Pickle Robot, backed by investors like Toyota Ventures, competes with companies such as Boston Dynamics, and venture funding for warehouse robotics is expected to hit record levels in 2025.