By Bernadette Berdychowski, Tampa Bay Times | February 11, 2023
The new technology makes about four to five shipments a day.
On the edge of Tampa, bordering Pasco County, Matthew Credle prepared a drone to make deliveries from a Walmart parking lot by air.
Wind gusts? Check. Motors? Check. Battery power? Check. Pilots have the necessary licenses with them? Check.
Credle, the 30-year-old Tampa DroneUp hub leader, didn’t know when the first request for a drone delivery of the day would come in, but he spent the morning with his team calibrating systems to ensure they were ready.
It’s part of Walmart’s growing pilot program for drone delivery, which began testing late last year in Central Florida. The Arkansas-based retail giant’s program, in partnership with Virginia Beach-based company DroneUp, expanded to 36 stores nationwide with nine in Florida. That includes the Tampa location on 19910 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Soaring to new heights, together.
Be sure to visit the BWU Technology Partnerships Initiative website to learn more about how our NEOFIX program drives economic growth, promotes policy and infrastructure to improve drone safety and efficiency in various industries, and ensures that drone technology is being used responsibly.