GIS-Enabled Truck–Drone Hybrid Systems for Agricultural Last-Mile Delivery: A Multidisciplinary Review with Insights from Rural North Dakota

Efficient last-mile delivery remains a major challenge for agriculture in rural regions such as the state of North Dakota in the United States. In these regions, farms are large, dispersed, and dependent on timely access to inputs. Truck–drone hybrid systems offer a potential solution by combining the long-haul capacity of trucks with the speed and flexibility of drones. Economic studies indicate that such proposed hybrid systems can enable faster, lower-cost, and more sustainable delivery of small, time-critical packages. This research further reviews the role of geographic information systems (GIS) in enabling these systems. A combined systematic and thematic review of 82 high-quality publications identifies five domains: GIS applications, truck–drone coordination, smart agriculture integration, rural implementation, and sustainability impacts. The findings show that GIS supports route optimization, drone launch-site selection, and real-time monitoring. Beyond the capacity of drones to extend reach and reduce delays, integrating IoT and AI platforms enhances decision-making and improves efficiency. However, constraints include federal regulations, payload limits, harsh weather (especially in rural areas), and cybersecurity risks. This review concludes that GIS-enabled truck–drone systems can transform agricultural logistics and rural resilience if providers can address regulatory, technical, and security challenges through coordinated innovation.