Autonomous truck rules move forward at statehouses -

The use of autonomous trucks continues to be a topic of debate at statehouses from coast to coast.

More than half of all states have rules related to autonomous trucks. In some states, the rules are considered to be outdated as the technology continues to evolve.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association recognizes that the rapid development of autonomous technology has potential. However, OOIDA believes the technology poses challenges as it relates to commercial vehicles and highway safety.

Legislation to address the issue has died in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Mexico, Tennessee and Washington. Land Line previously covered the bills in each state.

Montana

The Montana House and Senate have approved a watered-down bill that covers autonomous trucks.

The original bill sought to enact rules and standards for the operation of autonomous trucks.

Montana does not have guidelines for commercial vehicle platooning.

The introduced version would allow truck platooning on state roadways. The lead vehicle “conductor” would be required to have a CDL. The conductor must also be “in a position to take control” of the vehicle.

Rules would apply to partially or fully autonomous vehicles that are trailers, trucks or truck tractors. Platoon operations could be up to three trucks.

Sponsored by Rep. Zack Wirth, R-Wolf Creek, HB97 was amended on the House floor to instead require the Montana Department of Transportation to study platooning safety.

“This is technology that’s coming. The whole purpose of this is to allow the Department of Transportation to create rules, to create a process, to work with the next interim (transportation) committee so that when somebody comes to the department and says, ‘We want to try platooning in Montana,’ they have rules in place,” Wirth testified.

The amended bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

Virginia

A Virginia bill sent to the governor would authorize a work group to look at autonomous trucks.

As introduced, HB2627 addressed operation of fully autonomous vehicles in excess of 62,000 pounds. The bill required a human driver with the appropriate credentials to be physically present in the vehicle with the ability to intervene if necessary.

The bill was amended to instead call for the Virginia DOT, in consultation with the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Homeland Security, to convene a work group to identify concerns presented by the operating of autonomous vehicles in the state. The group then would develop draft legislation to address the issue.

Meetings would be required to be complete by September 2026. Any draft legislation recommended by the work group would have to be submitted by November 2026.

California

In California, there is a renewed and revised effort to address concern about autonomous trucks.

A year ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that called for prohibiting autonomous vehicle operation with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 10,000 pounds for testing purposes, transporting goods or transporting passengers without a “human safety operator physically present” in the vehicle during operation.

Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, was behind the vetoed legislation. She is back with a similar bill that would require a trained human operator in any autonomous vehicle used to deliver commercial goods.

Aguiar-Curry wrote in the bill that the deployment of autonomous trucks poses potential risks to road safety, “especially given the technology’s reliance on complex algorithms that can be prone to unforeseen errors and failures.”

She added that the widespread use of autonomous trucks would threaten the livelihoods of thousands of California drivers and delivery personnel.

“While technological innovation is valuable, it must be balanced against the potential displacement of workers and the economic impact on local economies.”

Her bill, AB33, is in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

Delaware

One Delaware Senate bill would enact a preemptive ban on driverless trucks. The pursuit is nearly identical to the vetoed 2024 California bill on the same topic.

Sponsored by Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, D-Newport, SB46 would prohibit autonomous trucks exceeding 26,000 pounds from travel on Delaware roadways for testing purposes, transporting goods or transporting passengers without a human driver physically present in the vehicle.

The bill also would make DelDOT responsible for submitting a report to the governor evaluating autonomous vehicle technology by 2030. At that point, the rule could be changed.

During a Senate committee hearing on the bill, Mantzavinos clarified to lawmakers his legislation is not a ban.

“There is nothing in this legislation that prohibits testing or operation of vehicles in this class,” Mantzavinos said. “I know this is coming. I think everyone understands this is coming.”

The bill awaits further consideration in the Senate.

North Dakota

A bill halfway through the North Dakota Legislature would require the state DOT to study autonomous vehicle technologies, including autonomous trucks.

As introduced, HB1614 called for prohibiting an “automated truck tractor” from operation on a North Dakota highway to transport passengers or goods. An exception would be made for instances when an individual with a valid CDL is physically present in the automated vehicle.

NDDOT and the North Dakota Motor Carriers Association opposed the original bill. They cited autonomous technology as an emerging field in the freight-delivering business while addressing the growing driver shortage.

Rep. Jared Hendrix, R-West Fargo, amended his autonomous truck legislation in committee to instead require NDDOT to study “relevant issues in order to develop a preemptive regulatory and statutory framework” for the operation of autonomous vehicles in the state. The agency would also look at semi-autonomous vehicles.

“The original version of HB1614 required a human observer in automated truck tractors operating in North Dakota,” Hendrix told House lawmakers. “This was due to a wide array of concerns related to road safety, loss of critical trucking jobs and the need of assuring public trust as we transition into a new era.”

He added that the study will “address outstanding questions about accident liability, the readiness of highway infrastructure for these technologies, address concerns about data privacy and security and present ideas for regulatory framework to the Legislature.”

The Senate Transportation Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the bill this week.

Texas

Two Texas bills cover autonomous vehicles, including autonomous trucks.

The legislation follows interim discussions that took place a year ago at the statehouse about how to address the topic.

HB4402 would require a human operator who is capable of taking over to be present in an autonomous vehicle. The operator must hold a valid license that is appropriate for the type of vehicle operated.

A related Senate bill, SB2425, would update the state’s definitions for automated vehicles and create additional terms related to their use. Prohibitions would also be created that include operation without a human driver, except under certain circumstances.

The proposed rules would apply to autonomous trucks. LL