The Golden State continues to accelerate its reshaping of the freight transportation sector and now Class 8 commercial vehicle manufacturers and business leaders would like lawmakers to tap the brakes on anti-autonomous truck legislation.
After the state’s Assembly passed AB 316 — a bill requiring a driver in driverless trucks — powerful forces are calling for the California Senate Transportation Committee to slow its roll. A letter signed by autonomous stakeholders such as Aurora, Daimler Truck, Gatik, Kodiak Robotics, Navistar, Plus, Torc Robotics, U.S. Xpress, and Volvo Autonomous Solutions, among others, is pushing lawmakers to put driverless trucks over 10,000 pounds on the road.
“California was among the first states to adopt a comprehensive legislative framework for AV testing and deployment over a decade ago. AV technology has since been tested and deployed in states across the country and across modalities, and it maintains an incredible safety record. Other states have taken notice, and now, a majority of U.S. states have recognized the numerous benefits of AVs by authorizing AV deployment, including deployment of autonomous trucks,” the letter reportedly states.
Other proponents point to the state’s controversial AB5 law that effectively bans owner-operators. After trucking advocacy groups lost a fight to overturn the law, many independent truckers left for greener pastures. In recent months, California has also passed regulations phasing out the use of diesel and gasoline vehicles.
The cost of zero-emissions rigs and shorter hauling capacity may prove cost-prohibitive to trucking outfits. With a national driver shortage of 80,000 and growing, California business owners appear on edge about the delivery of goods and materials. The California Business Properties Association and others also sent a letter urging the Transportation Committee to tank AB 316.
“Autonomous long-haul trucking has the potential to broadly benefit the economy by improving the efficiency of countless industries that rely on moving goods on trucks, including agriculture, retail, and manufacturing,” the letter reportedly states.
On the other side of the issue, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters applauded the move to ensure every heavy-duty rig has a CDL holder behind the wheel, autonomous or not.
“I’m trained to expect the unexpected. I know how to look out for people texting while driving, potholes in the middle of the road, and folks on the side of the highway with a flat tire. We can’t trust new technology to pick up on those things,” Teamsters Local 350 truck driver Fernando Reyes reportedly said.
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