Autonomous truck testing is moving forward despite recent setbacks, and the FMCSA is looking to get input from the industry on which existing regulations should apply to autonomous vehicles, and which should be modified, updated, or eliminated.
In a notice published in the Federal Register last week, FMCSA Administrator Raymond Martinez is seeking input from the public on how best to “facilitate the safe introduction of automated driving systems (ADS) equipped commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) onto our Nation’s roadways.”
According to the notice, the FMCSA is requesting input on specific Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). It is reconsidering even regulations that require that “a trained commercial driver must be behind the wheel at all times.”
Other questions asked include:
- How should drivers’ hours of service be recorded if the ADS is relied upon to perform some or all of the driving tasks?
- Should drivers be required to get separate endorsements for different types of ADS?
- What changes should be made to distracted driving regulations? For example, should a human driver in a CMV be allowed to use a held-held phone while the ADS is in control?
- How long should a human driver be allowed to not pay attention to the road before the vehicle responds?
For the full list of questions, you can read the public comment request here. File a comment online and share it below!
Source: federalregister, truckinginfo
carl horn says
u herd about uber right, not a good thing.
RockyD says
(1) You need to stop allowing them testing on open public roadways until they can assure you there is at least 95% certainty that there will be no malfunctions that could harm or even cause a fatality to the public. (2) Stop beating a dead horse in trying to push this technology based on it will make the roadways safer, humans build the technology, so there still will be human interaction which leads to chaos. (3) Stop getting in a hurry for robotic solutions, for guess what, artificial intelligence will be replacing you next.
Peter meat says
So your good with 5% accident chance?
Isn’t the whole idea safety.
Let’s hope your family isn’t part of the 5%
DrivingMyLifeAway says
I think that whenever a corporate CEO, fmcsa administrator or politician “green lights” autonomous vehicle testing on the same highways as the motoring public (as they are currently doing without the public’s knowledge or approval); and one of those vehicles malfunctions or kills someone …..then the above mentioned individuals should go to prison for reckless endangerment and manslaughter.
Kari says
Amen to that!
Jerry says
They should be banned, no autonomous truck with or without a human driver is safe. It’s all about the money not safety, these trucks will be killing more innocent people, lawyers will be waiting to sue the manufacturers of them, and really I hope they win in court big time. Uber already an early example.
Jude says
Too many decisions need to be made too fast to trust them to a computer when moving 70-80,000 pounds down our current highways. No computer can process the array of information that changes quickly, especially as a traffic starts piling into itself in front of you, and decide whether to avoid a collision by trying to stop or driving around. These trucks should never be allowed to move on our highways. Let the companies that want them pay for roads dedicated for their use.
DC says
It’s a dumb idea that I’ll never live to see anyway.
Show me the trailer that opens its own doors, and I’ll believe we are one percent of the way there.
I’m still waiting for that flying 1980 Chrysler Imperial we were all promised.
Driver says
Like most of the ingenious ideas that come from behind the desks of those charged with the governing of transportation..idiotic..my thinking is, if one with enough money to throw at these lawmakers, and the humor to do so, we would all be driving down the road in polka dotted trucks dressed like donald duck wearing long distance diapers and holding a baby rattle..
Tom Stiles says
Colorful but I agree…need to stop having people who really have no clue about this business making decisions
Maica says
Jobs are needed, auto trucks, cars, cashiers, tellers all mean NO JOBS, not safe!!!
Not safe at all!!! Only looking for more money for big top people for their mansions, tachts, expensive cars
Bryan Bennett says
This will end badly… as truck drivers we see everyday the split decisions that have to be made… the changing conditions by the second. No automated truck should be on the road with other passenger vehicles. If they want to build and design specific roads just for this than so be it. But I will fight this to the Supreme Court. I have children on the road driving and this is not safe
wifi says
spend money on self driving vehicles and not the employees; attempt to end yet another industry in the USA leaving people jobless… the message here? all people care about is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Iriemonarch says
How about rebuilding the infrastructure first instead of rushing to appease your corporate sugar daddies just so they can continue to lower their labor cost at the expense of murdered motorist via automatic vehicle gone mad ???
Samuel Williams says
These money hungry people just thinking about money. These machines are going to have error in them because it was made by a error filled man. They will never be perfect. Your gonna have sensors going out, the machine can only react to what it’s programmed to react to. Just not a smart idea to put these things out there.
Robert K Rupp says
This is not even worth discussing if it were not for the fact that big companies are trying to put people out of work at a huge cost. This technology is not needed period.
Kris says
Should be banned. Corporations care about money only and dont care about public safety!
Tommy Molnar says
Trains run on tracks. They can only go ONE way – yet even THEY have wrecks. How in the WORLD can you expect to keep an 80,000 pound truck from crashing, awake human driver along or not? And if you HAVE to have a human driver still in the truck – PAYING ATTENTION – what’s the point.
Tesla and uber not doing so well either. Just sayin’.
JEREMY HERRING says
If history is any guidance into the view of the future, then there will always be a driver behind the wheel even if fully autonomous vehicle technology reaches maturity. Look at aviation – airplanes have had autopilot for 50 years and we still put two highly trained and qualified pilots in the cockpit anyways because no matter how advanced the technology people feel better knowing there’s someone in charge just in case. Pilots still have to do all the pre-trip work, negotiate the congestion and navigate the labyrinth of the airport tarmac, and manually operate the most dangerous legs of the journey, namely the takeoff and landing. Its only once they are cruising that the autopilot is engaged to take over the mundane task of keeping on course at which point it’ll alert the pilots of any issue encountered and they have time and room to address it.
Comparing and contrast that with driving and there are enough similarities to believe the same application will be made. Drivers will still need to do all the groundwork, paperwork, and negotiate local roads until they reach the highway and only then is a self driving technology useful for long periods of limited involvement. The major difference is that if something happens which requires the driver to re-engage it is more likely to require seconds or less, not minutes like aviation, because traffic doesn’t have miles of buffer between them like airplanes. Human limitations don’t allow for instant reasoning after prolonged inattention so for a driver to have to re-engage, assess, and react is going to take too long to safely react to the issue the technology only just detected within a short range of its sensors.
The analysis of airplane crashes also has a striking resemblance to traffic accidents. Most airplane crashes and up with some amount attributed to pilot error but often that error is because the pilots are trained to trust the tech and one faulty sensor can skew the tech’s information so the pilot is acting on bad info. Drivers can run into the very same thing and if anyone has driven a truck with OnGuard collision mitigation system you know how dangerous bad sensor data can be when it ‘sees’ something that’s not there and slams on the brakes automatically.
Beyond the tech vs human comparison, the proliferation of self driving technology in any large scale fashion will demand more intelligent infrastructure design and I have long maintained that autonomous and human operated vehicles simply will not be able to inhabit the same roadways. For one thing, intersections of traffic and pedestrians are too complex for the tech to safely assess as is exemplified by the autonomous Uber death recently. Second, studies have already concluded that human drivers knowing autonomous vehicles will always yield to avoid an accident will become even more aggressive and bully autonomous vehicles on the road. The solution though is unfeasible to build autonomous roads alongside traditional roads so the idea of both coexisting equally will simply be a compromise of acceptable casualty rates and skyrocketing litigation.
Paul E collins says
A very bad idea. Ot is already dangerous out here with trucks that is limited in speed to drive time to parking. Auto trucks are to dangerous for life.
robin says
one thing that a computer will never have over a driver is intuition
Gil says
Heard this on the radio the other day. How many times have you used a restroom with automatic soap dispenser, automatic faucets and automatic towel dispenser and these things don’t work right. We had these for years and now we expect an 80000 lb truck to drive itself safely. The best tank in the world, M1 Abrams with all of its technology still breaks down, cpu’s gets heated n goes bad and has to be used manually. Think of all the moving sensors required for these trucks and to believe everything will be fully functional 100 % of the time.
Most importantly all the things that do happen and will happen that experienced drivers can adjust by skill and instinct. These skills and instincts will not exist with these autonomous trucks. A truck with a blown steer tire may knock out several sensors and not react. God forbid the thought of HazMat loads with these autonomous trucks.
Dan says
Bring them on. When four wheelers or even other trucks cut them off they’ll brake. It won’t take long for people to figure out these are easier to abuse them an actual truck driver and they’ll become slow moving warehouses on city highways collecting distracted drivers on their tailgate. Then just add a foreign hacker via satellite and this is going to be hee haw. They want to play that game? I won’t stay behind them either. Think about it. You can pass then safely full in 6 inches in front of them and they autonomously back off and no one gets offended lol
Paul Carrer says
The DOT wants ELD’s for safety sake. Yet think autonomous trucks are good?! There’s something wrong here.
Tom Stiles says
I said it before and I’ll keep standing on my soap box and shouting it: Better trained new drivers; longer training periods in schools; probationary training period after school with quality trainers; better pay; shippers and receivers held accountable for delaying drivers and forcing to violate rules; and drivers accountable for THEIR OWN RECORD AND ACTS not what other drivers do…each driver have an individual and independent record of driving history and allow good drivers to do their job without being burdened by penalties causes by other drivers. One solution doesn’t fit all. ELD for new drivers and drivers with bad history.
OtrDriver7319 says
I totally agree with you but no one forces you to violate any rules. If you get delayed you get delayed, but I have never been forced to violate any h o s rules. I make the decisions when I’m out on the road not the company.
John says
I have been forced to violate HOS rules already. Pulled into customer with 2.25 hours available. Had to wait 4 hours to unload 3 pallets. Then told to leave property even though they had more than enough parking available. I refused. They called the sherrif’s office saying I was trespassing. Explained to them the problem, they didn’t care. Leave or get arrested. Now chose.
E Wash says
I haul for gasoline for a tanker division and I’ll bet a months pay that you will never see an autonomous truck take a hazardous material anywhere in the continental US.
Shogun says
I say release them right now on level 5 autonomy. No driver necessary. Put them hauling overdimensional, hauling logs out of the woods, loading themselves at grain stations, hauling livestock, hooking up sets of doubles. Can you imagine how much safer our roads will be with engineers programming trucks to do something they have never done? I bet prices of goods will drop to nothing, you no longer need insurance, and the economy will soar.
Jeff Pearson says
Not a driver are you? Whos going to chain them up in the snow? Whos going to correct them going on the ice and they are running sideways down the road? What if we find out what you do and replace YOU with a computer.. that shouldnt be very hard if you think this is such a great thing..because its not..and somebody loses a job..ohhhhh thsts what you are is a NWO groupy where the thinking is you only need a few million on the planet..funny thing that yhe NWO hasnt thought through..whos going to buy your product? And the economy will be tanked..
Shogun says
Yes I am a driver. If you realized what I wrote is sarcasm. You would see how truly ridiculous the idea is.
John says
FOLMAO!!!! You live in wonderland?
Cody Armstrong says
Lol with the things they just asked why do it anyway?? And the DOT officers will lose their jobs as well as drivers if there is nothing to regulate!! Tech is not that advanced yet to put into trucks, I believe there forcing it a bit!!
George says
Like ships, air Planes, Trains. Autonomous vehicles are a good idea, but never, remove the human element. Always require a truck driver to be on board the autonomous tractor trailer. After driver does nothing but activate a dead man’s switch every 15 to 20 minutes, they should always be on board.
Jeff Pearson says
So if a driver is in the truck…why have an atonomis truck? Just somebody watching to many episodes of the jetsons or starwars..thinking ohhh what a good idea..self operating trucks..not in this life time or many afterwards..
George King says
I think that the ADS folks need to really think this through. Traffic patterns are different from city-to-city and open road. We can not fully autonomous vehicles (especially trucks) running the roads while there are still “manned” vehicles driving like they’re in “Fast and the Furious” movie scenes.
RT says
Anotous trucks..no sir..the driver should have no phone to there ear..they should have to follow the same rules as we do because the person in the truck has to still be awake and be ready to take control at any moment..have a cal as we do why..they are still responsible as we are..
Jerre MacDougall says
I truly cannot believe that you even entertain the thought of letting an 80000 pound self-driving truck on the interstate. But I’m sure that you will and I’m sure thousands will die. End of story.
Chip says
Let’s see they’ll spend the billions to have their own lanes because we know how patient other drivers are, then one major accident will shut the whole system down
J D says
Huh I wonder what could happen if the truck was hacked
Jeff Pearson says
Keep them OFF THE ROAD.. some computer genius thinks they will work..and look at the people the cars have KILLED because of some computer glitch… that is with somebody in the truck…SOOOO if you need a driver in the truck…why have all of this expensive computerized crud also in the truck? Just because they think it can be done doesnt mean it should be done..thats like …well i can jump off a bridge..but you dont..
WTF says
Definitely those that put these cars and trucks need to be held criminally liable for injuries and deaths..I know i will if my family member is injured..liable in court or out..i for an i
shawn dillon says
I ve been in weather so bad, and in dangerous situations in a truck, that I ask myself, an autonomous truck, what would it do? and that’s the point. Their are way to may unanswered questions about the subject in this not even perfect world, land, road conditions, traffic, weather ungodly, unsafe conditions, fuel lanes with unmanned trucks, no way.
MAYBE in the yards to allow drop and let them hook and unload like a yarddog.
Hey that’s a thought now???.
Save ungodly time in a yard, early arrivals? o problem, talk about dead head head pay again. Maybe they just need their own private roads to ship on.
Unnerving truck driving itself, YOU CANT REPLACE TRUCK DRIVERS>
IrreverentCrawfish says
The most important regulation in my opinion is a blanket ban on any truck pulling hazmat on autopilot.
mike C. says
If they buy a truck that drives itself why would they need a driver ?Unemployment is awaiting .
Tina R Smith says
As a driver’s wife, I have an interest in there being few to no driverless trucks. But as a driver on the road, the idea of 80,000 lbs hurtling down the highway next to me making life or death decisions in case of accidents dispassionately. I’m scared to death. No amount of convincing will make me think you can program common sense along the ability to apply it to an emergent situation into a computer driven vehicle. Holeee jeepeers. Please no autonomous trucks. Uber’s are bad enough. Thank you for listening to my two cents .
Joe peterbilt says
No computer will ever have the reaction time of a human uber yeah they tried pinning that on an ex con not something new big company blames their faults on someone else that was not even in control so what now its ok for no human compter cars to kill people what is this world coming to
Will Ramey says
You are going to put millions of hard working Americans out of work and every time those computer driven trucks has a glitch people are going to die or did y’all not watch Terminator???
Chris says
Whyyy what is the point of it all? Companies with too much money paying off lawmakers to push this autonomous bull crap,people getting killed and their paying off the dead woman’s family already n not being charged with murder ……… LOL what a beautiful world we live In. The technology we have today isn’t upto this task, hey why don’t they put all this money into building a phone that never glitches or a robot vacuum that works properly? They are fooling themselves and convincing people this is the next big thing…seems delusional.. …we need to fight this.
Aleg says
One day the technology to autonomously drive trucks will be here, OK I get it. But congress said it right, first let’s see mature and we’ll tested autonomous CAR technology, and only when such cars become common on roadways then it will be the time for truck testing.
Anthony says
So one Uber vehicle that has sensors should have detected this pedestrian, and made the appropriate adjustments, but it did not…This is just one vehicle…Now the big question is…Was the system hacked?? Now imagine fleets of autonomous big rigs…On the interstates, or other highways, or even in town headed for a delivery or pick up…Someone hacks the system, and the rig or rigs accelerate when they are suppose to brake…Everyone that has driven OTR knows that when you come into a big city…Chicago, L.A., NYC, etc. Can you imagine the carnage?? Those of us that have or are driving big rigs can…We are very safety conscience…The amount of accidents involving 18 wheelers is already on the increase because of the ELD’S…Now add this monstrosity into the mix, and the law suits will out trucking companies out of business not to mention the autonomous manufacture’s…If they proceed with this they do so at their own peril, because the American people are going to be in immediate danger!!
Robert Allard says
If it is hacked it is terrorism and the bad guy are waiting to see these things on the road so they could use it as a weapon of destruction.
claude heck sr. says
I have been in the trucking business for over fifty yrs running my own equipment , have had no char able accidents. if you think a damn computer can run a truck across country in all weather and traffic , you need to get the hell out of any decisions making policy about trucks, its plain to see you have no clue about trucks and other traffic on the road ! in 2017 I had two accidents where both idiots just drove right into my truck, once , and my trailer once for no reason, and both where charged , how is your computer going to avoid that ?
Don says
GPS can be fooled. 80,000 lbs is a very dangerous object turned loose with no guidance talk about a lethal weapon. I am strongly against it.
Robert Allard says
One scenario about going true customs and paperwork has some error on it and the agent tell the truck to go park and bring papers in office so what happen no body to listen no body to drive to parking spot and no body want to jump in this machine because of not knowing how it work and do not want to be responsible for damages.
Customs would sure like this situation.
Micky D says
Autonomous trucks are going to be Awesome!!! A big 50 lb rock, a over pass, a silly self driving truck, BOOM! Off the road it goes and Whoooopie, you got 21st century pirates who are unemployed truckers doing exactly what the Big Tech folks said they would do when truckers lost their livelihood – Find another Better Paying Career!!! . And crime does pay, just as a politician.
This is how you kick off a new game, Cow tipping is So old fashion! So Lets ROCK! hahahaha
Deaconblues62 says
I still can’t believe that someone could come up with something so STUPID. What do the main line Truckstop’s think about it?
Jason says
DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!!!
Don Miller says
Too many variables due to weather and other humans sharing the roads and the unpredictable things they do when going down the road! Totally Autonomous trucks are a very bad idea! Perhaps some assistance such as proximity warnings and assisted braking similar to what is appearing on automobiles would be welcome!
CASTRO says
All these anonymous robotic vehicle on open road .testing to see what improvements they can discover after killing some one. Just to improve technology .Why not reschedule marijuana for CDL.holders and watch those drivers come out of the closet.
Lanesurfer says
A machine wants to take my job away? I take that kinda personal ..
mat says
Either the driver is or isn’t operating the truck. ANYTHING happens while the ADS is in control is the company responsibility.
Keeping the driver behind the wheel, while ADS is driving, to correct it’s actions is a poor excuse to say ADS CAN NOT properly operate by its from the creators of the ADS.
Brian says
I don’t think its a good idea, if something goes wrong with the computer or sensors in the vehicle it could cause a major crash or fatalities.
Is trying to save money worth risking the lives and safety of the public?