California governor vetoes bill requiring driverless trucks to have safety drivers

California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill aimed at prohibiting heavy-duty driverless trucks from operating in the state. This decision comes as a relief for companies working on autonomous technology for long-haul trucking in the United States.

Assembly Bill 316, supported by labour groups, required that autonomous vehicles weighing over 10,001 pounds have a trained human driver present. It had received substantial backing in both houses of the state legislature.

In his veto message, Governor Newsom stated, “Considering the existing regulatory framework that presently and sufficiently governs this particular technology, this bill is not needed at this time.”

It’s worth noting that a governor’s veto can still be overturned if the legislature opts to pass the bill with a two-thirds majority in each house. However, such a reversal is rare and hasn’t occurred in California since 1979.

While several states, such as Texas and Arkansas, have allowed testing and operation of self-driving trucks, California, home to tech giants like Alphabet and Apple, has maintained restrictions on autonomous trucks exceeding 10,001 pounds. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles has been working on developing a regulatory framework to lift this restriction, which prompted the proposed bill.

The development of autonomous trucking technology has proven more challenging and costly than anticipated, resulting in job cuts and some companies exiting the industry. Nevertheless, a few, including Aurora, Daimler Truck, Kodiak Robotics, and Gatik, continue to test and deploy driverless trucking operations.

Supporters of the technology argue that the bill would hinder the progress of autonomous freight transport, particularly from the busy Southern California seaports to locations across the state, potentially pushing future investments in autonomous infrastructure to other states.

Conversely, labour unions led by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have been advocating for Governor Newsom to sign the bill, citing safety concerns and potential job losses associated with autonomous trucks, some of which can weigh over 80,000 pounds.

In his veto message, Governor Newsom emphasized that any regulations developed by the Department of Motor Vehicles would prioritize transparency and include input from stakeholders and experts to ensure safety. He also directed the labour and workforce development agency to formulate recommendations to mitigate potential job impacts resulting from the deployment of such vehicles.