Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Aug. 17, 2026:
Kodiak obtains permit to test autonomous trucks in California
Autonomous truck tech developer Kodiak AI announced Friday that it has received a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles that allows autonomous vehicle testing in the state.
California cleared the way for autonomous trucks to operate in the state earlier this year, with the DMV adopting one of the most comprehensive autonomous vehicle regulations in the country. Under the framework, manufacturers must follow a tiered permitting process, starting with human safety drivers before moving to driverless testing. To reach the next phase, light-duty vehicles must log 50,000 test miles, while heavy-duty trucks are required to complete 500,000 miles.
Kodiak obtained a permit under the state’s new regulations on Aug. 13, which allows Kodiak to operate in California with a safety driver behind the wheel.
“California’s comprehensive autonomous vehicle regulations are a major unlock for freight innovation,” said Don Burnette, founder and CEO, Kodiak. “This permit allows us to begin the first phase of scaling autonomous trucking coast-to-coast, while ensuring appropriate safety oversight from California regulators.”
Kodiak’s permit marks the first step in the DMV’s phased permitting approach, which progresses from driver-in testing to driver-out testing and, ultimately, driver-out deployment.
“California’s autonomous trucking regulations have been more than a decade in the making and are the result of extensive input and thorough reviews from a diverse set of stakeholders,” said Daniel Goff, vice president of external affairs at Kodiak. “They enable innovation in our home state while providing regulators with appropriate oversight and enforcement mechanisms.”
[Related: California sets rules for driverless trucking]
Congress looks to codify ‘Freedom Haulers’ vets-to-truckers initiative
U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-Florida) this week introduced legislation to codify the Freedom Haulers initiative, permanently securing the fast-track pathway for military veterans to earn commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).
Last month, President Donald Trump, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration chief Derek Barrs and others unveiled the initiative as a way to connect veterans to trucking careers and use veterans to replace “illegal” CDL holders.
"Veterans have already proven they have the discipline, the training, and the grit to handle the world’s most demanding jobs in the world’s most dangerous places. Hauling America's freight should be next," Mast said in introducing the legislation. "President Trump opened the fast lane for veterans to get behind the wheel and my bill make sure it stays that way."
Currently, the initiative exists as a directive from the Trump administration. Mast's bill writes the guidance into federal law:
- Doubling the Military Skills Test Waiver window from 12 months to 24 months after service, letting veterans with heavy vehicle military experience skip the CDL skills test during that window.
- Making the Even Exchange Program permanent, allowing qualified veterans to bypass CDL knowledge exams and receive licenses faster.
Text of the bill is available here. As of Aug. 14, the bill has one co-sponsor -- Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Georgia). The legislation was referred to the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure.
[Related: Trump wants to trade 'illegal' truckers for veterans, and Werner wants 1,400 of them]
