As autonomous trucking regulations gain momentum, California lawmakers and labor unions, led by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, continue to push for a bill reining in its acceleration.
Authored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), Assembly Bill 2286 would require a human to be behind the wheel of self-driving trucks that weigh over 10,000 pounds for testing purposes, transporting goods, or transporting passengers.
A rally was held Monday outside the State Capitol in Sacramento to support the bill, attended by Teamster leadership and lawmakers, including Assemblymembers Tom Lackey (R-Boron) and Laura Friedman (D-Glendale).
“As autonomous vehicle companies try to push their new, untested technology onto our roads, we need to prioritize legislation that will protect our streets and good-paying driving jobs, and that starts with AB 2286,” said Peter Finn, Teamsters International Western Region Vice President, President of Teamsters Joint Council 7.
The bill is a copy of last year’s AB 316, also co-authored by Aguiar-Curry, that aimed to promote safety and job opportunities. While it received support in the legislature, with more than 90% in favor of the legislation, the bill was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom last September.
Since then, supporters of AB 2286 pointed to high profile accidents, such as when a Cruise robotaxi caused accidents and injured people in San Francisco, raising safety concerns and calls for better regulations.
The legislature’s role is critical in deciding when autonomous trucking is safe and when there’s a “real plan” for trucking workers, said Aguair-Curry. “The autonomous trucking industry has cast this bill as a ban on technology when it explicitly states that testing and deployment will happen with a Human Safety Operator. Using their logic, they’re the ones who support a ban. A ban on humans in trucks. A ban on working people’s ability to provide for their families and provide safe roadways for Californians. We will not stand by and let them put profits over people.”
Chris Griswold, Teamsters International vice president at-large and president of Teamsters Joint Council 42, pointed out that the bill is not a ban on self-driving technology. “It is a bipartisan bill that puts safety first by ensuring a trained human operator behind the wheel of autonomous trucks,” he explained.
Across the country, the discourse on regulating autonomous trucks is ongoing.
In South Dakota, Teamsters and the South Dakota Peace Officers Association have expressed opposition against House Bill 1095 – a bill that would allow autonomous trucks to operate on South Dakota roads without human operators.
In Florida, Senator Victor Torres (D-Orlando) proposed SB 1580 to require a licensed human operator to be physically present in self-driving vehicles.
[RELATED: Another state eyes driverless truck ban]
Meanwhile, in Indiana, Teamsters testified in the Indiana General Assembly’s Road and Transportation Committee in favor of House Bill 1022. The bill would require human operators in driverless trucks. Similarly, its companion bill in the upper chamber, Senate Bill 57, will be significant in protecting employment opportunities and motorist safety.
Similar discussions are also being held in Iowa, Kentucky, and New York, with lawmakers considering various issues to regulate the use of AV trucks.
