California Begins Testing Autonomous Trucks on Highways

California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has issued permits to two companies developing autonomous freight vehicles—Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI—enabling them to begin testing driverless trucks on public roads. Kodiak has already initiated trials near its Mountain View headquarters.

New regulations approved by the DMV in April lifted the previous ban on testing autonomous vehicles weighing over 10 tons. This allows companies not only to test but also prepare for the commercial deployment of heavy-duty autonomous trucks. To obtain permits, Aurora and Kodiak met DMV requirements for safety, insurance, vehicle registration, and operator qualifications.

Testing is subject to restrictions: a human operator must remain behind the wheel, and autonomous trucks are barred from roads with speed limits below 40 km/h unless it’s a direct route between destinations. Despite these precautions, the initiative has faced criticism. The Teamsters California union has filed a lawsuit against the DMV, alleging that the agency ignored economic impacts and safety risks.

Before the regulatory changes, Aurora and Kodiak conducted testing in Texas, where regulations were more lenient. Aurora launched a commercial autonomous truck service in May 2025 on the Dallas–Houston route, later expanding its operations. Kodiak began operating autonomous trucks in January 2025 in a remote area of West Texas, later expanding to highways, including the Dallas–Houston route.