California issues first permits for autonomous truck testing

California has issued its first permits for testing autonomous heavy-duty trucks on public roads, granting permission to Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI. This follows a rule change in April that lifted the state's ban on testing autonomous vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds.

The permits include specific restrictions: a safety driver must remain behind the wheel, and testing is prohibited on roads with speed limits of 25 mph or lower unless the vehicle is traveling a direct route between destinations. Kodiak AI has already begun operating vehicles, primarily around its Mountain View office.

The decision is facing legal opposition from Teamsters California, which filed a petition in Alameda Superior Court to repeal the regulations. The union argues that the Department of Motor Vehicles bypassed requirements to study the economic impact and failed to adequately weigh safety risks to other road users, calling for more public transparency in such critical decisions.