California's initial self-driving trucks are operating on the roads, while the regulations governing them are being decided in court.
California has granted its first permits for testing autonomous trucks on public roads to Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI, with Kodiak already operating vehicles around Mountain View. On August 5, Teamsters California filed a lawsuit seeking to annul the regulations that enabled the issuance of these permits.
For the first time, self-driving trucks are being tested on public roads in California. The state's Department of Motor Vehicles has issued permits to Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI, with Kodiak already utilizing several trucks, primarily near its Mountain View headquarters.
This development follows a regulatory change on April 28 that lifted the state's ban on testing autonomous vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds, which had prevented both companies from operating in their home state for several years.
The permits come with restrictions; a safety driver must remain in control of the vehicle, and testing is prohibited on roads where the speed limit is 25mph or lower, unless the truck is traveling directly between two points.
These regulations are already facing legal challenges. On August 5, just days before the permits were issued, Teamsters California filed a writ petition in Alameda Superior Court, requesting a judge to annul the regulations entirely.
The union’s challenge is based on procedural grounds rather than technological concerns. It claims that the DMV bypassed requirements to assess and disclose the economic impact of permitting driverless heavy trucks and did not adequately consider the risks to other road users.
"Such an important decision with potentially grave consequences needs public involvement and transparency," stated Peter Finn, co-chair of Teamsters California. "That’s why Teamsters California is taking legal action against the DMV."
The union is not solely depending on the courts. Co-chair Victor Mineros indicated that they would continue their battle "in the courtroom, at the ballot box, and into the next administration," while gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra has pledged to reverse the DMV regulations if elected.
This situation arose as a result of regulation rather than legislation. In 2023, California lawmakers passed a bill mandating human operators for autonomous trucks, which Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed, leading the DMV to define the terms.
During the delay, both companies operated in Texas. Aurora began driverless freight operations in May 2025, covering routes from Fort Worth to El Paso and Laredo to Dallas, while Kodiak commenced in January 2025, adapting their hardware and software for production semi-trucks instead of constructing cabless vehicles from the ground up.
The trend is becoming increasingly familiar within the industry, which continues to expand faster than the debates surrounding it can be resolved.
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California's initial self-driving trucks are operating on the roads, while the regulations governing them are being decided in court.
Aurora and Kodiak received the initial California permits for testing autonomous trucks, granted just days following the Teamsters' lawsuit aiming to have the regulations overturned.