Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Jan. 12, 2024:
Lawmakers in Indiana and New York have introduced legislation that would effectively ban driverless trucks in their respective states.
New York State Senator Pete Harckham introduced legislation that would require a trained human operator be physically present in any autonomous vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds or more on New York roads.
In Indiana, nearly identical bills were introduced in both chambers of the state’s congress that would require a human operator to be physically present in an autonomous truck.
A similar bill was passed last year in California but vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Speaking out against the bill was the CEO of an association representing autonomous vehicle makers and others, while the Teamsters union has championed such bills, seeing the regulations as protecting truck driving jobs. New York alone, the union said, is responsible for 270,000 transportation jobs, including about 58,300 current heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
"The integral role of the trucking industry in our lives means we have to be proactive and vigilant about public safety and job security when it comes to technological innovations like autonomous operating vehicles," said Sen. Harckham of the New York bill. "This common-sense measure will ensure greater protection for residents and property while providing job security for over 270,000 New Yorkers. I am thankful to Louis Picani and Teamsters everywhere for supporting this legislation."
