The next frontier of the self-driving car movement is likely to be self-driving commercial trucks, and the California DMV is creating the rules right now for the testing of autonomous semi trucks.
Google-owned self-driving car company Waymo has made some pretty big strides since their competitor Cruise flamed out. Though the reality is that Waymo is not yet profitable, and those robotaxi fares are small change when it comes to how much Waymo has invested in driverless technology. That is no matter to the cash-rich parent company Google, because those cars have learned invaluable little lessons about how to operate on the road.
The real money in driverless technology was always expected to be self-driving trucks, which would remake the US shipping industry practically overnight. Cross-country hauls could be done without drivers, and without any sleep or rest breaks having to happen as the cargo is hauled.
And NBC Bay Area reports that the California DMV is now in the process of creating testing guidelines for self-driving trucks. These guidelines would apply to a new breed of self-driving vehicle that is 10,000 pounds or heavier, which is anywhere from the size of a Ford F-350 pickup truck all the way to a full-blown semi truck.
Current California self-driving vehicle regulations ban vehicles of more than 10,000 pounds from operating autonomously until regulations for them were in place. Now those regulations are coming, or at least, regulations for testing these trucks on actual roads and highways.
We do know that the rules will require that there has to be a human being at the wheel to take over if things get glitchy (during the testing phase, at least). NBC Bay Area adds that the regulations are "expected to include a new process for citing autonomous vehicle companies when their cars or trucks violate traffic laws." After all, right now police cannot cite driverless vehicles for moving violations, because those vehicles don’t have a driver.
The new regulations will be proposals, and these proposals have not yet been published publicly. Once they are, California residents will have 15 days to submit any feedback.
Related: Amazon-Owned Autonomous Taxi Company Zoox Begins Offering Public Rides [SFist]
Image: DIXON, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: In an aerial view, brand new trucks are displayed at TEC Equipment on September 26, 2025 in Dixon, California. U.S. President Donald Trump announced a series of new tariffs on Thursday that will impose a 25 percent tariff on imported semi-trucks, a 50 percent tariff on bathroom vanities and kitchen cabinets, and a 30 percent tariff on upholstered furniture. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
