Driverless 18-wheelers are already rolling on Texas highways (opens the source in a new tab)
- Aurora, Kodiak, Waabi and others now run self-driving trucks on routes such as the Dallas-Houston stretch of I-45, mostly depot to depot, with humans handling loading, docking and the final mile.
- Aurora expects 200 trucks on the road in Texas and nearby states by year-end and estimates 30,000 nationwide by 2030. Backers cite driver shortages, rest rules robots don't face and smoother, fuel-saving driving.
- About two dozen states allow them under conditions. The Teamsters are suing California over rules that open the door to heavy driverless trucks, and owner-operators oppose a federal safety exemption.
- 200
- Aurora trucks by year-end
- 30,000
- possible US fleet by 2030
Why it matters Freight is where autonomy pays first: repeat routes, long hours, costly drivers. Long-haul shifts change first, while the first and last mile stay human for now.
Other side The trucks can't yet reverse or dock on their own, there is no federal safety standard written for them, and one bad crash could stall public trust.