Autonomous Trucks

Separate middle-mile from long-haul use

Driverless freight is being developed for two different jobs. Middle-mile routes link warehouses, cross-docks and stores on short runs repeated over the same roads, often every day. Long-haul routes cover long highway distances between hubs near cities, where trailers pass between autonomous tractors and local drivers. The two models ask different things of you: middle-mile needs docks and schedules that suit the vehicle, while long-haul depends on transfer hubs and the lanes they serve. Decide which one fits your network before talking to suppliers. Listings here such as the Gatik Box Truck and the Aurora Driver were quote-only in October 2026, so request proposals for your actual lanes.

Follow the US rules for driverless trucks

In the United States, NHTSA regulates vehicle safety, and its automated driving systems page says its guidance covers heavy-duty vehicles, including large trucks, and that it keeps full defect, recall and enforcement authority. Commercial operations fall to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In a supplemental advance notice of proposed rulemaking published in February 2023, FMCSA asked whether carriers should notify it before running Level 4 or 5 trucks without a human driver, how remote assistants should work, and how inspections should be handled. Check the current status of that rulemaking, and of state rules on every route, before you sign a contract.

Ask how roadside inspections will work

A truck without a driver still has to pass inspections, carry paperwork and deal with enforcement officers. FMCSA's 2023 notice observed that roadside inspections of Level 4 or 5 trucks would be uniquely challenging without a human driver to take part. Its Automated CMV Evaluation programme has explored use cases including truck inspection, enforcement, weigh station procedures, work zone safety and emergency response, and has demonstrated how an automated truck could communicate with enforcement vehicles. Ask a carrier or maker how its trucks handle pre-trip checks, en route inspections, a police stop and a breakdown on a busy road, and who attends when something goes wrong.

Write freight contracts for a new risk

Contracts written around human drivers leave gaps when software drives. Name the carrier of record for each lane and set out how cargo claims are handled if a load is damaged on an automated leg or at a transfer hub. Set service levels that allow for weather or roadworks outside the system's operating conditions, and agree who pays when a load waits at a hub because a route is closed to the system. Ask for lane-level reports on delays and handovers to human drivers. Keep conventional carriers on standby for the automated lanes, at least until the service has built a record you trust.

Sources and further reading

• Safe Integration of Automated Driving Systems (ADS)-Equipped Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs), supplemental ANPRM — Federal Register, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
  FMCSA's 2023 questions on notification, remote assistants and inspections for driverless Level 4 and 5 trucks.
• Automated CMV Evaluation (ACE) Program — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
  FMCSA research on automated trucks in inspections, enforcement, weigh stations, work zones and emergency response.
• Automated Driving Systems — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
  NHTSA's overview of its approach to automated driving systems and the federal safety framework around them.

Common questions

Are driverless trucks legal in the United States?

It depends on the state, because state laws on driverless operation differ, and federal rules for commercial trucks without drivers have been under development at FMCSA. Check each state on the planned route, and the latest federal position, before committing freight.

Will autonomous trucks still have a person on board?

That depends on the operator and the stage of deployment, so ask. FMCSA's 2023 notice discussed remote assistants who would monitor Level 4 or 5 trucks from elsewhere and could step in when a truck meets conditions beyond its capabilities.