Teamsters file lawsuit to block California's fast-track autonomous truck rules
The Teamsters California union sued the state over a plan to permit driverless trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds on public highways.
Teamsters California has taken legal action against the state, challenging a DMV initiative to allow fully autonomous commercial trucks over 10,000 pounds on California roads. The union contends the agency ignored public concerns and failed to perform the economic review mandated for major regulations. It warns that the rule could eliminate over 200,000 semi-truck driving jobs and enable firms like Aurora Innovation Inc. to invest heavily in the market.
The complaint asks an Alameda County judge to invalidate the amended rules and require a comprehensive impact analysis. The DMV had previously estimated the rule would cost $5.8 million and have no significant statewide effect, a figure the union disputes, citing its own estimate of nearly $288 million in direct costs the first year. Both the DMV and the state Finance Department declined to comment.
Why it matters
The lawsuit could halt a policy that may reshape trucking jobs and large technology investments in California.
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