Teamsters sue California DMV over rushed approval of heavy-duty autonomous trucks

Earlier this month, Teamsters California sued the California Department of Motor Vehicles, alleging the agency fast-tracked its April decision to allow autonomous trucks heavier than 10,001 pounds without completing a mandated impact assessment. The DMV’s revised rules require a safety driver and 500,000 miles of testing at each certification stage, which the union says is insufficient to protect drivers and the public.

Co-chair Peter Finn cited past Waymo incidents, including blocked first responders and a blackout-induced stall, to argue the technology cannot handle unexpected events. DMV director Steve Gordon defended the changes as a commitment to safety and industry growth, while university expert William Riggs noted the rulemaking involved a year of proposals and hearings. Legal counsel Julie Dickinson contends the DMV violated the California Administrative Procedure Act, estimating the regulations could cost over $280 million in the first year. Companies such as Kodiak AI and Humble Robotics are preparing to deploy the trucks, with Humble’s founder Eyal Cohen saying driverless freight will not replace human drivers immediately, a view the union disputes.