What’s the deal? Aurora and Kodiak Robotics, two companies developing self-driving trucks, have received permits from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to operate their autonomous vehicles on public roads in the state. The development marks a regulatory step for both companies as they work to move autonomous freight from testing towards commercial deployment. Why it matters: California permits provide an important framework for collecting on-road data, validating safety systems and expanding operational experience in one of the most closely watched markets for autonomous vehicles. For freight operators, autonomous trucking is being developed as a way to improve fleet utilisation, address long-haul capacity constraints and support more consistent delivery operations, while regulators continue to assess how the technology should operate alongside conventional traffic. Company focus: Aurora describes its Driver platform as a self-driving freight system designed to integrate with existing fleet operations and haul customer loads without a driver behind the wheel. Kodiak AI focuses on autonomous trucking and AI-powered ground autonomy solutions. The permits do not by themselves represent a commercial launch or confirm the scale of either company’s permitted operations, but they give both teams an additional route to test and develop self-driving freight technology on California roads. Read more: Aurora · Kodiak AI · TechCrunch on X