Autonomous truck beacon waiver moves closer to October renewal amid legal challenge

The waiver covers Aurora and any carrier operating Level 4 automated trucks that notifies FMCSA and certifies it will follow the terms.

In that request, as summarized by FMCSA, Aurora argued that beacons “eliminate the need for a human to exit the CMV onto the shoulder or traffic lane of a road.”

“Giannoulias’s chances of actually encountering a truck covered by the waiver are vanishingly small,” DOJ attorneys wrote.

Aurora told FMCSA in its exemption request that it expects more than 200 Level 4 trucks by the end of 2026.

At 5:59 a.m., an Aurora truck on a development mission collided with a pickup that ran a red light at FM 1187 and the Interstate 20 service road.