Opposition from truckers and a lawsuit didn’t stop the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from approving a controversial exemption that paves the way for driverless trucks.
The agency granted the exemption despite acknowledging the limitations of the warning beacons.
The rule, which aims to alert other drivers when a commercial motor vehicle is stopped, requires the driver to take immediate and specific action.
In December 2024, FMCSA denied that request, saying the exemption “lacks necessary monitoring controls to ensure highway safety.”
The exemption could help the company expand to thousands of driverless trucks over the next five years.