Autonomous trucking is becoming more mainstream on highways across the United States. To date, at least five states have deployed autonomous trucks on their roads. However, already there’s been growing opposition from labor groups and public safety officials. While some believe autonomous trucks could make roads safer and reduce shipping costs while addressing persistent driver shortages, others feel the technology threatens hundreds of thousands of jobs. There's also concerns that the technology has not yet demonstrated it can safely handle every real-world situation that will be encountered on American highways. “What will the liability look like when you have trucks autonomously driven across the country and the inevitable accident occurs? And how does this impact the independent drivers and operators who work on a contract basis?” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. Why It Matters Commercial freight transportation is a critical part of the U.S. economy, with millions of deliveries moving across the country every day. If autonomous trucking becomes widespread, it could reshape supply chains and labor markets in addition to the trucking industry itself. What to Know Several states have become major hubs for autonomous truck testing and deployment, including: - Texas: Texas is potentially becoming the leading state for autonomous trucking deployment, and Aurora has operated commercial autonomous freight routes connecting cities including Dallas, Houston, El Paso, Fort Worth and Phoenix. - Arizona: The state is a longtime testing hub with permissive autonomous vehicle policies and freight routes connected to operations in Texas. - California: Recently opened the door to heavy-duty autonomous truck testing under new DMV regulations. Aurora and Kodiak AI have already received testing permits. - Colorado: Lawmakers have debated requiring human operators in autonomous trucks, but Governor Jared Polis vetoed legislation to prevent