States move to slam brakes on self-driving trucks Autonomous trucks are no longer some far-off idea – they’re already hitting highways, and states are fighting to keep control before the rules fall behind. More than half the states already have laws on the books. But the technology is advancing so quickly that many of those rules already look outdated. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association says autonomous trucking could bring benefits, but it also sparks major worries about highway safety and trucking jobs. Land Line has reported that the federal government still has no clear nationwide safety standards for self-driving vehicles. Meanwhile, state laws are a patchwork – some tough, some weak, and some almost nonexistent. Now, states are rushing to either crack down harder on autonomous trucks or throw the doors open even wider for them. Colorado Colorado lawmakers made a late-session sprint to crack down on autonomous trucks. In the final days of the regular session, lawmakers voted to send a bill to Gov. Jared Polis that would require a CDL holder to be inside the vehicle. The bill picked up steam at the statehouse after lawmakers stripped a provision that would have allowed voters to decide whether to ban autonomous trucks on Colorado roads. That provision was originally added to work around the governor. Last year, Polis vetoed a nearly identical bill. At the time, he warned the rule could choke off innovation that might actually make roads safer. Hoping for a different outcome this year, lawmakers sent another version to his desk focused on self-driving trucks over 26,000 pounds. HB1286 would require the truck driver to monitor the autonomous system and jump in to stop unsafe or illegal driving. A licensed driver would also have to stay in the driver’s seat when hauling hazmat. Drivers who violate