Some California Lawmakers and Unions Want to Ban Autonomous Trucking

California labor organizers and some members of the state’s legislature are pushing back over a proposal to reverse a ban on autonomous heavy-duty trucks on public roads.

According to Automotive News, the California Labor Federation and a number of Teamsters unions held a rally in the state’s capital this week regarding a proposed bill that would require a trained safety driver to be in a truck’s cab during any testing or operations of an autonomous vehicle that weighed over 10,000 pounds. Teamsters and lawmakers alike cited safety as a concern for keeping folks behind the wheel of these rigs.

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A spokesperson for the Teamsters told AutoNews that the bill would act as a “backstop” in case the state DMV decides to allow autonomous trucks on public roadways.

“If we are going to roll out this technology, then it should be done by the legislature, not by a regulatory agency. It should be well thought out,” Jason Rabinowitz, Teamsters Joint Council 7 president, told Automotive News. “Protection of our economy should be the number one concern, not the profits of these corporations that are pushing this technology, trying to make us move too fast.”