Self-Driving Trucks Hit California Highways: Aurora and Kodiak Secure Testing Permits

Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI, two leading developers of self-driving truck technology, have received permits from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to test their autonomous heavy-duty vehicles on public roads. Kodiak has already begun operations with a handful of test trucks around its Mountain View office, marking a significant milestone for the industry. These permits follow updated rules approved by the California DMV on April 28, which lifted a ban on testing driverless vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds on public roads. The new regulations provide a clear regulatory pathway for companies to test and, eventually, deploy autonomous heavy-duty trucks across the state. Both Aurora and Kodiak met the DMV’s permitting criteria, including safety protocols, insurance coverage, vehicle registration, and safety driver qualifications. The permits require a human safety operator to remain behind the wheel during testing and prohibit operations on roads with posted speed limits of 25 mph or less, unless traveling on a direct route between destinations. Despite these precautions, the prospect of self-driving trucks on California’s highways continues to face opposition. Last week, Teamsters California filed a lawsuit against the DMV, alleging that the agency failed to study and publicly disclose the potential economic impacts of allowing autonomous trucks on public roads, as required by state law. The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, also contends that the DMV did not adequately assess safety risks to motorists. For autonomous vehicle developers, the new rules open the door to testing and deployment in their home territories. Both Aurora and Kodiak are based in California but had previously focused their operations in Texas due to the state’s ban on autonomous heavy-duty trucks. Aurora launched a commercial self-driving truck service in Texas in May 2025, starting with a Dallas-to-Houston route and expanding to include Fort Worth-El Paso, El Paso-Phoenix, Fort Worth-Phoenix, and Laredo-Dallas connections. Kodiak began commercial driverless truck operations in January 2025, initially in an off-road environment at West Texas’ remote Permian Basin, and has since expanded to on-highway routes, including Dallas-Houston. As these companies bring their technology to California, the state becomes a critical testing ground for the future of autonomous freight, balancing innovation with regulatory and public concerns.

via TechCrunch