Self-driving trucks are officially testing on California highways

Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI have received permits from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to test self-driving trucks on state highways. The approvals mark a formal step toward broader autonomous freight trials in one of the country’s most important transportation markets.

California’s approval signals growing regulatory openness to autonomous trucking, even as safety and labor concerns remain central to the debate. Testing in the state could accelerate competition among self-driving freight companies and shape future rules for commercial deployment.