“The safe integration of automated vehicle technology into our transportation system will increase productivity, facilitate freight movement and create new types of jobs,” said Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

While the document stresses DOT has no desire to over-regulate the trucking industry, it does state “FMCSA retains its authority to take enforcement action if an automated system inhibits safe operation.”

However, moving forward, FMCSA “will no longer assume that the CMV driver is always a human or that a human is necessarily present onboard a commercial vehicle during its operation.
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