Robot trucks are getting their own Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance inspections because, well, they are not like other trucks.

It took 2 1/2 years of work by commercial motor vehicle inspectors, state highway patrols, inspection and enforcement experts, motor carriers, autonomous truck developers and government officials to develop standards to inspect trucks with automated driving systems…

The new rules approved Sept. 22 by the CVSA differ from how an inspector treats a human-driven truck. They bridge a trust gap between the trucking industry and law enforcement, Dan Goff, head of external affairs for Kodiak Robotics, told FreightWaves…

CVSA inspectors also will conduct in-transit inspections at certain intervals throughout the trip. On the road, an ADS-equipped truck would have to show that it:

— Has passed the origin/destination inspection.

— Has automated driving systems functioning.

— Runs within its operational design domain, the conditions in which it is intended to operate safely.