By Al Muskewitz
 
National research has found while most governmental activities designed to guide the industry attempt to create a framework for safe testing of autonomous trucks, many impede the creation of a seamless and standardized autonomous truck network.
 
That was the finding of research conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute, which identified AT as a top industry priority for its Research Advisory Board in 2018 when federal leadership on the issue was lacking and states were developing plans in piecemeal fashion.
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Government rules that ostensibly support autonomous truck development often are too prescriptive to generate meaningful outcomes, the report found. As an example, it noted multiple vendors highlight Level 4 testing, even though regulations require constant control of the vehicle by both drivers and on-board engineers, making it difficult for motor carrier executives to accurately assess the real value of autonomous trucks.
 
“The pace of technology development in the autonomous truck sphere is moving at lightning speed,” Skyline Transportation president Jeff Reed said in an ATRI news release announcing the results. “Our industry needs states to collaborate on seamless policies and regulations, and we need more proactive federal guidance on AT development.
 
“Government activities at all levels must be dynamic enough to address the constantly evolving technology landscape.”
 
The 54-page report outlined 15 items on a timeline of DOT regulatory actions on autonomous trucks between September 2016 and September 2019. It also detailed a list of 83 regulations in 37 states and Washington, D.C., from as early as 2011. California has passed eight separate pieces of legislation, Florida seven, and Tennessee and Utah five each.
 
Despite all the regulations, several critical policy areas have not been sufficiently addressed in most states, the report noted.
 
“These policies differ in a variety of ways and are at different stages of development,” the report said. “… The fragmented and incomplete development of AV policy can be attributed in part to the slow development of federal guidance from the U.S. DOT and the lack of any legislation from the U.S. Congress.
 
“As a result, a comprehensive, standardized approach for states to legislate and regulate AV technologies has yet to emerge.”
 
Autonomous trucking is an intriguing proposition with more than $10 billion in venture capital investment created at the start, but in the first two quarters of 2019 only $3.2 billion in 64 deals were documented. Still, testing is ongoing or being planned in more than 50 cities across 20 states with 12 states deploying “high” Level 4 autonomous vehicles on public roads, again in a piecemeal approach.
 
The report authors offered eight recommendations to move the issue forward:
 
Exert stronger federal leadership in establishing national policy and AV standards
 
Determine the top decision-making agency for AV policy and establish a clear hierarchy for regulatory agencies.
 
Develop clear, consistent definitions to appropriate frame policies.
 
Allow for an exemption to licensing requirements so as not to preclude potential new jobs like on-board technicians.
 
Coordinator with states to develop a standardized product liability policy for AV technologies.
 
Establish strict ownership criteria and use limits for data generated by AV technologies.
 
Address known AV and cooperative automation cybersecurity risks and develop protocols to respond to unforeseen vulnerabilities.
 
Study potential barriers to testing and deployment of AV technologies.
 
“The potential safety and economic benefits for adopting AAV and cooperative operation technologies in the trucking industry are substantial,” the report concluded. “However, federal and state policymakers have struggled to keep pace with the development of these technologies. As a result, a fragmented and incomplete ecosystem for developing, testing aand deploying these technologies has emerged.
 
“While states have the right to implement policy to ensure the safety of the roadways under their jurisdiction, it is incumbent upon federal and state policymakers to avoid implementing policies that needlessly delay testing or deployment of technologies that will improve roadway safety.”

Shortly after the ATRI report was released, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao told attendees of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the federal government was committed to unifying the various state initiatives and provide guidance on the U.S. governments approach to autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence.

Chao said it was the first time the federal government is offering unified guidance across all federal agencies on the issue.

A joint DOT-National Safety & Technology Council report released by the White House during the CES – a 4.0 version of the government’s vision for AV/AI – outlines federal principles for development and integration of automated vehicles focusing on three areas: prioritizing safety and security, promoting innovation and ensuring a consistent regulatory approach.

“The landscape for AV innovation is complex and evolving,” Chao said in her keynote speech. “But the goals aare pretty simple. They need to improve safety, security and the quality of life for all Americans – that’s the barometer for success.” 

Al Muskewitz is Editor-in-Chief for Wright Media Corp.