Texas has made transportation history. The Lone Star State has become the first to welcome Self-Driving Trucks on public roads for fully autonomous vehicles’ freight deliveries. The technology, developed by autonomous vehicle company Aurora Innovation, officially hit the highway without human drivers behind the wheel. This moment marks a turning point in the trucking industry, and raises pressing legal, safety, and ethical questions about driverless safety.
As a firm that handles a wide range of vehicle accident cases, including commercial truck crashes, Ted Law Firm recognizes the significance of this development in the freight industry. The arrival of driverless trucks on Texas roads demands closer attention to evolving legal responsibilities, accident liability, and how victims may seek compensation in the event of collisions involving autonomous vehicles.
The Milestone: Aurora’s Self-Driving Trucks in Texas
On January 23, 2025, Aurora Innovation launched its first fully autonomous trucks on Texas highways. The truck began operating without safety drivers, making it a major step forward in self-driving technology for the freight industry.
The route stretched from Aurora’s terminal in Palmer, Texas to another terminal in South Dallas, navigating state highways and local roads as part of its initial operations. Aurora plans to expand these driverless operations throughout the I-45 corridor between Dallas and Houston, one of the country’s busiest commercial routes for long-haul trucking. The company aims to scale its commercial operations in 2025, offering driverless trucking service to major logistics partners, showcasing a major milestone in the deployment of autonomous technology.
While other autonomous trucking companies have conducted pilot programs, Aurora’s launch is America’s first self-driving trucks commercial deployment of a completely driverless semi-truck on open roads in the U.S., marking a pivotal milestone for self-driving technology.
Why Texas?
Texas has become a proving ground for autonomous vehicles due to:
- Favorable weather conditions
- A strong trucking and freight industry infrastructure supporting long-haul trucking
- Legislation that permits autonomous vehicle testing and driverless operations
- Minimal regulatory roadblocks for autonomous trucking firms and autonomous trucking companies
Additionally, Texas has passed laws that explicitly allow autonomous vehicles to operate on public roads as long as they comply with traffic laws, paving the road for deliveries by Self-Driving Trucks. This forward-leaning policy approach, combined with the state’s logistics network, makes Texas an ideal testbed for companies like Aurora, an autonomous trucking firm aiming for widespread driverless operations.
The Technology Behind Aurora Driver
Aurora’s truck is equipped with a system called the Aurora Driver, which combines:
- Lidar sensors (laser sensors)
- Radar
- Cameras
- Machine learning algorithms
- Real-time data processing and mapping
These systems work together to ensure that the truck can identify road hazards, navigate intersections, change lanes, and maintain safe distances, all without human driver input, showcasing advanced autonomous technology. The Aurora Driver is a key component of Aurora’s self-driving trucks.
The truck also features redundant systems to handle emergencies, including automatically pulling over if a system error is detected, ensuring driverless safety.
What This Means for Road Safety
Alongside human drivers:
Proponents argue that autonomous trucks could increase driverless safety by removing human driver error, one of the leading causes of traffic accidents involving commercial trucks. They don’t get tired, distracted, or impaired, and they follow traffic rules with machine-like precision, unlike some human truck drivers.
However, the transition raises new driverless safety concerns alongside the established safety record of professional truck drivers:
- Can autonomous trucks handle unexpected road conditions better than experienced commercial truck drivers?
- What happens if lidar sensors or other components of the Aurora Driver fail in self-driving semis?
- How will these driverless vehicles interact with unpredictable human drivers in private vehicles?
- Will they stop for emergency vehicles or adjust to road work as effectively as human drivers?
Until these questions are answered, human drivers’ lives could be at risk in the event of a failure or miscalculation involving a multi-thousand-pound vehicle, particularly on high-speed highways shared by commercial trucks and Self-Driving Trucks. This necessitates careful consideration of driverless safety regulations.
Legal Implications: Who Is Liable in a Crash Involving Autonomous Vehicles?
Traditional crash investigations focus on human drivers’ negligence, fatigue, distraction, or impairment. But with no human drivers involved in Self-Driving Trucks, the legal landscape shifts for autonomous vehicles.
If an autonomous truck is involved in an accident, potential liable parties may include:
- The trucking company operating the driverless vehicles as part of their driverless operations and driverless trucking service
- The manufacturer of the autonomous technology system (e.g., Aurora, developing the Aurora Driver for their self-driving semis)
- Software developers working on the autonomous technology for self-driving vehicles
- Third-party maintenance providers servicing commercial trucks and autonomous trucks
- Cargo companies (if load shifts contribute to the incident involving a heavy-duty truck)
Assigning liability in these cases involving autonomous vehicles is more complex and may require technical analysis of the autonomous technology, data retrieval from vehicle systems of the Self-Driving Trucks, and expert testimony about how the Aurora Driver and other autonomous technology functioned in the driverless trucks.
Texas Laws and Autonomous Vehicles
Texas law currently allows fully autonomous vehicles to operate as long as:
- They comply with all traffic laws, just like commercial trucks
- They are capable of reaching a “minimal risk condition” if the self-driving technology system fails in driverless vehicles
- Insurance coverage is maintained for these autonomous trucks and other commercial trucks
However, liability laws have not caught up with autonomous technology. As of now, autonomous trucks are held to the same liability standards as traditional commercial trucks, but this could change as more driverless trucks enter commercial operations and driverless operations, potentially impacting long-haul trucking.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will likely play a role in future regulations concerning driverless safety.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has indicated that future regulations may include additional reporting requirements and safety benchmarks specific to autonomous trucks and other freight-hauling trucks involved in driverless operations. This is a key aspect of ensuring driverless safety as autonomous vehicles become more prevalent in long-haul trucking and driverless trucking service.
What About Insurance for Autonomous Vehicles and Commercial Trucks?
Autonomous trucks must be insured just like traditional commercial trucks. However, insurance companies are currently navigating the risks associated with self-driving technology:
- How to price risk without human drivers in Self-Driving Trucks or other driverless vehicles
- How to determine fault in system-related crashes involving autonomous vehicles using the Aurora Driver or other autonomous technology
- How to cover damages caused by software or hardware failure in autonomous trucks and self-driving semis
As incidents involving autonomous trucks increase, insurance companies may adjust their models, and Texas residents should prepare for the potential rise in insurance premiums, especially for businesses that share the road for deliveries with these high-tech haulers and other commercial trucks.
Impact on Commercial Trucking Industry Alongside Driverless Trucking Service
The rise of autonomous trucks brings both promise and disruption to the commercial trucking industry and long-haul trucking:
Benefits of Autonomous Vehicles:
- Lower costs of operation for driverless trucking service
- Reduced ongoing truck driver shortage of commercial truck drivers and human truck drivers
- Around-the-clock operation with fewer breaks for autonomous trucks compared to human drivers in commercial trucks
- Potential reduction in crash rates due to the precision of autonomous technology in Self-Driving Trucks
Challenges for the Commercial Trucking Industry:
- Displacement of commercial truck drivers and human truck drivers by autonomous vehicles
- Regulatory uncertainty surrounding driverless operations and autonomous trucking firms
- Approach to cybersecurity risks for autonomous vehicles and their operating domain
- High development and maintenance costs of operation for autonomous trucks and their complex self-driving technology
The American Trucking Associations estimate a shortage of over 80,000 commercial truck drivers in 2025. While automation through autonomous trucks could fill this gap, it may also lead to massive job loss in the long term for professional truck drivers and others in long-haul trucking.
Can Driverless Trucks Be Sued?
Technically, a machine like Self-Driving Trucks cannot be sued. However, the companies responsible for the truck’s design (autonomous trucking firm), commercial operations, and maintenance can face legal action. If you’re injured in an accident involving a driverless truck, the law firm representing you will need to pursue damages from:
- The operator (freight or logistics company utilizing driverless trucking service)
- The tech developer (autonomous vehicle company like Aurora with their Aurora Driver and autonomous technology)
- The vehicle manufacturer of the heavy-duty truck equipped with self-driving technology
- Any third party whose negligence contributed to the incident involving commercial trucks or autonomous trucks
At Ted Law Firm, we work diligently to ensure clients understand their rights when dealing with commercial truck crashes, especially in emerging areas like autonomous vehicle liability involving Self-Driving Trucks and their autonomous technology.
What Happens If a Driverless Truck Causes a Fatal Crash?
In cases involving serious injury or death caused by autonomous vehicles, families may pursue wrongful death claims. These lawsuits would still apply even if a human driver wasn’t behind the wheel of the driverless truck. However, the legal process might include:
- Forensic analysis of vehicle data from the autonomous trucks
- Inspection of autonomous technology system logs from the Aurora Driver or other self-driving technology
- Involvement of industry professionals and tech developers specializing in autonomous vehicles
This increases the complexity of litigation, and highlights the importance of choosing a legal team familiar with both trucking regulations and emerging autonomous technology used in driverless vehicles.
How Ted Law Firm Can Help with Autonomous Vehicles
With the emergence of autonomous vehicles on Texas highways, accident victims may find themselves in an unfamiliar legal landscape. Our firm helps clients navigate these new challenges involving commercial trucks and Self-Driving Trucks by focusing on:
- Commercial truck accident investigations
- Gathering electronic data and evidence from autonomous vehicles
- Coordinating with technology and engineering professionals specializing in self-driving technology
- Building strong claims for compensation related to accidents involving autonomous trucks and other commercial trucks
We understand the stakes involved when injuries occur, and we are committed to helping victims recover what they deserve, regardless of how advanced the vehicle (autonomous vehicles or traditional commercial trucks) may be.
Preparing for the Future: What Texans Should Know About Autonomous Vehicles
Whether you’re a commuter, a fleet manager dealing with commercial trucks and potentially autonomous trucks, or a concerned citizen, here’s what you need to keep in mind about the increasing presence of self-driving vehicles:
- Stay informed: Know which regular long-haul routes and other commercial routes autonomous trucks may use in your region as part of their driverless operations.
- Drive defensively: These driverless vehicles follow set protocols but may not always account for human drivers’ unpredictability in private vehicles.
- Document accidents: If involved in a crash with an autonomous truck, take photos, request records, and seek legal counsel immediately to understand the complexities of autonomous vehicle liability.
- Follow new laws: Texas may update its legal framework soon regarding autonomous vehicles and driverless safety, stay current on changes to avoid liability risks when interacting with Self-Driving Trucks.
A New Era for Road Deliveries with Autonomous Vehicles
The deployment of the first fully driverless semi-truck in Texas is a remarkable major milestone, but it also introduces critical challenges in driverless safety, accident liability involving autonomous vehicles, and public policy concerning commercial trucks and Self-Driving Trucks on regular long-haul routes. As these machines become more common in long-haul trucking and driverless trucking service, the need for legal landscape clarity grows. We proudly serve clients across all of South Carolina and Georgia including Charleston, Greenville, Columbia, Myrtle Beach, and Atlanta. No matter where you are in either state, we’re here to help. And remember: you don’t pay a dime unless we win your case. There’s no risk, just experienced support from a team you can trust. You’re in good hands with Ted Law Firm.
Attorney Ted Sink, founder of The Ted Law Firm, is a Yale, Stanford Business School, and Charleston School of Law graduate and former marketing executive who built a 7-figure law practice, earning millions for his clients. With experience in both law and advertising, Ted has been recognized in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and the ABA Journal. He speaks at industry conferences on marketing and law firm management, sharing insights from his unique background to help other firms grow. When not working, Ted enjoys traveling, diving, and dog-sitting golden retrievers.
