California Allows First Self-Driving Big Rigs on Public Roads

California has approved its first permits for self-driving large trucks, granting them to Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI on August 13, 2026. Rules finalized April 28 had lifted a ban on self-driving vehicles over 10,000 pounds. A human safety driver must remain behind the wheel. The Teamsters union has sued over how the state handled the rule change.