[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
THE FUTURE OF AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL
MOTOR VEHICLES: IMPACTS ON SOCIETY, THE
SUPPLY CHAIN, AND U.S. ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP
=======================================================================
(118-26)
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
HIGHWAYS AND TRANSIT
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
__________
Printed for the use of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available online at: https://www.govinfo.gov/committee/house-
transportation?path=/browsecommittee/chamber/house/committee/
transportation
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
53-915 PDF WASHINGTON : 2023
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COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Sam Graves, Missouri, Chairman
Rick Larsen, Washington, Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford,
Ranking Member Arkansas
Eleanor Holmes Norton, Daniel Webster, Florida
District of Columbia Thomas Massie, Kentucky
Grace F. Napolitano, California Scott Perry, Pennsylvania
Steve Cohen, Tennessee Brian Babin, Texas
John Garamendi, California Garret Graves, Louisiana
Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., Georgiavid Rouzer, North Carolina
Andre Carson, Indiana Mike Bost, Illinois
Dina Titus, Nevada Doug LaMalfa, California
Jared Huffman, California Bruce Westerman, Arkansas
Julia Brownley, California Brian J. Mast, Florida
Frederica S. Wilson, Florida Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon,
Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey Puerto Rico
Mark DeSaulnier, California Pete Stauber, Minnesota
Salud O. Carbajal, California Tim Burchett, Tennessee
Greg Stanton, Arizona, Dusty Johnson, South Dakota
Vice Ranking Member Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey,
Colin Z. Allred, Texas Vice Chairman
Sharice Davids, Kansas Troy E. Nehls, Texas
Jesus G. ``Chuy'' Garcia, Illinois Lance Gooden, Texas
Chris Pappas, New Hampshire Tracey Mann, Kansas
Seth Moulton, Massachusetts Burgess Owens, Utah
Jake Auchincloss, Massachusetts Rudy Yakym III, Indiana
Marilyn Strickland, Washington Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon
Troy A. Carter, Louisiana Chuck Edwards, North Carolina
Patrick Ryan, New York Thomas H. Kean, Jr., New Jersey
Mary Sattler Peltola, Alaska Anthony D'Esposito, New York
Robert Menendez, New Jersey Eric Burlison, Missouri
Val T. Hoyle, Oregon John James, Michigan
Emilia Strong Sykes, Ohio Derrick Van Orden, Wisconsin
Hillary J. Scholten, Michigan Brandon Williams, New York
Valerie P. Foushee, North Carolina Marcus J. Molinaro, New York
Mike Collins, Georgia
Mike Ezell, Mississippi
John S. Duarte, California
Aaron Bean, Florida
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford,
Arkansas, Chairman
Eleanor Holmes Norton, Daniel Webster, Florida
District of Columbia, Ranking Memberhomas Massie, Kentucky
Jared Huffman, California Mike Bost, Illinois
Chris Pappas, New Hampshire Doug LaMalfa, California
Marilyn Strickland, Washington Pete Stauber, Minnesota
Patrick Ryan, New York Tim Burchett, Tennessee
Robert Menendez, New Jersey Dusty Johnson, South Dakota
Val T. Hoyle, Oregon, Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey
Vice Ranking Member Troy E. Nehls, Texas
Valerie P. Foushee, North Carolina Lance Gooden, Texas
Grace F. Napolitano, California Tracey Mann, Kansas
Steve Cohen, Tennessee Burgess Owens, Utah
Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., Georgiady Yakym III, Indiana
Julia Brownley, California Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon
Greg Stanton, Arizona Chuck Edwards, North Carolina
Colin Z. Allred, Texas Thomas H. Kean, Jr., New Jersey
Jesus G. ``Chuy'' Garcia, Illinois Anthony D'Esposito, New York
Seth Moulton, Massachusetts Eric Burlison, Missouri
Emilia Strong Sykes, Ohio Derrick Van Orden, Wisconsin
John Garamendi, California Brandon Williams, New York
Dina Titus, Nevada Marcus J. Molinaro, New York
Salud O. Carbajal, California Mike Collins, Georgia
Jake Auchincloss, Massachusetts John S. Duarte, California,
Mark DeSaulnier, California Vice Chairman
Rick Larsen, Washington (Ex Officio) Aaron Bean, Florida
Sam Graves, Missouri (Ex Officio)
CONTENTS
Page
Summary of Subject Matter........................................ vii
STATEMENTS OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford, a Representative in Congress from
the State of Arkansas, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Highways
and Transit, opening statement................................. 1
Prepared statement........................................... 3
Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Delegate in Congress from the
District of Columbia, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on
Highways and Transit, opening statement........................ 5
Prepared statement........................................... 6
Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative in Congress from the State of
Washington, and Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, opening statement.............................. 6
Prepared statement........................................... 8
WITNESSES
Chris Urmson, Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer, Aurora
Innovation, Inc., oral statement............................... 10
Prepared statement........................................... 12
Jeff Farrah, Executive Director, Autonomous Vehicle Industry
Association, oral statement.................................... 24
Prepared statement........................................... 25
Chris Spear, President and Chief Executive Officer, American
Trucking Associations, oral statement.......................... 34
Prepared statement........................................... 36
Catherine Chase, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto
Safety, oral statement......................................... 45
Prepared statement........................................... 47
SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD
Submissions for the Record by Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford:
Statement of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.......... 107
Letter of September 12, 2023, to Hon. Eric A. ``Rick''
Crawford, Chairman, and Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking
Member, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, and Hon. Sam
Graves, Chairman, and Hon. Rick Larsen, Ranking Member,
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, from Gary
Shapiro, President and Chief Executive Officer, and India
Herdman, Manager of Policy Affairs, Consumer Technology
Association................................................ 109
Letter of September 11, 2023, to Hon. Eric A. ``Rick''
Crawford, Chairman, and Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking
Member, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, from Gautam
Narang, Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder, Gatik....... 110
Letter of September 13, 2023, to Hon. Eric A. ``Rick''
Crawford, Chairman, and Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking
Member, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, from Kathryn
Branson, Executive Director, Partnership for Transportation
Innovation and Opportunity................................. 112
Letter of September 12, 2023, to Hon. Eric A. ``Rick''
Crawford, Chairman, and Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking
Member, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, from John
Samuelsen, International President, Transport Workers Union
of America, AFL-CIO........................................ 115
Statement of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters,
Submitted for the Record by Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton......... 116
Letter of September 13, 2023, to Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford,
Chairman, and Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, from Nathaniel F.
Wienecke, Senior Vice President, American Property Casualty
Insurance Association, Submitted for the Record by Hon. Rudy
Yakym III...................................................... 120
APPENDIX
Question to Chris Urmson, Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer,
Aurora Innovation, Inc., from Hon. Rick Larsen................. 123
Questions to Chris Spear, President and Chief Executive Officer,
American Trucking Associations, from Hon. Rick Larsen.......... 124
Questions to Catherine Chase, President, Advocates for Highway
and Auto Safety, from:
Hon. Rick Larsen............................................. 124
Hon. Greg Stanton............................................ 130
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
September 8, 2023
SUMMARY OF SUBJECT MATTER
TO: LMembers, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
FROM: LStaff, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
RE: LSubcommittee Hearing on ``The Future of Automated
Commercial Motor Vehicles: Impacts on Society, the Supply
Chain, and U.S. Economic Leadership''
_______________________________________________________________________
I. PURPOSE
The Subcommittee on Highways and Transit of the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure will meet on Wednesday,
September 13, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET in 2167 of the Rayburn
House Office Building to receive testimony on ``The Future of
Automated Commercial Motor Vehicles: Impacts on Society, the
Supply Chain, and U.S. Economic Leadership.'' The purpose of
this hearing is to allow Members of the Subcommittee to explore
the impact of automated commercial motor vehicle (CMV)
deployment and its potential impact on our economy, the
transportation and logistics industry, and supply chains, while
enhancing safety and maintaining American leadership in the AV
industry. The Subcommittee will hear from Aurora Innovations,
Inc.; the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA); the
American Trucking Associations (ATA); and Advocates for Highway
Safety.
II. BACKGROUND
Automated vehicles (AVs), including self-driving cars and
automated trucks and buses, are vehicles in which the safety-
critical control functions (e.g., steering, acceleration, or
braking) can occur without direct driver input and enable
autonomous operation.\1\ The AV marketplace is a dynamic and
rapidly evolving sector, and AV deployment has the potential to
revolutionize transportation and the supply chain by offering
increased efficiency, safety, and convenience.\2\ The market is
attracting significant investment from established automotive
manufacturers, technology companies, and startups. With current
research, regulatory developments, and infrastructure
investments, the AV marketplace is poised for growth, and will
transform transportation systems and the future movement of
people and goods. According to the United States Department of
Transportation (DOT), there were roughly 1,400 AVs operating
nationwide in 2019.\3\ By the end of 2022, there were 1,500 AVs
operating in California alone.\4\ Beyond California, there are
robust ongoing AV operations in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, and
elsewhere.\5\ There are approximately 84 AV companies active in
the United States, operating in 30 states and 120 cities.\6\
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\1\ Nat'l Hwy. Traffic Safety Admin., Crash Avoidance Automated
Vehicles, available at https://one.nhtsa.gov/Research/Crash-Avoidance/
Automated-Vehicles.
\2\ John Leonard, et. al., Autonomous Vehicles, Mobility, and
Employment Policy: The Roads Ahead, MIT Task Force on Work of the
Future, (July 2022), available at https://workofthefuture.mit.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2020/11/2020-Research-Brief-Leonard-Mindell-
Stayton3.pdf.
\3\ Darrell Etherington, Over 1,400 self-driving vehicles are now
in testing by 80+ companies across the US, Tech Crunch, (June 11,
2019), available at https://tcrn.ch/3fUunoP.
\4\ State of California Department of Motor Vehicles, 2022
Autonomous Milage Reports, available at https://urldefense.com/v3/
__https:/www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/2022-autonomous-
mileage-reports-csv/__;!!Bg5easoyC-OII2vlEqY8mTBrtW-
N4OJKAQ!LMKJz4QhIaowG5Kw_
5cXjA1ip2I1NAsefQaL3UDwP5SXTP7KvZLuHoNFTzRDg64Zjsp1FK4Ef85M3z_fkC_
7FRqsX7sRjc-UA4I$.
\5\ Ready to Launch, Autonomous Vehicles in the U.S., Alliance for
Automotive Innovation, (December 2022), available at https://
www.autosinnovate.org/posts/papers-reports/AV%20Report.pdf.
\6\ Id.
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III. AV TECHNOLOGIES
SYSTEMS_
AVs generally work by using a combination of three systems:
LA global positioning system (GPS) or other
mapping system that defines the starting and ending point of
the drive;
LA sensor system composed of cameras, lasers,
radar, or lidar (a technology that measures distance using
laser light) that detects dynamic and variable roadway
conditions; and
LA computer system that can turn the information
from the mapping system and sensor systems into a driving
action, which is typically executed by the vehicle's internal
electronic network.\7\
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\7\ How Self-driving Cars Work: Sensor Systems, Udacity, (Mar. 3,
2021), available at https://www.udacity.com/blog/2021/03/how-self-
driving-cars-work-sensor-systems.html.
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LEVELS OF AUTOMATION_
The Society of Automotive Engineers International developed
six standardized, internationally adopted definitions to
describe levels of automation in motor vehicles. These levels
are:
Level 0................................... The human driver does all
the driving.
Level 1................................... An advanced driver
assistance system (ADAS) on
the vehicle can sometimes
assist the human driver
with either steering or
braking/accelerating, but
not both simultaneously.
Level 2................................... An ADAS on the vehicle can
itself actually control
both steering and braking/
accelerating simultaneously
under some circumstances.
The human driver must
continue to pay full
attention (``monitor the
driving environment'') at
all times and perform the
rest of the driving tasks.
Level 3................................... An Automated Driving System
(ADS) on the vehicle can
itself perform all aspects
of the driving task under
some circumstances. In
those circumstances, the
human driver must be ready
to take back control at any
time when the ADS requests
the human driver to do so.
In all other circumstances,
the human driver performs
the driving task.
Level 4................................... An ADS on the vehicle can
itself perform all driving
tasks and monitor the
driving environment--
essentially, do all the
driving--in certain
circumstances. The human
need not pay attention in
those circumstances.
Level 5................................... An ADS on the vehicle can do
all the driving in all
circumstances. The human
occupants are just
passengers and need never
be involved in driving.\8\
Only\\ vehicles equipped with levels 3, 4, or 5 automation
are considered automated vehicles. The combination of hardware
and software that automates control functions of AVs is called
the automated driving system (ADS).\9\ Vehicles with levels 0-2
automation are considered equipped with automated driver
assistance systems (ADAS). Many vehicles available today are
equipped with some automation (levels 1-2), which includes
features such as automatic emergency braking and lane
centering.\10\ Although there are vehicles equipped with level
3 automation, level 4 and 5 are not yet commercially available.
However, many trucking companies have partnered with self-
driving technology firms and are testing trucks with level 4
service, and some jurisdictions are providing level 4
autonomous transit service.\11\
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\8\ Id.
\9\ Nat'l Hwy. Traffic Safety Admin., Automated Vehicles for
Safety, available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/technology-innovation/
automated-vehicles-safety#: :text=An%20automated
%20driving%20system%20(ADS,human%20driver%20to%20do%20so [hereinafter
AVs for Safety].
\10\ SAE Levels of Driving AutomationTM Refined for
Clarity and International Audience, SAE Internat'l., (May 3, 2021),
available at https://www.sae.org/blog/sae-j3016-update.
\11\ Cumberland CID Launches Autonomous Shuttle Pilot Program,
Plans for Future Growth, Cumberland Community Improvement District,
(Jul. 25, 2023), available at https://cumberlandcid.org/cumberland-cid-
launches-autonomous-shuttle-pilot-program-plans-for-future-growth/.
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IV. SAFETY ENHANCEMENT
AVs have the potential to drastically increase vehicle
safety and reduce motor vehicle crashes and deaths. In 2021,
42,939 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes on the
Nation's roadways, equating to a fatality rate of 1.37 per 100
million vehicle miles traveled (VMT).\12\ Deaths associated
with large truck crashes totaled 5,788 in 2021.\13\ Crashes
involving large trucks represented approximately 13 percent of
the total fatal crashes and large truck VMT represented
approximately 10 percent of total VMT of all motor
vehicles.\14\ However, the critical pre-crash event for nearly
three-quarters of fatalities involving large trucks crashes was
another vehicle, person, animal, or object in the large truck's
lane or encroaching into it.\15\ The remaining one-quarter of
the large truck crashes had critical pre-crash events of their
own movement or loss of control, and 87 percent was due to
driver behavior (speeding, lack of sleep, inattentiveness,
etc.).\16\
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\12\ Nat'l Hwy Traffic Safety Admin., Overview of Motor Vehicle
Traffic Crashes in 2021, (April 2023), available at https://
crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813435.
\13\ DOT, Nat'l Hwy. Traffic Safety Admin., Traffic Safety Facts
2021 Data, Large Trucks, (June 2023), available at https://
crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813452.
\14\ Id.
\15\ DOT, Fed. Motor Carrier Safety Admin., Large Truck and Bus
Crash Facts, (2019), available at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/
data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-
2019#: :text=Below%20is%20a%20summary%20of%20some%20of%20the,percent%20b
etween
%202009%20and%202019.%20...%20More%20items.
\16\ Id.; DOT, FMCSA, Large Truck Crash Causation Study, (July
2007), available at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/research-and-
analysis/large-truck-crash-causation-study-analysis-brief
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
estimated that total fatalities and the fatality rate on the
Nation's roadways decreased to 42,795 and 1.35 per 100 million
VMT in 2022; however, roadway traffic crashes continue to be a
leading cause of death for people ages 1-54.\17\ Although there
has been significant progress in incorporating safety features
in both vehicles and infrastructure, enacting traffic safety
laws reinforced with public and driver education, and improved
health care outcomes; traffic fatalities have not fallen below
32,479 (2011) or below a rate of 1.08 per 100 million VMT
(2014).\18\
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\17\ See Nat'l Hwy. Traffic Safety Admin., Traffic Safety Facts,
(Apr. 2023), available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/traffic-
crash-death-estimates-2022#: :text=The%20National
%20Highway%20Traffic%20Safety%20Administration%20has%20released,as%20com
pared
%20to%2042%2C939%20fatalities%20reported%20for%202021; Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Road Traffic Injuries and Deaths--A
Global Problem, (Jan. 10, 2023), available at https://www.cdc.gov/
injury/features/global-road-safety/index.html.
\18\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Achievements in
Public Health, 1900-1999 Motor-Vehicle Safety: A 20th Century Public
Health Achievement, (May 14, 1999), available at https://www.cdc.gov/
mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4818a1.htm; Fatality Facts 2021 Yearly
Snapshot, Insurance Institute for Hwy. Safety, (May 2023), available at
https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/yearly-snapshot.
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DOT's research has indicated that up to 94 percent of
serious crashes involve human factors.\19\ However, last year
the Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
criticized that statistic as ``misleading.'' \20\ More
recently, the General Services Administration (GSA) states that
98 percent of crashes are caused by human error.\21\ In 2021,
NHTSA's data showed that deadly crashes due to behavioral
factors increased significantly.\22\ For example, alcohol
related fatalities increased by 14 percent between 2020 and
2021.\23\ AVs can mitigate or correct driver error, and level 5
AVs have the potential to remove the need for a human driver
from the chain of events that lead to a crash. Therefore, there
is potential to significantly increase safety for drivers,
passengers, and other road users, and reduce the economic costs
of crashes.\24\ Trucking and technology firms are currently
testing the technology to ensure that AVs can and will respond
appropriately in complex traffic and varying roadway
conditions.\25\
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\19\ DOT, Nat'l Hwy. Traffic Safety Admin., 2016 Fatal Motor
Vehicle Crashes: Overview, (Oct. 2017), available at https://
crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812456.
\20\ NTSB's Homendy Calls DOT's Serious Crash Stat Misleading,
Transportation Topics News (Jan. 18, 2022), available at https://
www.ttnews.com/articles/ntsbs-homendy-calls-dots-serious-crash-stat-
misleading.
\21\ GSA., Crashes Are No Accident, (last accessed Aug. 31, 2023),
available at https://drivethru.gsa.gov/DRIVERSAFETY/
DistractedDrivingPosterA.pdf.
\22\ DOT., Nat'l Hwy Traffic Safety Admin., Overview of Motor
Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2021, (Apr. 2023), available at https://
crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813435.
\23\ Id.
\24\ AVs for Safety, supra note 9.
\25\ Id.
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For example, in April 2022, a driver-supervised Tu-Simple
autonomous truck crashed into a concrete barricade on I-10 in
Arizona.'' \26\ TuSimple acknowledged that its computer system
responded to an outdated command, and both it and the safety
driver bore responsibility for the crash.
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\26\ Rebecca Bellan, TuSimple Addresses Autonomous Truck Crash
During Q2 Earnings Call. Tech Crunch, (Aug. 2, 2022), available at
https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/02/tusimple-addresses-autonomous-truck-
crash-during-q1-earnings/.
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V. INFRASTRUCTURE AND INSPECTION CHALLENGES
INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES_
Transportation officials are evaluating the role of road
infrastructure in the safe deployment of AVs. The Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) is evaluating the role of
infrastructure in the deployment of AVs and what Federal action
may be necessary. This includes researching what data is needed
to update infrastructure, modeling how AVs may impact traffic
operations, and awarding grants to allow states and localities
to pursue their own research.\27\
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\27\ DOT, Nat'l Sci. & Tech. Council, Ensuring American Leadership
in Automated Vehicle Technologies: Automated Vehicles 4.0, (Jan. 2020)
available at https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2020-
02/EnsuringAmericanLeadershipAVTech4.pdf [hereinafter Automated
Vehicles 4.0].
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Stakeholders have noted that roadways and traffic control
devices--which include signs and lane markings--will likely
need to be in a state of good repair for optimal operation of
Level 2 and Level 3 AVs.\28\ Making improvements to roadway
infrastructure will be helpful to all users.\29\ For example,
wider pavement markers could benefit older human drivers in
addition to AVs.\30\ Today, both AVs and human drivers benefit
from contrasting pavement markings, especially in areas of high
glare.\31\ In addition, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control
Devices (MUTCD) sets the minimum national standard for traffic
control devices on public roadways, but allows states some
flexibility in how they comply with these standards.\32\
Therefore, traffic control devices are not uniform across all
states.\33\
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\28\ Response to Fed. Hwy. Admin. Request for Information from
Muhammad Amer, Dir., Transp. & Development Institute, American Society
of Civil Engineers to Martin C. Knopp, Assoc. Adm'r for Operations,
Fed. Hwy. Admin., (Mar. 5, 2018), available at https://
www.regulations.gov/comment/FHWA-2017-0049-0079; Comments in the
Federal Register, Automated Driving Systems, American Traffic Safety
Services Association, (Mar. 17, 2023), available at https://
www.regulations.gov/comment/FHWA-2017-0049-0067.
\29\ Addressing The Roadway Safety Crisis: Building Safer Roads For
All: Hearing Before the Subcomm. on Highways and Transit of the H.
Comm. on Transp. and Infrastructure, 118th Cong. (2023).
\30\ Id.
\31\ Id.
\32\ See 23 U.S.C. Sec. 109; DOT, FHWA, Manual on Uniform Traffic
Control Devices Overview, (Sep. 14, 2022), available at https://
mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno-overview.htm; DOT, FHWA, Who Uses the MUTCD? And
How?, (Sep. 14, 2022), available at https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno-
users.htm.
\33\ Comments in the Federal Register, Automated Driving Systems,
American Traffic Safety Services Association, (Mar. 17, 2023),
available at https://www.regulations.gov/comment/FHWA-2017-0049-0067.
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FHWA is in the process of updating the National MUTCD. In
December 2020, FHWA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM) to amend the MUTCD with, among other modifications, new
guidance focused on accommodating AVs.\34\ This rulemaking is
underway, and a proposed final rule was submitted to the Office
of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs (OIRA) on June 13, 2023.\35\
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\34\ Nat'l Standards for Traffic Control Devices: Manual on Uniform
Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways; Revision, 23 C.F.R.
pts 470, 635, 655, (Dec. 14, 2020), available at https://
www.regulations.gov/document/FHWA-2020-0001-0001.
\35\ Off. of Mgmt. & Budget, Exec. Off. of the President, Budget of
the United States Government, Regulatory Actions Currently Under Review
by Agency (2023).
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ENHANCED VEHICLE INSPECTIONS_
Before each trip, a CMV driver must inspect their vehicle
(called a pre-trip inspection) and ensure it is in safe
operating condition.\36\ After the trip, a driver must prepare
and sign a post trip inspection report.\37\ Further, every
commercial vehicle, including each segment of a combination
vehicle, must undergo a periodic inspection at least once every
12 months.\38\
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\36\ DOT, Fed. Motor Carrier Safety Admin., The Motor Carrier
Safety Planner 5.2.2 Vehicle Inspections, available at https://
csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/SafetyPlanner/MyFiles/SubSections.aspx?
ch=22&sec=65&sub=148.
\37\ Id.
\38\ Id.
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Traditionally, roadside and weight inspections rely on
assistance and information provided to the inspector by the CMV
driver. CMV drivers may be directed to stop at a weigh station,
inspection station, and/or be subject to a roadside inspection
performed to the standards of a Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety
Alliance (CVSA) North American Standard Inspection. CVSA trains
CMV inspectors, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA) incorporated CVSA's certification
standards for roadside inspections, as required by the Fixing
America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST) (P.L. 114-94).\39\
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\39\ Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act of 2015, Pub. L.
No. 114-94, 129 Stat. 1537.
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Reflecting the changes required for inspecting automated
trucks, in October 2022, CVSA announced an Enhanced CMV
Inspection Program for Autonomous Truck Motor Carriers that
``establishes a no-defect, point-of-origin inspection program
for ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles.'' \40\ The program,
now underway, includes an enhanced inspection standard and
procedure for motor carriers operating ADS vehicles and a 40-
hour CVSA training course and exam for motor carrier personnel
who will be conducting the inspections.'' \41\
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\40\ CVSA Announces New Enhanced CMV Inspection Program for
Autonomous Truck Motor Carriers, CVSA, (Oct. 4, 2022), available at
https://www.cvsa.org/news/new-enhanced-cmv-inspection-program/.
\41\ Id.
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The new inspection program requires a CVSA trained
inspector to perform an enhanced pre-trip inspection before
dispatch and in-transit inspections throughout the trip. In
addition, the ADS vehicle is required to communicate to law
enforcement while in-motion that it passed the origin/
destination inspection, its automated driving systems (as a
whole) are functioning, and it is operating within its
operational design domain. Those ADS vehicles will then bypass
fixed inspection sites. En-route roadside inspections of ADS
vehicles by law enforcement officials would be limited to
situations where an imminent hazard is observed or during a
post-crash investigation. In addition, all ADS vehicles must be
able to respond to law enforcement should an officer attempt to
pull over a vehicle. Any truck, trailer, or commercial motor
vehicle combination that fails the Enhanced CMV Inspection
Procedure at the point of dispatch must be repaired.\42\
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\42\ Id.
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VI. REGULATORY ACTIONS
FEDERAL ACTIONS_
As automated vehicles are still in development, AV
regulatory regimes are still in their beginning stages.\43\ At
the Federal level, AV safety is overseen by NHTSA. Although
there is no overarching Federal framework for AVs, DOT has
taken preliminary steps to adapt its regulatory regime. Since
2016, DOT has released several iterations of voluntary guidance
for AVs, the latest being the ``Automated Vehicles
Comprehensive Plan'' and ``Ensuring American Leadership in
Automated Vehicle Technologies: Automated Vehicles 4.0.'' \44\
In December 2020, NHTSA published an Advance Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking public comment on the potential
development of a framework of principles to govern AV
safety.\45\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\43\ Automated Vehicles 4.0, supra note 27.
\44\ Id.
\45\ Framework for Automated Driving System Safety, 49 C.F.R. pt.
571, (Dec. 3, 2020), available at https://www.regulations.gov/document/
NHTSA-2020-0106-0001.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since private companies are in the early stages of
developing, testing, and piloting AVs and AV technologies,
there is little publicly available data on collision rates and
vehicle safety.\46\ NHTSA encourages automated vehicle
manufacturers to submit Voluntary Safety Self-Assessments
(VSSAs) demonstrating their approaches to safe testing and
deployment of AVs.\47\ To date, 28 companies have submitted
VSSAs to NHTSA.\48\ NHTSA also encourages AV companies to
voluntarily disclose information, including location and type
of vehicle, through the Automated Vehicle Transparency and
Engagement for Safe Testing (AV TEST) tracking tool.\49\ All of
this information is publicly available. In June 2021, NHTSA
issued a Standing General Order that requires AV manufacturers
and operators to report crashes to the agency.\50\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\46\ Automated Vehicles 4.0, supra note 27.
\47\ Nat'l Hwy Traffic Safety Admin., Automated Driving Systems
2.0: A Vision for Safety, (Sept. 2017), available at https://
www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/13069a-
ads2.0_090617_v9a_tag.pdf.
\48\ Nat'l Hwy Traffic Safety Admin., Voluntary Safety Self-
Assessment, available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/automated-driving-
systems/voluntary-safety-self-assessment.
\49\ Nat'l Hwy Traffic Safety Admin., AV TEST Initiative, (last
accessed Aug. 31, 2023), available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/automated-
vehicle-test-tracking-tool.
\50\ Nat'l Hwy Traffic Safety Admin., Standing General Order on
Crash Reporting for Levels of Driving Automation 2-5, (Apr. 2023),
available at https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/standing-general-
order-crash-reporting-levels-driving-automation-2-5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The FMCSA establishes Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Regulations (FMCSRs), which set minimum safety standards for
motor carriers and drivers.\51\ In May 2019, FMCSA released an
ANPRM requesting comments on FMCSRs that may need to be
updated, modified, or eliminated to facilitate the safe
introduction of automated commercial motor vehicles.\52\
Potentially affected FMCSRs included Licensing and Driver
Qualifications, Hours of Service, and Safe Driving.\53\ In
February 2023, FMCSA published a Supplemental Advance Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (SANPRM), asking for additional information
related to topics such as vehicle inspection and maintenance,
remote driver oversight, credentialing, oversight, and the need
for potential drug testing requirements for remote vehicle
assistants; and the potential for developers, Original
Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and fleets to begin alerting
FMCSA in real time about where they are doing testing and
operations.\54\ The SANPRM is currently under internal agency
review.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\51\ DOT, Fed. Motor Carrier Safety Admin., The Motor Carrier
Safety Planner, available at https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/SafetyPlanner/
Default.aspx.
\52\ Fed. Motor Carrier Safety Admin., Automated Driving Systems
(ADS) for Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs); Request for Comments
Concerning Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) Which May
Be a Barrier to the Safe Testing and Deployment of ADS-Equipped CMVs on
Public Roads, (Mar. 26, 2018), https://www.regulations.gov/docket/
FMCSA-2018-0037.
\53\ United States Dep't of Transp., Fed. Motor Carrier Safety
Admin., Automated Driving Systems (ADS) Policy Development for
Commercial Vehicle Operations, FMCSA, (Mar. 10, 2021), available at
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/2021-03/
ART%20Forum%202021
%20Automated%20Driving%20Systems%20Policy%20Update.pdf.
\54\ Safe Integration of Automated Driving Systems Equipped
Commercial Motor Vehicle, 88 Fed. Reg. 6691, (Feb. 1, 2023), available
at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/01/2023-02073/
safe-integration-of-automated-driving-systems-ads-equipped-commercial-
motor-vehicles-cmvs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally, in March 2023, FMCSA announced it had
received an application from Waymo LLC and Aurora Operations,
Inc. for a five-year exemption from the required placement of
warning devices (ex. emergency triangles) around a stopped CMV;
the required steady-burning lamps for warning devices; and the
ability to use a warning device for stopped vehicles is not
currently allowed by FMCSA rules. Waymo and Aurora are seeking
the exemption in order to operate CMVs operated by a Level 4
ADS equipped with warning beacons mounted on the truck cab in
lieu of traditional warning devices placed around a stopped
autonomous CMV, as required by current regulations.\55\ The
exemption request is currently under internal agency review.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\55\ Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation; Exemption
Application From Waymo LLC, and Aurora Operations, Inc., 88 Fed. Reg.
13489,13490, (Mar. 3, 2023), available at https://
www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/03/2023-04385/parts-and-
accessories-necessary-for-safe-operation-exemption-application-from-
waymo-llc-and-aurora.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATE AND LOCAL ACTIONS_
In lieu of a Federal AV framework, 41 states and the
District of Columbia have enacted legislation or issued
executive orders related to AVs.\56\ Most of these state
actions are intended to encourage AV development and
testing.\57\ Some of these actions incorporate AVs into the
state's broader regulatory framework, including operating
authorities, safety standards, licensing and registration
requirements, and liability laws.\58\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\56\ Autonomous Vehicles State Bill Tracking Database, National
Conference of State Legislatures, (Feb. 15, 2023), available at https:/
/www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/autonomous-vehicles-legislative-
database.aspx.
\57\ Id.
\58\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some state legislatures have considered legislation to
prohibit autonomous trucks over 10,000 pounds without a
designated safety driver. Most recently in June 2023, such
legislation passed the California Assembly.\59\ Currently, the
legislation is pending in the California Senate. On August 15,
2023, a letter was sent detailing Governor Newsom's
Administration's opposition to the proposal.\60\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\59\ Chorus Grows in Opposition of California's Proposed Driverless
Truck Ban, Commercial Carrier Journal, (Jul 10, 2023), available at
https://www.ccjdigital.com/equipment-controls/autonomous/article/
15541790/chorus-grows-in-opposition-of-californias-driverless-truck-
ban.
\60\ Jeremy White, Gavin Newsom Sides with the Robots in Autonomous
Vehicle Debate, Politico, (Aug. 23, 2023), available at https://
www.politico.com/news/2023/08/23/gavin-newsom-autonomous-vehicles-
00112358.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VII. SUPPLY CHAIN OPPORTUNITIES
INCREASED EFFICIENCIES_
Reducing crashes, and their resulting delays, would
increase the efficiency of truck operations and increase the
capacity and throughput on our roads.\61\ Traffic optimization,
a potential benefit of AVs, would reduce commuting times.\62\
AVs have the potential to improve fleet utilization. For
example, without a human driver, trucks could potentially run
more continuously, without the need for human drivers to
rest.\63\ Further, increases in productivity resulting from AVs
may result in faster delivery and quicker commuting time.\64\
Productivity increases together with operational savings would
result in lower trucking freight rates that could be passed on
to the consumer.\65\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\61\ Liao, Liu, Tang, Mu, and Huang, Decision-Making Strategy on
Highway for Autonomous Vehicles Using Deep Reinforcement Learning,
IEEE, (Sept. 2020), available at https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/
9190040.
\62\ Haotian Zhong, et. al., Will autonomous vehicles change auto
commuters' value of travel time?, Science Direct, (June 2020),
available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/
science/article/abs/pii/
S1361920919311010#: :text=Autonomous%20vehicles%20co.
\63\ DOT, Driving Automation Systems in Long-Haul Trucking and Bus
Transit, (Jan. 2021), available at https://www.transportation.gov/
sites/dot.gov/files/2021-01/Driving%20Automation
%20Systems%20in%20Long%20Haul%20Trucking%20and%20Bus%20Transit%20Prelimi
nary
%20Analysis%20of%20Potential%20Workforce%20Impacts.pdf.
\64\ C&D Logistics, The Benefits of Going Driverless, (last
accessed Aug. 31, 2023), available at https://www.cdlogistics.ca/
freight-news/the-benefits-of-going-driverless/.
\65\ Nat'l Hwy Traffic Safety Admin., United States Department of
Transportation Releases `Preparing for the Future of Transportation:
Automated Vehicles 3.0', (Oct. 4, 2018), available at https://
www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/us-department-transportation-releases-
preparing-future-transportation-automated [hereinafter Automated
Vehicles 3.0].
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
WORKFORCE IMPACTS_
While it is difficult to determine the exact impact AVs
will have on the Nation's workforce, automating the task of
driving commercial motor vehicles could dramatically change
professional driving careers in numerous ways. These could
include altered job responsibilities and changes in wages and
quality of life.\66\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\66\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ATA estimated that the shortage of qualified drivers
reached a near record high of 78,000 in 2022, and further
forecasted that this shortage could grow to 160,000 in
2031.\67\ ATA further reported the driver turnover rate was 91
percent in 2019, and 90 percent in 2020, and that ``more than
10 million Americans held commercial driver's licenses in 2019.
That was nearly triple the 3.7 million trucks that required a
driver holding that certification.'' \68\ A high turnover rate
does not necessarily mean that a company has complete turnover;
rather, it could indicate that some positions turn over
multiple times.\69\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\67\ The State of Transportation Infrastructure and Supply Chain
Challenges: Hearing Before the H. Comm. on Transp. and Infrastructure,
118th Cong. (2023) (testimony of Chris Spear, President and Chief
Executive Officer of ATA), available at https://docs.house.gov/
meetings/PW/PW00/20230201/115263/HHRG-118-PW00-Wstate-SpearC-
20230201.pdf.
\68\ See William B. Cassidy, US Truckload Driver Turnover Flattens
as wages, demand rise: ATA, J. of Commerce, (Mar. 30, 2021), available
at https://www.joc.com/article/us-truckload-driver-turnover-flattens-
wages-demand-rise-ata_20210330.html [hereinafter Cassidy]; Peter S
Goodman and George Etheredge, The Real Reason America Doesn't Have
Enough Truck Drivers, N.Y. Times, (Feb. 9, 2022), available at https://
www.nytimes.com/2022/02/09/business/truck-driver-shortage.html.
\69\ Cassidy, supra note 68.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other segments of the industry cite driver retention as the
workforce challenge most plaguing the industry, highlighting
driver wages and working conditions as obstacles to attracting
and retaining qualified drivers.\70\ Still, others within the
trucking industry view driving automation and the possible
quality of life improvement as having the potential to help
address the estimated demand for new truck drivers in the long-
haul trucking segment.\71\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\70\ Under Pressure: The State of Trucking in America: Hearing
Before the H. Comm. on Transp. and Infrastructure, 116th Cong. (2019)
(Testimony of Todd Spencer, Owner-Operator Indep. Drivers Assoc.,)
available at https://docs.house.gov/meetings/PW/PW12/20190612/109600/
HHRG-116-PW12-Wstate-SpencerT-20190612.pdf.
\71\ Automated Vehicles 3.0, supra note 65.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
An additional study released by DOT estimates that Level 4
and Level 5 automation in the long-haul CMV segment would lead
to economy-wide productivity improvements.\72\ This could see
annual earnings for all American workers increase $203-267 per
year, and increase total United States employment by 26,400 to
35,100 jobs per year, even while taking into account expected
job losses in the long-haul sector.\73\ The report concludes
that long-haul drivers will move into short-haul jobs.\74\
However, a University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon
University study assumes that increases in short haul-
operations will not compensate for losses in long haul-operator
hours.\75\ Nonetheless, AV technology companies project that
many long-haul drivers would be employed in new jobs created by
the industry with a higher quality of life, such as remote
driving assistants, even as it remains likely that most truck
drivers entering the market today will retire as truck
drivers.\76\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\72\ Robert Waschik, et. al, DOT, Bureau of Transp. Stat.,
Macroeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving Systems in Long-Haul
Trucking, (Jan. 28, 2021), available at https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/
dot/54596.
\73\ Id.
\74\ Id.
\75\ Aniruddh Mohan and Parth Vaishnav, Impact of Automation on
Long Haul Trucking Operator-hours in the United States, Humanities &
Social Sciences Communications, (Mar. 15, 2022), available at https://
www.nature.com/articles/s41599-022-01103-w#: :text=Starting
%20with%20only%20a%2010,haul%20operator%2Dhours%20at%20risk.
\76\ Cristina Commendatore, Self-Driving Technology Won't Endanger
Truck Driver's Role, Developers Say, Fleet Owner, (Dec. 8, 2021),
available at https://www.fleetowner.com/technology/autonomous-vehicles/
article/21183187/selfdriving-technology-wont-endanger-truck-drivers-
role-developers-say.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUEL COSTS_
Fuel costs are the second highest cost category for the
trucking industry.\77\ AVs may reduce the amount of fuel
required, thereby significantly reducing fuel costs and
benefitting the environment.\78\ Truck platooning, which uses
automation to allow trucks to follow each other at a set
distance between trucks, allows trucks to travel closer
together and offers potential improvements in overall fuel
economy.\79\ A study shows that platooning with automated
trucks can reduce fuel consumption by 10 to 25 percent and
reduce emissions.\80\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\77\ Automated Vehicles 3.0, supra note 65.
\78\ Id.
\79\ Id.
\80\ Peter Buxbaum, Vehicle Automation and Carbon Emissions, Global
Trade, (Dec. 22, 2016), available at https://www.globaltrademag.com/
vehicle-automation-carbon-emissions/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII. MAINTAINING AMERICAN LEADERSHIP
The United States Federal Government has remained committed
to policies that will enable America to lead the world in both
AV technology development and the safe integration of these
systems into the Nation's transportation network.\81\ However,
the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has aggressively moved to
become the world leader in the deployment of emerging
technologies, by directing both human capital and government
resources to this goal.\82\ For example, in 2020, China's
National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of
Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and 11 other
ministries and commissions jointly issued a strategy for the
innovative development of autonomous vehicles.\83\ In 2021, the
National People's Congress passed an initiative to invest and
consolidate resources for scientific and technological
laboratories with a focus on researching and developing
emerging technologies, including applications like autonomous
vehicles.\84\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\81\ Automated Vehicles 3.0, supra note 65.
\82\ Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler, Levelling Up: China's Race to
an Autonomous Future, (2022), available at https://assets.kpmg.com/
content/dam/kpmg/cn/pdf/en/2022/06/special-report-on-autonomous-
driving.pdf.
\83\ From Sci-fi to Reality; Autonomous Driving in China, McKinsey
& Company, (Jan. 3, 2023), available at https://www.mckinsey.com/
industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/from-sci-fi-to-reality-
autonomous-driving-in-china.
\84\ Ben Murphy, Translation: Outline of the People's Republic of
China 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development
and Long-Range Objectives for 2035, Ctr. for Sec. & Emerging Tech.,
(May 12, 2021), available at https://cset.georgetown.edu/wp-content/
uploads/t0284_14th_Five_Year_Plan_EN.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal lawmakers, on a bipartisan basis, have raised
concerns that the CCP has past restrictions on American AV
companies operating or testing in China, while at the same time
Chinese companies are allowed to test in the United States.\85\
This concern was recently echoed by United States Secretary of
Transportation Pete Buttigieg.\86\ Committee Members may be
concerned about the potential for American technology to be
transferred to the CCP. For example, TuSimple, an autonomous
trucking company, has been under investigation by the Committee
on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) over
concerns that technology has been improperly transferred to
China.\87\ It has been reported that the company intends to
divest from the American market.\88\ Many of the same
technologies used to develop autonomous cars may also be used
for autonomous trucks. For example, Pony.ai, which is testing
autonomous cars in California and Arizona, has aggressively
moved into the AV truck segment in China, through a joint
venture with Sinotrans and Sany Heavy Truck.\89\ Sinotrans is a
Chinese State-Owned Enterprise.\90\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\85\ See Letter from Tim Walberg, et. al. to Gina M. Raimondo,
Sec'y of United States Dep't of Commerce & Pete Buttigieg, Sec'y of
United States DOT, (Jul. 17, 2023), available at https://
walberg.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/walberg.house.gov/files/evo-media-
document/letter-to-dot-and-doc-chinese-av-testing-07.17.23.pdf; Jordyn
Grzelewski, U.S. House China Committee Members Talk Supply Chains With
Detroit Auto Execs, The Detroit News, (Jun. 20, 2023), available at
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2023/06/20/house-
china-panel-members-meet-detroit-auto-execs-on-supply-chains/
70335754007/.
\86\ Dashveenjit Kaur, Chinese Autonomous Vehicles in the United
States May Soon be Under Scrutiny, Tech Wire Asia, (Jul. 21, 2023),
available at https://techwireasia.com/2023/07/chinese-autonomous-
vehicles-in-the-us-may-soon-be-under-scrutiny-heres-why/.
\87\ Kate O'Keeffe, et. al., Leaders of Self-Driving-Truck Company
Face Espionage Concerns Over China Ties, Wall St. J., (Feb. 1, 2023),
available at https://www.wsj.com/articles/leaders-of-self-driving-
truck-company-face-espionage-concerns-over-china-ties-11675255921.
\88\ Alan Ohnsman, Exclusive: Troubled Robot Truckmaker TuSimple
Says It May Sell Off United States Business, Forbes, (Jun. 28, 2023),
available at https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2023/06/28/
troubled-robot-truckmaker-tusimple-says-it-may-sell-off-us-business/
?sh=e64c16764e04.
\89\ Fan Feifei, Self-driving Trucks Poised to Overhaul Long-haul
Logistics, China Daily, (Jan. 4, 2023), available at https://
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202301/04/WS63b4d91ca31057c47
eba7957.html.
\90\ Zhong Nan, Sinotrans to focus on logistics after being
acquired by China Merchants, China Daily, (March 16, 2016), available
at https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2016-03/16/
content_23887666.htm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IX. WITNESSES
LMr. Chris Urmson, Co-Founder & Chief Executive
Officer, Aurora Innovations, Inc.
LMr. Jeff Farrah, Executive Director, Autonomous
Vehicle Industry Association
LMr. Chris Spear, President and Chief Executive
Officer, American Trucking Associations
LMs. Cathy Chase, President, Advocates for Highway
and Auto Safety
THE FUTURE OF AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES: IMPACTS ON SOCIETY,
THE SUPPLY CHAIN, AND U.S. ECONOMIC LEADERSHIP
----------
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit,
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 9:59 a.m., in
room 2167 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Eric A. ``Rick''
Crawford (Chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Mr. Crawford. The Subcommittee on Highways and Transit will
come to order.
I ask unanimous consent that the chairman be authorized to
declare a recess at any time during today's hearing.
Without objection, so ordered.
I also ask unanimous consent that Members not on the
subcommittee be permitted to sit with the subcommittee today at
this hearing and ask questions.
Without objection, so ordered.
As a reminder, if Members wish to insert a document into
the record, please also email it to [email protected].
I now recognize myself for the purposes of an opening
statement for 5 minutes.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ERIC A. ``RICK'' CRAWFORD OF
ARKANSAS, CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS AND TRANSIT
Mr. Crawford. Good morning, and thank you to our witnesses
for being here for today's hearing.
Much of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's
activities this year have focused on efforts to address the
Nation's supply chain crisis, and rightly so.
The pandemic exposed the fragility of our supply chain.
Labor shortages and shutdowns--most notably of cities,
factories, and manufacturing hubs in China--as well as demand
changes, decimated our logistics system and economy. The
administration has only pushed policies that have led to
historic levels of inflation and sky-high gas prices, further
exacerbating the supply chain problem and pain in our
pocketbooks.
As part of our efforts, we have received testimony and
considered proposals to strengthen our supply chain, in part by
addressing the unprecedented challenges facing our Nation's
trucking industry and truckdrivers. This subcommittee
understands that truckdrivers are critical to our supply chain
and economy as a whole. They provide the necessary connectivity
between different modes of transportation, such as ships,
trains, and planes.
Over 8.7 million commercial motor vehicle drivers operate
in the United States, traveling billions of miles each year,
serving every community in our country. In fact, more than 70
percent of our Nation's freight tonnage is moved by the
trucking industry every year, and more than 80 percent of our
communities get their goods exclusively by truck--despite the
fact that we have an estimated shortage of 78,000 truckdrivers
today.
Workforce needs are only expected to continue to be a
challenge. It's estimated 1.2 million new drivers will need to
be recruited over the next decade to keep pace with growing
demand and an aging workforce.
Therefore, it is fitting that we are holding this hearing
in the middle of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, as we
celebrate these valued professionals who work every day to
deliver products to every community in the country.
During our hearing today, we will explore the benefits
realized from the deployment of automated commercial motor
vehicles, or CMVs.
First, autonomous trucks can increase safety on our
Nation's roadways and save lives. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration estimates that 42,795 people died in all
motor vehicle accidents in 2022.
Despite the great progress we have made over the years
incorporating safety features in all vehicles and
infrastructure, strengthening traffic safety laws and
reinforcing them with public and driver education, and
improving healthcare outcomes, traffic fatalities have not
fallen below 2014's rate of 1.08 per 100 million vehicle-miles
traveled.
The good news is that we know the major source of these
crashes--a whopping 94 percent of serious crashes--are due to
driver factors, such as speeding or driving while fatigued,
impaired, or distracted.
AV trucks, like AV cars, help us with anticipating road
dangers and mitigating and removing human error from the chain
of events that lead to a crash, thereby reducing the number of
accidents caused by human error.
In addition, autonomous trucks can strengthen our supply
chain. Arkansas' own Tyson Foods just announced last week that
it is partnering with Gatik AI in a multiyear collaboration to
deploy refrigerated boxtrucks in northwest Arkansas to support
fast product movement, ensure supply chain continuity, and
guard against continued workforce shortages.
AV trucks can increase the efficiency and productivity of
logistics and transportation operations and enable route
optimization, which in turn would reduce delivery times. They
can improve fleet utilization and efficiencies. Productivity
and operations savings result in lower fleet rates that could
be passed on to consumers and provide solutions to supply chain
bottlenecks.
Autonomous trucks also can help address environmental
concerns and improve air quality. Roadway capacity increases,
less congestion, and fewer crashes would result in reduced fuel
consumption and lower emissions.
In addition, this can improve the quality of life for
truckdrivers, as it makes driving a big rig less stressful,
more enjoyable, and safer. The improvement in a driver's
quality of life will help attract new employees to join the
industry, which is desperately needed.
AV deployment will also create new, high-paying jobs in the
trucking industry. We need to incorporate employee development
and training programs to upskill our workforce so that they can
take advantage of new jobs that AVs will create. And while I
remain confident about the potential for this technology, I am
also confident that if you choose to become a truckdriver
today, you will have the ability to retire as a truckdriver.
While there are many autonomous trucks operating with
safety drivers on the road today in certain parts of the
country, there is still a long way to go before we reach full
commercial deployment.
There are also some issues that need to be considered as
this expensive technology is safely integrated into existing
fleets. For example, we need to discuss if any rules and
regulations at the Federal level need to change to reflect that
a driver may not always be in the cab, such as how trucks can
continue to be safely inspected.
While many have called for a Federal regulatory framework,
such a framework should not be overly prescriptive, but instead
create guardrails for the industry to grow with safety at the
forefront. We must avoid stifling innovation as the technology
develops, and striking this balance is vital for America to
continue its global competitive edge in this industry.
Make no mistake, the Chinese Communist Party, the biggest
geopolitical threat our country faces, is moving aggressively
into this space. The CCP will scheme to use the power of their
state-owned enterprises to undercut American businesses and
manipulate the market.
I look forward to hearing from today's panel of
stakeholders, who offer a unique perspective on the benefits of
autonomous trucks and how AV truck technology is developed,
brought to market, and safely incorporated into existing
transportation companies and networks.
[Mr. Crawford's prepared statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford, a Representative
in Congress from the State of Arkansas, and Chairman, Subcommittee on
Highways and Transit
Much of the Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee's
activities this year have focused on efforts to address the Nation's
supply chain crisis, and rightly so.
The pandemic exposed the fragility of our supply chain. Labor
shortages and shutdowns--most notably of cities, factories, and
manufacturing hubs in China--as well as demand changes, decimated our
logistics system and economy. And the Administration has only pushed
policies that have led to historic levels of inflation and sky-high gas
prices, further exacerbating the supply chain problem and pain in our
pocketbooks.
As part of our efforts, we have received testimony and considered
proposals to strengthen our supply chain, in part by addressing the
unprecedented challenges facing our Nation's trucking industry and
truck drivers. This subcommittee understands that truck drivers are
critical to our supply chain and economy as a whole. They provide the
necessary connectivity between different modes of transportation, such
as ships, trains, and planes.
Over 8.7 million commercial motor vehicle drivers operate in the
United States, traveling billions of miles each year, serving every
community in our country. In fact, more than 70 percent of our Nation's
freight tonnage is moved by the trucking industry every year, and more
than 80 percent of our communities get their goods exclusively by
trucks--despite the fact that we have an estimated shortage of 78,000
truck drivers today.
Workforce needs are only expected to continue to be a challenge--
it's estimated 1.2 million new drivers will need to be recruited over
the next decade to keep pace with growing demand and an aging
workforce.
Therefore, it is fitting that we are holding this hearing in the
middle of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, as we celebrate
these valued professionals who work, every day, to deliver products to
every community in the country. During our hearing today, we will
explore the benefits realized from the deployment of automated
commercial motor vehicles (CMVs).
First, autonomous trucks can increase safety on our Nation's
roadways and save lives. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 42,795 people died in all motor
vehicle accidents in 2022.
Despite the great progress we have made over the years
incorporating safety features in all vehicles and infrastructure,
strengthening traffic safety laws and reinforcing them with public and
driver education, and improving health care outcomes, traffic
fatalities have not fallen below 2014's rate of 1.08 per 100 million
vehicle miles travelled.
The good news is that we know the major source of these crashes--a
whopping 94 percent of serious crashes--are due to driver factors, such
as speeding or driving while fatigued, impaired, or distracted.
Autonomous vehicle (AV) trucks, like AV cars, help us with
anticipating road dangers and mitigating or removing human error from
the chain of events that lead to a crash, thereby reducing the number
of accidents caused by human error. In addition, autonomous trucks can
strengthen our supply chain.
Arkansas's own Tyson Foods just announced last week that it's
partnering with Gatik AI in a multi-year collaboration to deploy
refrigerated box trucks in Northwest Arkansas to support fast product
movement, ensure supply chain continuity, and guard against continued
workforce shortages.
AV trucks can increase the efficiency and productivity of logistics
and transportation operations and enable route optimization, which in
turn, would reduce delivery times. They can improve fleet utilization
and efficiencies. Productivity and operations savings result in lower
fleet rates that could be passed onto consumers and provide solutions
to supply chain bottlenecks.
Autonomous trucks also could help address environmental concerns
and improve air quality. Roadway capacity increases, less congestion,
and fewer crashes would result in reduced fuel consumption and lower
emissions.
In addition, this can improve the quality of life for truck
drivers, as it makes driving a big rig less stressful, more enjoyable,
and safer. The improvement in a driver's quality of life will help
attract new employees to join the industry, which is desperately
needed.
AV deployment also will create new, high-paying jobs in the
trucking industry. We need to incorporate employee development and
training programs to upskill our workforce so they can take advantage
of new jobs that AVs will create. And while I remain confident about
the potential for this technology, I also am confident that if you
choose to become a truck driver today, you will have the ability to
retire as a truck driver.
While there are many autonomous trucks operating with safety
drivers on the road today in certain parts of the country, there is
still a long way to go before we reach full commercial deployment.
There are also some issues that need to be considered as this
expensive technology is safely integrated into existing fleets. For
example, we need to discuss if any rules and regulations at the federal
level need to change to reflect that a driver may not always be in the
cab, such as how trucks can continue to be safely inspected.
While many have called for a federal regulatory framework, such a
framework should not be overly prescriptive, but instead create
guardrails for the industry to grow with safety at the forefront. We
must avoid stifling innovation as the technology develops, and striking
this balance is vital for America to continue its global competitive
edge in this industry.
Make no mistake, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the biggest
geopolitical threat our country faces, is moving aggressively into this
space. The CCP will scheme to use the power of their State-Owned
Enterprises to undercut American businesses and manipulate the market.
I look forward to hearing from today's panel of stakeholders, who
offer a unique perspective on the benefits of autonomous trucks, and
how AV truck technology is developed, brought to market, and safely
incorporated into existing transportation companies and networks.
Mr. Crawford. I now yield back and recognize Ranking Member
Norton for 5 minutes for an opening statement.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON OF THE DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA, RANKING MEMBER, SUBCOMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS AND
TRANSIT
Ms. Norton. I want to thank subcommittee Chair Rick
Crawford for holding this hearing on autonomous vehicles.
Today, I am interested in discussing the effects of
autonomous vehicles on roadway safety and the commercial
driving workforce. This committee has a responsibility to
ensure that as autonomous vehicles are deployed, the highest
possible safety standards are met and that Americans have
access to high-quality, family-wage transportation jobs.
Automated vehicles, including commercial trucks and transit
buses, are already on the road in many jurisdictions across the
country and have the potential of transforming our
transportation system. We must thoughtfully address the
emerging opportunities and risks.
Nationwide, we are experiencing a startling rise in roadway
fatalities. Autonomous vehicles have the potential to save
lives by reducing traffic crashes caused by human behavior, but
that potential is not a guarantee. Potential safety benefits
must be carefully weighed against risks, especially when public
roads are being used as testing grounds for new technologies.
The bottom line cannot be saving money--it must be saving
lives.
To that end, Congress and the Department of Transportation
must ensure that autonomous vehicle deployments are only
permitted in a manner that prioritizes the safety of the
traveling public, including vulnerable road users like
pedestrians and cyclists.
Autonomous vehicles must also be integrated into our
transportation system in a way that respects America's
commercial driving workforce. Autonomous vehicles could
significantly improve working conditions for commercial drivers
and increase on-the-job safety. But eliminating the need for a
human driver could also result in widespread job displacement
if the needs of workers are not prioritized at the outset.
Commercial truck driving is a proven career path that
offers a wage that can support a family. These jobs do not
require a college degree. They are an opportunity for people to
achieve high earnings without going into debt.
Comprehensive regulations and oversight of autonomous
vehicle deployment will be required to create and preserve
high-quality, family-wage jobs and good working conditions for
Americans whose livelihoods depend on driving.
Thank you to each of our witnesses for being here today and
offering your unique insights. I look forward to the
discussion.
[Ms. Norton's prepared statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Delegate in
Congress from the District of Columbia, and Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
I would like to thank Subcommittee Chair Rick Crawford for holding
this hearing on autonomous vehicles.
Today, I am interested in discussing the effects of autonomous
vehicles on roadway safety and the commercial driving workforce. This
Committee has a responsibility to ensure that, as autonomous vehicles
are deployed, the highest possible safety standards are met and that
Americans have access to high-quality, family-wage transportation jobs.
Automated vehicles, including commercial trucks and transit buses,
are already on the road in many jurisdictions across the country and
have the potential of transforming our transportation system. We must
thoughtfully address the emerging opportunities and risks.
Nationwide, we are experiencing a startling rise in roadway
fatalities. Autonomous vehicles have the potential to save lives by
reducing traffic crashes caused by human behavior, but that potential
is not a guarantee. Potential safety benefits must be carefully weighed
against risks, especially when public roads are being used as testing
grounds for new technologies. The bottom line cannot be saving money--
it must be saving lives.
To that end, Congress and the Department of Transportation must
ensure that autonomous vehicle deployments are only permitted in a
manner that prioritizes the safety of the traveling public, including
vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists.
Autonomous vehicles must also be integrated into our transportation
system in a manner that respects America's commercial driving
workforce. Autonomous vehicles could significantly improve working
conditions for commercial drivers and increase on-the-job safety. But
eliminating the need for a human driver could also result in widespread
job displacement if the needs of workers are not prioritized at the
outset.
Commercial truck driving is a proven career path that offers a wage
that can support a family. These jobs do not require a college degree.
They are an opportunity for people to achieve high earnings without
going into debt.
Comprehensive regulations and oversight of autonomous vehicle
deployment will be required to create and preserve high-quality,
family-wage jobs and good working conditions for Americans whose
livelihoods depend on driving.
Thank you to each of our witnesses for being here today and
offering your unique insights. I look forward to the discussion.
Mr. Crawford. Thank you, Ranking Member.
I now recognize the ranking member of the full committee
for any comments he would like to make.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RICK LARSEN OF WASHINGTON, RANKING
MEMBER, COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Chair, and Ranking
Member, as well, for holding this hearing. It is an opportunity
today for Members to learn about the state of the automated
commercial motor vehicle industry--what is happening now, what
we might see in the future, and how these technological changes
will impact public safety, jobs, and the movement of goods.
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee regularly
discusses the impacts of automation across many modes and in
different contexts. Autonomous commercial vehicles, or AVs,
however, are in a league of their own in terms of potential
impact. Consideration of policies surrounding this technology
deserves a high degree of scrutiny for several reasons:
LThe size and reach of this industry: Trucks move
over 70 percent of the Nation's freight by weight, and there
are 13.8 million large trucks registered in the U.S.;
LThe size of the workforce: In 2022, the industry
employed 3.5 million truckdrivers;
LThe interface with travelers and communities:
Every mile and every hour of a truck's operation is on shared
public roads used by families, including highways, rural roads,
and neighborhood streets; and
LThe safety realities of the industry: Every year
currently, over 5,000 people are killed in crashes involving
large trucks on our roads.
So, let's start with safety.
In 2021, 5,788 people were killed in crashes involving
large trucks. Nondrivers are particularly vulnerable in roadway
crashes: Pedestrian fatalities have reached a 41-year high, and
bicyclist fatalities have reached a 46-year high.
So, I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today
about the safety implications of AVs. While these vehicles hold
the promise of reducing driver errors, like distraction or
driving under the influence, they also raise different and new
safety questions.
How will AVs make split-second decisions on the roadway?
Will they be able to recognize and avoid vulnerable road
users? I should say, will the people who program and develop
AVs be able to program and develop them to ensure that the
trucks recognize and avoid vulnerable road users?
Can they interact safely with emergency vehicles like
police cruisers or firetrucks?
These outcomes will have life-or-death implications.
So, while the status quo on highway fatalities is
unacceptable, AVs and the people who deploy and design them
must be held to the highest standards as they are developed and
deployed. We can't substitute one inadequate system for
another.
Let's take a look at jobs.
I talk about transportation as a job creator, including how
the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is projected to create over
700,000 jobs per year.
So, while autonomous trucks may create new or different
jobs, with human drivers overseeing or dispatching AVs, their
mass deployment stands to eliminate jobs or degrade wages for
the existing truckdrivers.
Commercial AVs, as well, are not limited to trucks. Transit
bus operators also face job losses or changes if a human driver
becomes unnecessary.
AV technology has the potential to make truck driving a
better job by helping shift more work to safer, more
predictable work in short-haul routes or dispatching. But AVs
can also threaten career choices that have long been a path for
the middle class and a good paycheck.
So, I encourage our industry witnesses today to work
closely with the drivers, including labor and independent
owner-operators, to hear their concerns and harness their real-
world experience to make sure the power of this technology
builds a safer and cleaner motor carrier industry with better
jobs for the women and men who move goods.
Now, let's take a look at the practical impacts.
AVs have the potential to improve mobility and
accessibility, but also to worsen congestion and carbon
pollution. In a world in which cars and trucks could operate
without drivers, it is not hard to imagine that gridlock and
pollution could come alongside a nascent technology. Unlike a
smartphone, this isn't a case where we can put our technology
out there and work out the kinks as we go along.
There are also implications for infrastructure. Roadway
conditions vary road by road, State by State, and day by day
with changing weather.
The technology and those people who develop it need to
ensure consistency and uniformity to perform as expected
regardless of everyday conditions. As AVs deploy, we may learn
quickly the required changes to signage, lane striping, or even
roadway design that are needed for them to perform optimally,
all requiring infrastructure improvements.
This is an issue of particular importance to this committee
and a key question that will need answers as we look to the
next round in the future of investment in the revitalization of
our roads, bridges, and highways.
So, there are a lot of questions. Some of them are probably
perfectly easily answerable, some probably not.
I look forward to hearing about the state of the industry
today and learning more from our witnesses about how to best
approach these opportunities and, importantly for this
committee, these challenges.
With that, I yield back.
[Mr. Larsen of Washington's prepared statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative in Congress
from the State of Washington, and Ranking Member, Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure
Thank you, Chair Crawford and Ranking Member Norton, for holding
this hearing.
Today's hearing is an opportunity for Members to learn more about
the state of the automated commercial motor vehicle industry--what's
happening now, what we might see in the future, and how these
technological changes will impact public safety, jobs and the movement
of goods.
The T&I Committee regularly discusses the impacts of automation
across many modes and in different contexts.
Autonomous commercial vehicles (AVs), however, are in a league of
their own in terms of potential impact. Consideration of policy
surrounding this technology deserves a high degree of scrutiny for
several reasons:
The size and reach of this industry: trucks move over 70
percent of the nation's freight by weight, and there are 13.8 million
large trucks registered in the U.S.;
The size of the workforce: in 2022, the industry employed
3.5 million truck drivers;
The interface with travelers and communities: every mile
and every hour of a truck's operation is on shared public roads used by
families including highways, rural roads, and neighborhood streets; and
The safety realities of this industry: every year
currently over 5,000 people are killed in crashes involving large
trucks on our roads.
Let's start with safety first. In 2021, 5,788 people were killed in
crashes involving large trucks.
Non-drivers are particularly vulnerable in roadway crashes--
pedestrian fatalities have reached a 41-year high, and bicyclist
fatalities have a 46-year high.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today about the safety
implications of AVs. While these vehicles hold the promise of reducing
driver errors, like distraction or driving under the influence, they
also raise different and new safety questions.
How will AVs make split-second decisions on the roadway? Will they
be able to recognize and avoid vulnerable road users? Will the people
who program and develop AVs be able to program and develop them to
ensure that trucks recognize and avoid vulnerable road users? Can they
interact safely with emergency vehicles like police cruisers or fire
trucks? These outcomes will have life-or-death implications.
While the status quo on highway fatalities is unacceptable, AVs
must be held to the highest safety standards as they are developed and
deployed. We can't substitute one inadequate system for another.
Next let's look at jobs. I often talk about transportation as a
job-creator, including how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is
projected to create over 700,000 jobs per year.
While autonomous trucks may create new or different jobs, with
human drivers overseeing or dispatching AVs, their mass deployment
stands to eliminate jobs or degrade wages for the existing truck
drivers.
Commercial AVs are not limited to trucks. Transit bus operators
also face job losses or changes if a human driver becomes unnecessary.
AV technology has the potential to make truck driving a better job
by helping shift more work to safer, more predictable jobs in short-
haul routes or dispatching.
But AVs can also threaten a career choice that has long been a path
to the middle class and a good paycheck.
I encourage our industry witnesses to work closely with truck
drivers, including labor and independent owner-operators, to hear their
concerns and harness their real-world experience to make sure the power
of this technology builds a safer, cleaner motor carrier industry with
better jobs for the women and men who move goods.
Finally, let's look at the practical impacts. AVs have the
potential to improve mobility and accessibility.
But they could also worsen congestion and carbon pollution. In a
world in which cars and trucks could operate without drivers, it is not
hard to imagine that gridlock and pollution could come alongside a
nascent technology. Unlike a smartphone, this isn't a case where we can
put technology out there and work out the kinks as we go along.
There are also implications for our infrastructure. Roadway
conditions vary road by road, state by state, and day by day with the
changing weather.
Technology and those who develop it need to ensure consistency and
uniformity to perform as expected regardless of everyday conditions. As
AVs deploy, we may learn quickly the required changes to signage, lane
striping, or even roadway design that are needed for them to perform
optimally.
This is an issue of particular importance to this Committee, and a
key question that will need answers as we look to the next round of
investment in the revitalization of our roads and bridges.
A lot of questions, some of them are probably easily answerable,
some probably not.
I look forward to hearing more about the state of the industry
today and learning from our witnesses about how to best approach these
opportunities and challenges.
Mr. Crawford. I thank the ranking member.
I would now like to welcome our witnesses and thank them
for being here today.
Chris Urmson is the cofounder and chief executive officer
of Aurora, a company founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that
is working to commercialize autonomous trucks.
Jeff Farrah is the first executive director of the
Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, which represents both
automotive and trucking industry interests.
And we have two witnesses who can speak to how this
technology was safely integrated into our transportation
network. Chris Spear is the president and CEO of the American
Trucking Associations, along with Cathy Chase, who is the
president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
Thank you all for being here.
Briefly, let me take a minute to explain how our lighting
system works for our witnesses.
There are three lights in front of you. Green means go. But
unlike a stoplight, yellow does not necessarily mean proceed
with caution, as you might expect. In fact, it means go like
heck because it is fixing to turn red.
And that means it is time to conclude your remarks. If you
don't conclude your remarks at that time, you may hear a little
something like this----
[Gavel banging.]
Mr. Crawford [continuing]. Just as a reminder that the
light has, in fact, turned red.
I ask unanimous consent that the witnesses' full statements
be included in the record.
Without objection, so ordered.
As your written testimony has been made part of the record,
the subcommittee asks that you limit your oral remarks to 5
minutes.
With that, Mr. Urmson, you are recognized for 5 minutes for
your testimony.
TESTIMONY OF CHRIS URMSON, COFOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER, AURORA INNOVATION, INC.; JEFF FARRAH, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION; CHRIS SPEAR,
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN TRUCKING
ASSOCIATIONS; AND CATHERINE CHASE, PRESIDENT, ADVOCATES FOR
HIGHWAY AND AUTO SAFETY
TESTIMONY OF CHRIS URMSON, COFOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER, AURORA INNOVATION, INC.
Mr. Urmson. Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larsen,
Chairman Crawford, Ranking Member Holmes Norton, and members of
the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the men
and women who keep our economy moving by driving trucks today,
and in particular, the Aurora vehicle operations team, during
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
My name is Chris Urmson, and I am the CEO and cofounder of
Aurora, an American autonomous vehicle technology company
headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify this morning and
for the subcommittee's interest in learning about and
collaborating on this important topic.
Today, I would like to tell you about how safety guides
everything we do at Aurora, the jobs we support, and what the
future of autonomous trucking looks like from my perspective.
Over my 20-year career, I have worked on solving one of the
toughest engineering challenges of our time: enabling vehicles
to drive themselves safely. From my time with Carnegie Mellon,
then Google's self-driving car project, and now at Aurora, my
passion for improving safety on our roadways has driven my
career.
Aurora's mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving
technology safely, quickly, and broadly. We are building the
Aurora Driver, which will safely move goods and people through
the world. The Aurora Driver is made up of the hardware, the
software, and the data services needed to drive vehicles
safely.
Since founding Aurora in 2017, I am very proud that we have
grown from just our 3 cofounders--Sterling Anderson, Drew
Bagnell, and me--into a publicly traded company that employs
1,800 people in 8 cities across 7 States. Together, Aurora's
team is an incredible compilation of talents, experience, and
expertise.
In addition to investing in the people who work at Aurora
with me today, we are trying to do our part in developing the
future workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.
For example, Aurora worked with the Pittsburgh Technical
College to design an associate degree program that trains and
accredits fleet support technicians, giving them the tools they
need to maintain autonomous vehicles and support automated
vehicle operations.
This complements the work we do with Gallatin College in
Bozeman, Montana, where Aurora is investing in new educational
programs to train sensor technicians.
As the need for these jobs grows, academic degrees,
technical training programs, and apprenticeships will be
essential in building the workforce of the future.
Autonomous vehicle technology is not science fiction. It is
not hypothetical. In fact, it is already here. Between Dallas
and Houston and Fort Worth and El Paso, we are hauling over 50
loads per week for our commercial partners like FedEx, Werner,
Hirschbach, Schneider, and Uber Freight.
Today, we have a trained operator with a commercial
driver's license behind the wheel and a right-seat operator
next to them monitoring the autonomous system as we complete
our validation work and safety case.
Hauling customer loads helps us build our technology and
support services to seamlessly integrate into our partners'
operations.
It is unacceptable that we lose 42,000 Americans on our
roads every year. A culture focused on safety is paramount for
the success of Aurora and addressing this ongoing tragedy.
In my written testimony, I have included details about
Aurora's safety work, from our first-of-its-kind Safety
Management System, our Safety Case Framework, and our
engagement developing best practices and safety standards that
will guide the AV industry. We are working hard to ensure that
autonomous vehicles can operate safely.
We are also building a culture and organizational safety
program, knowing that we have to build trust, first and
foremost, with all stakeholders, from legislators and
regulators at all levels of Government, to our customers and
the communities where we operate.
Aurora's chief safety officer, Nat Beuse, testified at the
autonomous vehicle hearing last February, and I look forward to
answering questions about the progress we have made since then
toward completing our safety case. I hope our commitment to
transparency and safety is clear as we continue to engage with
all of you on these important issues.
You may be wondering what the Government can do to support
American automated vehicle technology. I am looking forward to
answering your questions you may have about our cab-mounted
warning beacon exemption application pending before FMCSA.
Granting the application would be a clear way for the
Federal Government to support the safe deployment of all AVs
and demonstrate to the world how important improving roadway
safety is to the United States.
The basic principles of American innovation and the free
flow of capital are why we could build a company with a mission
and business model that will benefit America. America must
maintain this competitive advantage and continue to invest in
automated vehicle technology.
After two decades in the autonomous vehicle industry, I am
incredibly excited and motivated by the future in front of us
as a country.
I look forward to answering your questions.
Thank you.
[Mr. Urmson's prepared statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chris Urmson, Cofounder and Chief Executive
Officer, Aurora Innovation, Inc.
Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, Chairman Crawford, Ranking
Member Holmes Norton, and Members of the Subcommittee on Highways and
Transit. Thank you for the invitation to provide testimony for the
hearing ``The Future of Automated Commercial Motor Vehicles: Impacts on
Society, the Supply Chain, and U.S. Economic Leadership.''
My name is Chris Urmson and I am the CEO and Co-founder of Aurora.
I have twenty years of experience leading automated vehicle programs,
which started when I was the Director of Technology for Carnegie
Mellon's DARPA Grand and Urban Challenge Teams in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. After the DARPA Challenges, my family and I moved to
California where I helped found and lead Google's self-driving car
program (now Waymo). In early 2017, I co-founded Aurora with Sterling
Anderson and Drew Bagnell.\1\ I have been issued over 150 patents and
have authored over 50 publications. I earned a PhD in Robotics from
Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer
Engineering from the University of Manitoba.
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\1\ https://ir.aurora.tech/company-information/leadership-team
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As we celebrate National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, we
recognize the essential role truck drivers play in today's supply chain
and we are excited about the opportunity to showcase our vehicle
operators' excitement and enthusiasm for autonomous vehicles (AVs) and
their impact on our communities, and future generations to come.\2\ I'd
like to take this opportunity to thank all truck drivers for their
dedication, commitment, and the many challenges they overcome to ensure
that our goods are delivered safely, securely, and on time.
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\2\ Future of Freight: Leveraging Industry Expertise to Safely
Deploy Autonomous Trucks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ij_QljY644
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Aurora
Aurora is a publicly-traded American company with the mission to
deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and
broadly. We are building the Aurora Driver: a platform that brings
together software, hardware, and data services, to autonomously operate
any vehicle without the need for a human operator in the vehicle.
Aurora has offices across 8 cities in 7 states, including our
headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and employs 1,800 people
ranging from hardware and software engineers to commercial drivers and
operations specialists.
The Aurora Driver can power a variety of diverse vehicle platforms,
from Class 8 trucks to passenger vehicles. The Aurora Driver runs on a
robust, proprietary computer that enables powerful software to
understand complex environments and safely control the vehicle through
them. It incorporates high-resolution radar, lidar, and camera data
that allow it to simultaneously see and track objects around the
vehicle, giving it deep familiarity with the ever-changing, surrounding
world.
Aurora has deep collaborations with truck OEM partners that will be
critical to bringing autonomous technology to market. We have strategic
partnerships with two of the top three truck OEMs that collectively
produce about 50% of the trucks sold in the U.S. market.\3\ Aurora has
long-term commitments to build and deploy self-driving trucks at scale
with these partners, and all parties are making significant investments
in the success of the programs--both with capital and with experience
and skill.
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\3\ https://d1io3yog0oux5.cloudfront.net/
_cb99f486f1d34eb2c6df028273f8ba29/aurora/db/856/
7880/pdf/Investor+Presentation+-+August+2023.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Aurora continues to hit milestones \4\ and prepare for the
commercial launch of our Aurora Horizon \5\ autonomous trucking
service, we are keeping our industry-leading safety approach at the
forefront of development and deployment. Because the focus of this
hearing is commercial trucking, my written comments are focused on
Aurora's activities and efforts around heavy duty trucks.
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\4\ https://blog.aurora.tech/products/the-aurora-driver-is-feature-
complete
\5\ https://aurora.tech/aurora-horizon
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The Importance of Autonomous Trucking
The United States lost over 42,000 Americans on our roads last
year.\6\ Two million Americans are injured in vehicle crashes each year
which puts strain on families, our health care system, law enforcement
resources, and the workforce.\7\ We believe that the public and private
sectors should be using every tool in the toolbox to address this
public health crisis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ 1.3 million people die per year in road fatalities (WHO 2022);
https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/traffic-crash-death-estimates-
2022.
\7\ https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/
motor-vehicle-safety/index.html
%23: :text%3DHowever%252C%2520more%2520than%252032%252C000%2520people,ye
ar%2520
from%2520motor%2520vehicle%2520crashes&sa=D&source=docs&ust=169438262875
0727
&usg=AOvVaw0bjxQBNSVPvutJwCDFQBVD
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Specific to trucking, there are approximately 500,000 truck crashes
each year and the U.S. saw approximately 5,800 fatalities in large
truck accidents in 2021, a 17% year-over-year increase.\8\ In the U.S.,
trucking accounts for 195 billion vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
annually, is 65 percent of total goods movement,\9\ and is a $700
billion segment of the U.S. economy.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) `Traffic
Safety Facts: Large Trucks' Revised June 2023
\9\ Trucking accounts for 300B miles annually (BTS 2020) and moved
65% of goods by weight in 2017 (BTS 2017)
\10\ A.T. Kearney State of Logistics, 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Innovation is imperative for the continued health of the trucking
industry and for the U.S. to remain globally competitive. Autonomous
trucks will help support manufacturers and retailers with the safe
movement of goods. We expect AVs to dramatically reduce the rate of
crashes and injuries on our roadways over the long term, which in turn
will reduce pressure on local emergency responders and health care
systems. The tremendous potential benefits of autonomous technology are
apparent to many in the supply chain. For example, in California, we're
seeing a diverse group of stakeholders--from former law enforcement
officers and safety organizations to small business owners, suppliers,
and manufacturers--all supporting the continued development of this
technology at recent public hearings.
The Aurora Driver
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Aurora uses sensor fusion from a combination of lidar, radar, and
cameras to give the Aurora Driver a near 360+ view of its environment.
This fusion of different sensor types allows the Aurora Driver to
leverage the best of what each sensor can provide, allowing the
technology to see at long ranges and in poor weather conditions. At the
heart of this sensor technology is our industry-leading proprietary
FirstLight lidar, which is able to track and detect objects greater
than 400 meters away while simultaneously measuring their speed. Seeing
and being able to nearly simultaneously interpret what those actors are
doing at this distance allows for quicker reaction time and safer
motion planning, which is critical when moving at highway speeds. We
collect and use sensor data from our vehicles to build our maps, train
our system, and continuously improve our technology.
Aurora's Investment in Partnerships
We are continuing to build a powerful ecosystem of the world's
leading trucking, automotive, and logistics companies to bring the
promise of autonomous trucking to market. Our work with our truck OEM
partners, PACCAR and Volvo Trucks, and our new Hardware as a Service
partner, Continental, continues to progress as we prepare for
Commercial Launch and beyond.
In order to operate at scale our technology needs to withstand
challenging durability requirements while installed on a truck. For
example, during the second quarter of 2023, PACCAR completed a 1.5
million equivalent mile durability test of a Kenworth cab with the
Aurora Driver hardware installed. The Aurora Driver hardware remained
fully functional at the end of the test.
Volvo Autonomous Solutions and Aurora expect to begin testing an
autonomy-enabled prototype Volvo truck powered by the Aurora Driver in
the first quarter of 2024. Separately, Volvo Autonomous Solutions has
expanded its footprint in North America with the establishment of an
office in Texas and started manual operations in preparation for the
commercial launch of its autonomous hub-to-hub transport solution,
powered by the Aurora Driver.
In April, we announced a long-term partnership with Continental to
develop, manufacture, and service a commercially-scalable future
generation of the Aurora Driver's hardware kit. Continental has already
started development efforts to scale the Aurora Driver. In addition,
the partnership's Hardware as a Service structure will enable Aurora to
pay for the hardware on a per mile basis. This structure is a first-of-
its-kind for this industry and aligns with and supports our Driver as a
Service business model.
The model also drives significant value-alignment between,
Continental, our customers, and ourselves. We believe industrializing
our hardware kit through this partnership will help us achieve the
commercial scale and cost structure necessary to support our long-term
profitability objectives.
Aurora's Commitment to Safety
Risk is inherent in everything people do. Even the most common,
frequent tasks we undertake, from taking a shower to driving around
town, have inherent risk. With this in mind, humans have developed
means of mitigating those risks--our showers are designed to have anti-
slip surfaces and our vehicles have seat belts, airbags, and other
safety equipment. While these safety controls do not eliminate the risk
entirely, they help ensure the activities we complete every day are
acceptably safe--meaning risk is mitigated enough that we can complete
everyday activities without posing significant risks to ourselves or
those around us.
This applies to developing vehicles as well, autonomous or
otherwise. At the end of the day, after we have completed all of our
objectives, double- and triple-checked our work, and verified and
validated the results, there will always still be some degree of
residual risk. When developing the Aurora Driver, we've implemented our
Safety Case Framework to show that we're mitigating risk across a wide
variety of claims that encompass our product, operations, and
organization--enabling partners and customers to know our technology is
acceptably safe for public road operations. This work is discussed
further below in our learnings from operations on Interstate 45 in
Texas.
We take a holistic view of safety, focusing on creating a strong
safety culture that permeates every part of our company, including how
we do business.\11\ A key part of that approach to safety is
implementing our Safety Management System, commonly referred to as SMS.
This is an organizational approach--employed by safety-critical
industries like aviation and rail--that standardizes how safety
information moves through a company.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ https://aurora.tech/vssa
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SMS ensures that safety information is presented to the right
person, at the right time, and that there is accountability and
transparency for every safety action taken across the company. This
approach ensures that safety is prioritized as we make decisions, with
features such as a Safety Review Board for safety risk management
decisions and a clear and easy-to-use Safety Concern Reporting process,
both described in detail below.
At Aurora, we are building our SMS on four key components--a
detailed Safety Risk Management structure, a robust Safety Assurance
program, disciplined Safety Policy documentation, and an engaging
Safety Culture that includes safety education and events. Our SMS helps
ensure we're proactively identifying safety issues and resolving them
as early as possible. It also ensures our entire company values safety,
understands our safety procedures, and is using a common language to
talk about risk.
We actively work to make safety a part of everyday life at Aurora.
For example, our non-retaliation Safety Concern Reporting policy
encourages everyone at the company, from our vehicle operators to our
C-Suite, to speak up if something doesn't feel safe.
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We also leverage experts inside and outside of Aurora. Our Safety
Review Board, an internal group of cross-functional leaders, meets
regularly to address active safety issues. And we engage regularly with
the Aurora Safety Advisory Board, made of external experts from fields
including aviation safety, insurance, emergency/trauma medicine,
automotive safety, and academia.
Aurora Safety Advisory Board Members:
Dave Carbaugh, Former Chief Pilot Flight Operations,
Boeing
Adrian Lund, Managing Member of HITCH42, LLC and former
President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Dr. Victoria Chibuogu Nneji, Lead Engineer & Innovation
Strategist at Edge Case Research
Dr. Jeff Runge, President of Biologue, Inc. and former
Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
George Snyder, President and CEO of GHS Aviation Group
Karen Rasmussen, Executive Director of the Independent
Carrier Safety Association (ICSA)
Safety Case Framework
How do we know if an AV is safe enough to drive on public roads?
It's a question that continues to be asked particularly since this
technology has been tested on public roads for almost a decade. At
Aurora, our answer is to use a safety case approach to evaluate if our
vehicles are acceptably safe to operate on public roads and not create
an unreasonable risk to roadway safety.
Safety cases are not a new concept. Our safety case framework is
based on the best practices of other industries and on industry
standards. They have been widely used in other safety-critical
industries like aviation, rail, and medical devices, and have been
referenced in AV industry standards, such as UL 4600.
In August 2021, we publicly released Aurora's Safety Case
Framework--the first AV Safety Case Framework that applies to both
autonomous trucks and passenger vehicles. We believe that a Safety Case
Framework is the most effective and efficient path to safely operating
without a person onboard the truck and is an imperative component for
any company looking to safely deliver commercial-ready AVs at scale. We
are the only AV company currently operating in our industry to publicly
share its Safety Case Framework and its associated claims.
Building a Safety Case Framework allows us to demonstrate exactly
how we are approaching safety and the many factors we are taking into
consideration--a stark contrast to simply reporting on miles driven or
disengagements, which do not necessarily provide support to demonstrate
that a vehicle is safe for any specific context or environment. Our
structured approach of defining claims and providing evidence about our
technology and operations is the only way Aurora believes we can safely
commercialize our AVs.
A structured safety case argument includes a specific claim--e.g.,
that our self-driving vehicles are acceptably safe to operate on public
roads--that is then distributed into multiple levels of subclaims that
are supported by evidence. For example, if we make a claim that we can
sufficiently maintain and service our self-driving vehicles, then
supporting evidence could include our maintenance requirements,
procedures, and guidelines and logs.
Along with delivering a safe product, being transparent with our
approach is an important part of developing autonomous technology. Our
top-level claim, that the Aurora Driver is acceptably safe to operate
on public roads, is broken down into the following five safety
principles:
Proficient
Fail-Safe
Continuously Improving
Resilient
Trustworthy
1. Proficient--An AV cannot be considered safe to operate on
public roads unless it is suitably proficient. Proficiency includes the
design, engineering, testing, and requirements for nominal operations
and performance.
2. Fail-Safe--The fail-safe principle addresses how the AV behaves
in the presence of faults and failures. No system is ever 100%
reliable; components will wear out or have premature failures from time
to time. This principle ensures that the Aurora Driver safely mitigates
these failures.
3. Continuously Improving--The continuously improving principle
outlines how we are enshrining the concept of continual improvement
into the development of our system. Field data feeds a comprehensive
data analysis effort that calculates safety performance indicators and
also considers data collected during design and development. Aurora
also takes a proactive approach to continuous improvement, using risk
identification techniques to proactively identify and manage risks.
4. Resilient--AVs are designed to safely operate on public roads,
but this does not isolate them from malicious actors or unavoidable
events. The resilient principle requires evidence that demonstrates
that our system is capable of withstanding adverse events and
intentional misuse and abuse. For example, our cyber-security-related
claims mostly reside under this principle and are discussed further
below.
5. Trustworthy--An AV may be claimed to be Proficient, Fail-Safe,
Continuously Improving, and Resilient, but without the trust of the
public and governmental regulators, it cannot fully realize the top
level claim. The trustworthy safety principle addresses how we gain
trust through public, government, and stakeholder engagement. We
further emphasize safety transparency, safety culture, as well as
external review and advisory activities.
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Aurora will not launch our autonomous trucking product until our
safety case for initial driverless operations is complete. We see this
as the highest safety bar in our industry, and one that helps ensure
our complete product (including software, hardware, and data services)
and our company, are ready for commercial operations.
The Aurora Driver will be ready to launch when we have a closed
Safety Case for our Dallas to Houston lane. It goes beyond just
ensuring the vehicle drives well enough for a demo; rather, it
demonstrates that our product, and our company, are holistically and
sustainably safe.
Cyber-security
Securing an AV against cyber-security risks requires diligence
throughout its development and operation. A secure system is one that
minimizes architectural weaknesses and is ready to respond and recover
from identified risks.
Aurora's security architectural approaches are motivated and
measured through integration into Aurora's Safety Case. Leaning on the
Safety Case and security principals, Aurora has developed an extensive
and adaptive security approach, aligned with best practices and
standards, to secure the extremely varied component ecosystems that
compose an autonomous system. We consider all functional areas of our
technology to be potential targets with different threat models, and,
therefore, a potential vehicle safety concern.
Aurora has adopted security architectures and risk-based assessment
methodologies that derive and measure security controls through two
major themes--``Trust the Operation of the Aurora Driver'' and
``Detect, Respond, and Recover.'' These two major themes are comprised
of six narratives that are addressed cross functionally with our
partners and across the company.
Build, Deploy, and Activate Securely
Trusted Startup
Engage Autonomy
Trusted Off Board Actions
Identifying privileged access
Security detection and response
These narratives, and the controls they derive, serve as a
blueprint for the components that must be assessed along with the
relative depth for each. Inspired by guidance from the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),\12\ the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and industry groups, this
approach enables Aurora to address security from both a product and
process perspective, as well as providing defense in depth through
layered controls.
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\12\ NIST Special Publication 800-160 v2 Developing Cyber-Resilient
Systems: A Systems Security Engineering Approach, 2021; ISO 21434 Road
vehicle--Cybersecurity engineering, 2021; NHTSA Cybersecurity Best
Practices for the Safety of Modern Vehicles, 2022.
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Cyber-security risks are constantly evolving, so continuous
improvement in handling them is critical. By proactively exploring
risks, investing in solutions, and collaborating with our industry
partners,\13\ we regularly incorporate security upgrades across our
fleet in order to harden them against threats. We are dedicated to
advancing security approaches and capabilities within all components to
improve the security posture for future self-driving vehicles across
the industry.
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\13\ https://avsc.sae-itc.org/
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Building and Learning on I-45 and Beyond
Today, Aurora Driver-powered Class 8 trucks (under the supervision
of vehicle operators) support commercial operations between Dallas and
Houston and between Fort Worth and El Paso. We plan to launch our
driverless commercial operations on the Dallas to Houston lane on I-45
next year. In time, as we continue to mature, we look forward to
expanding into new geographies to support our freight customers.
But let me be very clear: before a driverless Aurora Driver-powered
vehicle touches a new lane, we will ensure that our safety case
encompasses operation in that new environment. Moving into new
geographies is something we will continue to do thoughtfully. In
addition to understanding which claims in our safety case will need new
evidence, we will also do the following:
We begin by mapping. We build our own high-definition maps, which
contain detailed information about road infrastructure, geometry and
lanes, and other geometric information. We build these maps
automatically from data our vehicle collects and then augment that with
human annotations of important road elements such as lanes, stop signs,
and traffic lights on top of the world geometry.
Think about these as layers of data, which help our software system
understand the world around it across three fronts:
1. Localization, which determines the vehicle's position relative
to the map by matching the stored geometry data with what the sensors
identify in real time;
2. Perception, which uses the geometry and annotations to allow
the Aurora Driver to perceive other road users; and
3. Motion planning, which uses the annotations to prepare for
maneuvers like turns and stops.
Importantly, when the Aurora Driver encounters changes in the real-
world, on-road environment, they can be shared with our Aurora-powered
fleet of vehicles.
With the map in hand we model and test any novel on-road scenarios
or regulatory requirement unique to this new lane in simulation. There
is a limit to how much meaningful data can be gathered through test
tracks and on-road driving. Aurora has invested heavily in the
development of a proprietary, highly accurate, and scalable Virtual
Testing Suite. These tests become part of the evidence for the
Proficient pillar of our expanded safety case.
With a map and an expanded and now closed safety case, we would
then be ready to safely deploy the Aurora Driver on the new lane.
Aurora's Virtual Testing Suite
Aurora's Virtual Testing Suite enables us to repeatedly expose the
Aurora Driver to common and rare on-road scenarios. And from virtual
testing, we can understand how the Aurora Driver performs in millions
of scenarios. Over time, new, interesting events are captured and added
to our simulation database, where they are used to continually improve
the system.
Aurora's Virtual Testing Suite makes it possible to amplify
exposure to these events to test the Aurora Driver's performance in
those scenarios.
We do this in two ways:
First, important but rare on-road events the Aurora
Driver has encountered are turned into simulation tests. We then create
variations to further challenge the system's performance in these
scenarios.
Second, for events so rare the Aurora Driver has not
experienced them on the road, we synthetically generate simulation
tests using the established NHTSA collision categories, which enumerate
the ways vehicles crash.
For these imminent collision scenarios and rare on-road events the
Aurora Driver has encountered, we are creating tens of thousands of
tests.
Similar to the expected performance of a human driver, the Aurora
Driver is being designed to avoid a collision if possible, and if a
collision is not avoidable--such as in scenarios where another actor's
behavior renders a collision inevitable--the Aurora Driver is designed
to mitigate adverse outcomes. Success of these tests will give us the
conviction that the Aurora Driver is designed to do the right thing in
these rare scenarios.
In addition to evaluating the Aurora Driver in imminent collisions,
we also looked at the available fatal collision details that involved a
tractor trailer between the years 2018 and 2022 on our Dallas to
Houston lane.
We simulated those collisions to understand how the
Aurora Driver would have acted under similar circumstances if it had
been the initiating vehicle.
Based on our analysis, we believe that had the Aurora
Driver been driving, the combination of its powerful sensor suite and
attentive driving behavior would have prevented these collisions.
Said simply, if the Aurora Driver had been driving the vehicle,
none of these fatal collisions would have occurred.
Workforce Development
Aurora's commercial-ready terminal in Palmer, Texas,\14\ and our
growing Command Center are great examples of how the AV industry will
create new workforce opportunities across the country. Our terminals
provide services necessary to operate and scale self-driving fleets,
including fueling, weigh stations, on-site maintenance, sensor
calibration, and more, while our Command Center supports vehicles
through dispatch, remote assistance, incident response, and asset
management functions. These functions will support safe operation of
trucks on the road, help optimize fleet uptime, and, crucially, involve
a range of new jobs.
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\14\ https://ir.aurora.tech/news-events/press-releases/detail/67/
aurora-debuts-industry-leading-
commercial-ready-
terminal#: :text=Aurora's%20South%20Dallas%20terminal%20was,is
%20in%20commercial%20use%20today.
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Aurora has already created many new roles to support autonomous
trucking technology and its scaled deployment, including:
Terminal Operators who handle tasks within the terminals,
including pre- and post-trip inspections, transfers and management of
trailers, and logistics management.
Fleet Support Technicians--the ``Mechanics of the 21st
Century''--who maintain autonomous trucks' sensors and systems and
maximize vehicle uptime.
Command Center Specialists who, among other things,
provide remote assistance and advice to the Aurora Driver when it comes
across something unexpected on the road and needs guidance, like an
unmapped road closure.
Fleet Dispatch Specialists who manage AV fleets and help
ensure availability for customers.
Autonomous Vehicle Operations Specialists with commercial
driver's licenses (CDLs) who support the testing and validation of our
autonomous trucks and passenger vehicles. These specialists will be
essential in the coming years as we continue to develop and validate
new capabilities for the Aurora Driver.
Mapping Quality Specialists who process and triage map
issues, including improving tooling for scalability of high-definition
maps.
Aurora has cross-trained a number of its existing workforce to
transition into many of these critical roles, and we're working with
local communities and academic institutions to build this workforce.
Demonstrating our commitment to workforce development, Aurora has
worked with Pittsburgh Technical College to design an associate degree
program that trains and accredits Fleet Support Technicians, giving
them the tools they need to maintain AVs and support operations. This
complements work with Gallatin College in Bozeman, Montana, where
Aurora is investing in new educational facilities to train sensor
technicians and develop advanced lidar sensors. As the need for these
professionals grows, academic degrees, technical training programs, and
apprenticeships will be essential in building the workforce of the
future.
Aurora is also supporting the Headwaters TechHub application
submitted by a consortium of leaders in Montana to support the
development of the photonics industry in the United States.\15\
Specifically, Aurora has committed to collaborate with Montana State
University (MSU) to operate a lidar test range; build a new 78,000
square foot facility in Bozeman, Montana, where Aurora will use a
portion of the space to continue to grow our team and produce future
generations of Aurora's FirstLight Lidar to support our expanding fleet
of commercial AVs; and offer expertise for potential workforce
development efforts based on the Gallatin College Photonics Program.
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\15\ https://www.tester.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/tester-
urges-department-of-commerce-to-select-montana-application-for-
regional-tech-hub-designation/
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We ask Congress to ensure that commissioned research about the job-
related impacts of AVs be driven by actual industry experience, and
that job quality should be central to any policy and industry
conversation. It is encouraging that a 2021 USDOT report indicated that
potential reductions in long-haul trucking jobs related to AVs are
likely to be offset by natural occupational turnover instead of
layoffs.\16\ Testing and deploying AV technology is a key component of
ensuring there are real world models to ground these important
conversations as we continue to learn more about new and transitioning
jobs.
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\16\ ``Macroeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving Systems in Long-
Haul Trucking,'' Jan. 28, 2021, FWHA-JPO-21-847, https://
rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/54596.
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Government Engagement
Aurora's engagement with all levels of government is a key
component of the Trustworthy Principle in our Safety Case Framework. In
this testimony, two examples will be discussed further: federal data
reporting requirements and examples from our engagement with Texas.
USDOT Reporting and Publicly Available Data
Aurora takes part in two federal safety-related data reporting
mechanisms. First, NHTSA's Standing General Order (SGO) for Crash
Reporting for Incidents Involving Automated Driving Systems (ADS) and
Level 2 Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). Second, the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Safety and Fitness
Electronic Records (SAFER) database system for motor carriers.
Under NHTSA's SGO, all AV manufacturers and operators, including
Aurora, are required to report to the Agency certain crashes in which
an ADS was engaged at any time within 30 seconds of the crash and the
crash resulted in injury or property damage. NHTSA has made this data
publicly available at regular intervals since the SGO was first
released in 2021. The public can access and use this information to
understand when and where crashes involving AVs have occurred without
needing to contact the local or state authorities of the jurisdictions
in which the AVs operate. Aurora submitted comments to NHTSA in 2021
describing how the Agency could improve the SGO's definitions and data
collection requirements to ensure that the Agency receives targeted and
actionable data regarding the safety of ADS operations. In addition,
Aurora's comments provided suggestions to help ensure the public has
accurate and reliable information regarding AV safety by aligning the
SGO's terminology with the congressionally mandated TREAD Act early
warning reporting regime already applicable to manufacturers.
Aurora has reported three collisions to NHTSA under the SGO. In the
case of the collision we experienced in April of this year, a passenger
vehicle sideswiped one of our Aurora Driver-powered trucks on the
freight route between Fort Worth and El Paso. As the event unfolded,
the Aurora Driver detected the incoming vehicle and began to move away
from it by entering the shoulder of the road, in autonomy. The
passenger vehicle continued to veer toward our truck at over 65 miles
per hour, causing a collision. The Aurora Driver detected the imminent
collision and our onboard vehicle operator took control of the truck,
safely decreased speed, and pulled over. When deployed without a
vehicle operator, the Aurora Driver is designed to execute this
response autonomously while the Aurora Command Center contacts first
responders.
After confirming the safety of our team, we immediately shared
information about the incident with law enforcement, partners, and
regulators, including Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) and
Department of Public Safety (DPS). All of these actions align with our
organizational preparation for scenarios like this, and as part of our
commitment to transparency, we shared information about the event with
the public on our blog \17\ in April.
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\17\ https://blog.aurora.tech/safety/stories-from-the-road-safety-
readiness-case-studies
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In November 2022, we reported an incident to NHTSA in which a piece
of wood was kicked up into our vehicle's windshield after going under
the wheels of a truck to the left side of the Aurora truck, while the
Aurora truck was in manual mode. The vehicle's windshield cracked but
did not shatter. On July 18, 2023, an Aurora Class 8 truck was
traveling southbound in autonomy mode on Interstate 45 near Exit 164
when the front windshield was struck by an unknown object. The bottom
of the windshield had a small hole. The Aurora vehicle disengaged
autonomy and pulled over. The vehicle was able to be driven from the
scene, and there were no reported injuries.
FMCSA's SAFER system provides the government and the public with a
concise electronic record of motor carrier safety data. By accessing
the system, a user can obtain an electronic record of a company's
identification, size, commodity information, and safety record,
including the safety rating (if any), a roadside out-of-service
inspection summary, and certain crash information. For example, through
the SAFER system, a user can quickly see that Aurora has 46 registered
power units (tractors) and 49 employed drivers, Aurora's operating
status and classification, and the types of cargo Aurora hauls, among
other information.\18\
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\18\ In addition to the publicly available SAFER system, motor
carriers are also required to maintain, and produce to FMCSA or
authorized enforcement agencies upon request, an accident register of
all crashes involving the motor carrier that have occurred in the past
three years. 49 CFR 390.15.
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Snapshot from Texas
Aurora believes that active communication with government agencies
and communities at the national, state, and local level is an important
aspect of our development and commercialization. Before Aurora started
operating our vehicles on Texas roads, we engaged with TXDOT and TXDPS,
and we have since briefed these agencies' staff at a regular cadence
regarding our activities and planned expansion in the state. In
addition, Aurora is a member of TXDOT's Connected and Automated Vehicle
Task Force, which is composed of members from TXDOT, local governments
and transportation officials throughout Texas, community members, Texas
academic institutions, and industry. The task force regularly publishes
industry updates to keep stakeholders informed about advancements in
the technology. Separately, Aurora supported TXDOT's study on AVs
required by Texas Senate Bill 1308 by participating in numerous
workshops and providing presentations to stakeholders about how our
technology works, our Texas operations, and how our technology will fit
into the broader Texas transportation system.
Aurora also engages with government agencies and officials of the
local jurisdictions in which we operate. In Texas, Aurora has met with
the City of Dallas Transportation Director and has presented at a
Border Trade Advisory Committee meeting in El Paso, which included the
El Paso mayor and county commissioners and other elected officials.
Aurora also notifies and works with local law enforcement agencies of
the jurisdictions in which we operate. For example, we communicate with
the City of Palmer Police Department, and we have contacted agencies in
other local jurisdictions where we open new terminals.
Aurora has developed and shared Law Enforcement Interaction Plans
(LEIPs) with our stakeholders to ensure they understand where, when,
and how our vehicles operate so that if they do encounter them, they
know how to safely interact with them. Aurora's current LEIPs are
designed for interactions with our vehicles and vehicle operators, and
we will release new versions when we have determined the Aurora Driver
is acceptably safe to operate autonomously without human vehicle
operators.
Federal Policy
There are opportunities for the federal government to support the
development and deployment of AV technology in the United States,
providing certainty that companies, including Aurora, continue to
invest and build here.\19\ Creating a level playing field where the
rules are clear and conducive to realizing the safety, mobility, and
efficiency benefits of AV technology is a necessary role of government.
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\19\ See ``Forefront: Securing Pittsburgh's Break-out Position in
Autonomous Mobile Systems,'' Sept. 2021, https://ridc.org/news/
autonomy-study/.
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Aurora supports the work of Members of this Committee, Congress,
and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to ensure that laws
and regulations for AVs are performance-based and technology and
business-model neutral.
Federal leadership supporting the development of AV technology here
in the United States is critical. The work that started many years ago
at USDOT under Secretary Foxx, continued under Secretary Chao, and
carries through today under Secretary Buttigieg. USDOT's guidance,
research, and rulemakings that have been initiated specific to AVs,
along with the Department's use of its convening authority to bring
stakeholders together, has laid the foundation for the future and there
is still more work ahead.
Modernizing Regulations
We support NHTSA's efforts to modernize the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS) and the FMCSA's efforts to modernize the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) to encourage the
development of new and innovative AV technologies.
As you know, the FMVSS and FMCSR were not created with autonomous
technology in mind and neither wholly contemplated the integration of
autonomous technology, like the Aurora Driver, into vehicles. These
frameworks, therefore, should be updated to account for this new
technology as appropriate to provide regulatory certainty for
developers of this technology and to improve the efficiency of its
deployment. There are important open rulemakings at NHTSA and FMCSA
\20\ that need to continue to move forward. In preparation for other
future regulatory actions, the agencies should continue providing
guidance, conducting research, and fostering collaboration among
stakeholders to support AV development. Additionally, existing
exemption processes at USDOT should be used as a bridge to generate
real-world data about innovative vehicle technologies that could inform
future rulemakings that support AV deployment.
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\20\ See, e.g., NHTSA, Framework for Automated Driving Systems
Safety, RIN 2127-AM15 and FMCSA, Safe Integration of Automated Driving
Systems-Equipped Motor Vehicles, RIN 2126-AC17.
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A timely example for the Subcommittee is the warning device
exemption application filed with FMCSA at the beginning of this year
and generally supported by the AV industry.\21\ If approved, the
exemption would allow Cab-Mounted Warning Beacons--a lighting system
composed of forward- and rearward-facing amber flashing lights--to be
used by autonomous trucks when stopped on the roadway in lieu of
manually placing traditional warning triangles or flares around the
vehicle, as required by regulation today.\22\
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\21\ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/03/2023-
04385/parts-and-accessories-necessary-for-safe-operation-exemption-
application-from-waymo-llc-and-aurora
\22\ https://www.freightwaves.com/news/on-the-roadside-dont-forget-
the-safety-triangles
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To support the application, two separate and independent studies
(naturalistic and closed course) showed that Cab-Mounted Warning
Beacons were equally or more effective in enabling road users to
detect, recognize, and react to the hazard presented by a truck parked
on the roadway when compared to warning triangles. Aurora's
naturalistic study captured the responses of approximately 7,500 road
users for the proposed warning device, across a variety of lighting
conditions and interstate roadway geometries. Because there is no
available FMCSA data of which we are aware that evaluates the
effectiveness of traditional warning devices in motor carrier
operations, the naturalistic study captured drivers' responses to both
types of devices to support a data based decision.
The studies found that people slowed down and/or moved over when
the Cab-Mounted Warning Beacons were activated, which is exactly what
is expected and is consistent with the underlying regulation's safety
purpose. Specifically, the studies showed that approaching drivers were
able to see and understand the hazard, usually well beyond 300 meters
behind the truck, and would slow down and/or change lanes away from the
parked truck. This behavior was consistent with both the conventional
warning devices and the Cab-Mounted Warning Beacons.
Approval of the exemption for motor carriers operating autonomous
trucks to use Cab-Mounted Warning Beacons in lieu of traditional
warning devices could also benefit conventional motor carrier
operations in the future, where the proposed warning device may provide
added protection to human drivers and to other road users. While the
pending exemption application is limited to trucks operated by an ADS,
in the future, the ability to use Cab-Mounted Warning Beacons could
apply to all motor carrier operations. Use of the proposed warning
device would provide human drivers with an immediate warning system to
alert passing motorists when stopping on a roadway and eliminate the
need for the driver to get out of their truck, enter the roadway, and
walk hundreds of feet to place warning triangles or flares around the
truck.
There is strong support for the application. Freight and trucking
partners of Aurora including Hirschbach, Werner, Uber Freight, and
Volvo Autonomous Solutions have filed support statements in the Federal
Register. In addition, Daimler Trucks, AVIA, Consumer Technology
Association, TechNet, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AUVSI, Kodiak, Waabi,
and Gatik have filed statements of support with FMCSA for the exemption
application. While more than eight months have passed since the
application was filed, we remain hopeful that FMCSA will grant the
application and use the five year exemption period to learn more about
novel warning device solutions and the safe integration of AVs into the
U.S. trucking fleet.
Impact of the Current Regulatory Framework
Aurora supports maintaining the existing self-certification process
for motor vehicles in the United States, and believes companies should
use Safety Case-based arguments, supported by evidence, to make safety
determinations as discussed at length above.
We believe Congress should pass legislation confirming the federal
government maintains its regulatory authority over the design,
construction, and performance of AVs. Every vehicle that is on public
roads, including an AV, is subject to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act,
which provides NHTSA with broad authority over the safety of motor
vehicles and motor vehicle equipment and to issue and update
regulations as necessary for the purpose of reducing traffic crashes.
States can, and should, continue to establish safety programs that
address such intrastate operational issues as vehicle registration and
insurance, driver testing and licensing, traffic rules, and highway
design and maintenance. However, in the exercise of their
responsibility over motor vehicle operations, states have adopted a
widely varying and inconsistent patchwork of laws and regulations that
may hinder the efficient and widespread adoption of AVs. There is
tremendous value in leadership from the federal government supporting
the AV industry through its convening authority to, as suggested in
NHTSA's Preparing for the Future of Transportation: Automated Vehicles
3.0 (AV 3.0), provide technical assistance and best practices to
states.
We agree with NHTSA's AV 3.0 that the federal government has the
opportunity to encourage uniformity of state regulatory and operational
environments. For example, states often have conflicting rules of the
roads that make it difficult for all drivers, whether autonomous or
human, to operate. Some jurisdictions require drivers to use a bike
lane to make a right hand turn, while others prohibit doing so. We do
not have a position on what is the safest option, but we do believe
that uniformity across states would be beneficial for all road users,
including the Aurora Driver. Congress could provide valuable guidance
to states and NHTSA on tackling this patchwork of laws that affects all
drivers, human and autonomous.
We will continue to encourage NHTSA and FMCSA to reach out to
industry as they are developing AV-related policies and guidance. When
appropriate, we will take the opportunity to comment on the record and
suggest concrete improvements to those policies. For example, the
difference between driver assistance systems and the autonomous system
we are building is critical for the public to understand. The language
and definitions the agencies use in regulations, orders, and guidance
will drive the public discourse and need to be clear for all
stakeholders. We will continue investing in an elevated public
discourse on these topics. For example, Aurora is a founding member of
PAVE, the Partnership for Automated Vehicle Education, because of how
important we believe engagement and education is for all stakeholders.
Closing
Transparency and collaboration are key to our progress and future
at Aurora. We are committed to continuing to work with the Subcommittee
as it addresses these important issues and supports safety, innovation,
and jobs across the United States. The incredible power and importance
of our trucking industry here in the United States cannot be
overstated. From making sure shelves around the country are stocked
with essentials to the incredible increase in demand for 2-day home
delivery, trucking is the backbone of the economy and, like every other
industry, needs innovation to continue to thrive.
We are in the exciting and early stages of the next wave of safety
innovation for the motoring public. I believe in the promise of AV
technology, not for its own sake, but for the families, communities,
and workplaces that will see the benefits of fewer crashes on our
roads. Eliminating the loss of life on our roadway will not happen
overnight, but we must move with urgency and automated vehicles will be
part of the solution. The United States has been an incredible place to
build and grow Aurora, and I look forward to seeing the nation benefit
from this important technology. Thank you for the opportunity to
provide this testimony and to answer the Subcommittee's questions.
Mr. Crawford. Well done and time to spare. I appreciate
that.
Before I recognize Mr. Farrah, I am going to ask you, if
you would, to pull that microphone just a little bit closer to
you so we can hear you just a little bit better because we are
having a little bit of difficulty with the system.
So, with that, Mr. Farrah, you are recognized for 5
minutes.
TESTIMONY OF JEFF FARRAH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
Mr. Farrah. Chairman Crawford, Ranking Member Holmes
Norton, Ranking Member Larsen, members of the committee, it is
a privilege to appear before you today and to lead the
Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association.
For decades, autonomous vehicles were a technological
aspiration of our country's most brilliant innovators. As we
sit here today, autonomous vehicles are a reality and are
increasingly being deployed on America's roads and highways
using advanced technology to perform all aspects of the driving
task.
One of the most promising applications is in autonomous
trucking, which will deliver safer roads, as well as supply
chain and global competitiveness benefits.
Since this subcommittee last examined autonomous trucks in
February 2022, autonomous trucks have moved forward, bringing
us closer to safer roads and more resilient supply chains.
Important and well-established companies are moving freight
autonomously, including Walmart, FedEx, Kroger, and Tyson
Foods.
We are at an exciting moment where Americans will begin to
benefit from years of investment and technological advancement.
I want to make three important points.
First, safety drives everything we do in the autonomous
vehicle industry. This starts from why people gravitate towards
the industry and extends to how the technology is developed,
tested, and deployed.
As you know, the safety status quo is unacceptable, and
autonomous trucks will make us all safer. Sadly, nearly 43,000
people died on America's roads last year, and more than 5,800
of these were in truck crashes.
The overwhelming cause of crashes is human error, and
autonomous trucks are designed to remove that error from the
equation and are programmed to serve as model drivers.
There has never been a fatality involving an autonomous
truck. Federal Government data demonstrates the remarkable
safety record of AV trucks.
For more than 2 years, the Department of Transportation has
required AV companies to report any incidents, even the most
minor, when the technology is engaged. This is an incredible
level of transparency.
The time period covered by the DOT data has been a period
of significant growth for our industry. It is important to keep
in mind that this is not an industry that is just getting off
the ground. Autonomous vehicles have been safely testing and
deploying for more than a dozen years and have driven more than
45 million autonomous miles on U.S. public roads.
The more these vehicles drive, the safer they get,
resulting in more American lives saved.
Second, autonomous trucking is a true win-win situation for
America's workers and the economy as a whole.
This is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, and I want
to be clear: The autonomous trucking industry needs
truckdrivers, who are vital to our Nation's supply chain.
Autonomous trucking will coexist with America's
truckdrivers as it rolls out deliberately over a number of
years. This is why a U.S. Department of Transportation-
sponsored study found that autonomous trucking will increase
U.S. employment up to 35,000 jobs per year on average in the
next 30 years.
Freight volume will continue to increase in the United
States with DOT estimating freight activity to grow 50 percent
by 2050. Yet our country is struggling to keep up with the
supply chain challenges of today's volume. The problem will
only get worse in the future since our current truckdriver
shortage of 78,000 is set to double by 2031.
If we fail as a country to meet this demand, we are holding
back our farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers who must move
their goods.
We believe autonomous trucking is one of the solutions to
this problem and can help alleviate the driver shortage.
By helping to move more freight, we can create more
opportunities for all, especially jobs for truckdrivers in
their communities.
In addition to new economic opportunities, this will lead
to a better quality of life for our Nation's truckdrivers.
Third, and finally, it is critical that policymakers
embrace autonomous trucks to ensure U.S. global leadership and
national security. We have been pleased to see the Department
of Defense embrace autonomous trucks to execute its mission.
The United States is currently leading the way on
autonomous trucks, but other countries, including China, are
determined to realize the benefits of this technology.
AV trucks will be a part of the future of transportation.
The only question is, which country will lead the way and reap
the rewards? We must collectively make sure this country is the
United States of America.
Thank you again for the opportunity to testify. I look
forward to any questions.
[Mr. Farrah's prepared statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Jeff Farrah, Executive Director, Autonomous
Vehicle Industry Association
I. Introduction
Chairman Crawford, Ranking Member Holmes Norton, distinguished
members of the Subcommittee, it is my honor to testify before you
today. The autonomous vehicle industry appreciates the strong
engagement of members of this Subcommittee on autonomous vehicle
(``AV'') policy.
The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (``AVIA'') is the
unified voice of the AV industry,\1\ and we represent the world's
leading trucking, technology, ridesharing, automotive, and
transportation companies. This cross-section of companies demonstrates
the widespread interest in developing AV technology across industries.
Our mission is to bring the tremendous safety, mobility,
transportation, and economic benefits of AVs--otherwise known as SAE
International Levels 4- and 5-capable vehicles--to consumers and
businesses in a safe, responsible, and expeditious manner.\2\ Vehicles
operated by AVIA members have driven more than 44 million autonomous
miles on U.S. public roads, a distance roughly equivalent to 184 trips
to the moon or 1,767 trips around the world.\3\
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\1\ Our members include: Apple, Aurora, Cavnue, Cruise, Embark,
Ford, Gatik, Kodiak, Lyft, May Mobility, Motional, Nuro, TuSimple,
Uber, Volkswagen Group of America, Volvo, Volvo Autonomous Solutions,
Waabi, Waymo, and Zoox. See Our Mission and Members, AVIA, https://
theavindustry.org/about/mission.
\2\ SAE's J3016 standards have been adopted industry wide. Level 2
systems (often called advanced driver assistance systems or ``ADAS'')
are available on vehicles today and are capable of ``partial driving
automation,'' requiring human supervision at all times. Level 3
vehicles have ``conditional driving automation,'' where the vehicle
requires human interaction only in specific situations. Only Level 3,
4, and 5 vehicles are equipped with automated driving systems
(``ADS''). See Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving
Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles--J3016_202104, SAE
International, https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j3016_202104/
(last visited Sept. 10, 2023).
\3\ AVIA Data Shows 44 million+ Driven And Outstanding Safety
Record, Autonomous Vehicle Indus. Ass'n, https://theavindustry.org/
resources/blog/data-44million-miles (last visited Sept. 10, 2023).
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, our nation woke up to the importance
of trucking to our nation's economy. At AVIA, our members work to
harness the power of technology to build the world's safest trucks,
which we believe will allow U.S. motor carriers and companies to
further enhance segments of their trucking fleets and operations. AV
technology is one of the critical tools in the continued evolution of
the trucking industry, and can play a key role in complementing the
work of trained, professional drivers.
For decades, AVs have been a technological aspiration for our
country's most brilliant innovators. Today, AVs are a reality and are
increasingly being deployed on America's roads and highways, using
advanced technology to perform all aspects of the driving task. In
states as diverse as Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Michigan,
and Texas, AVs provide valuable transportation services, transporting
both passengers as part of autonomous ride-hailing fleets, and goods as
part of trucking fleets and middle- and last-mile delivery operations.
Autonomous trucking is one the technology's most promising applications
and will deliver safer roads, as well as supply chain, global
competitiveness, and workforce benefits.
Since this Subcommittee last examined autonomous trucks in a
hearing in February 2022, the development of the autonomous trucking
industry has increased significantly, bringing us closer to safer roads
and more resilient supply chains. A diversity of well established
companies, including Walmart, Kroger, FedEx, IKEA, and Tysons Foods,
are partnering with AV truck developers to move freight. The confidence
these companies and many others have in autonomous trucking represents
a growing consensus in the trucking industry about the criticality of
AV technologies. In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense has
embraced autonomous technology, including technology developed by AVIA
member companies, to keep America's soldiers safer.\4\ It is vital that
policymakers also embrace the further development of autonomous
trucking and other applications of dual-use AV technologies to protect
the United States' lead in an increasingly global industry, and ensure
that the safety and economic benefits of AVs are felt by Americans
across the country.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Kodiak and the U.S. Army's Autonomous Driving Program,
Autonomous Vehicle Indus. Ass'n, https://theavindustry.org/resources/
blog/kodiak-and-the-us-army-autonomous-driving-program (last visited
Sept. 10, 2023).
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In recent years, the United States has faced unacceptably high
levels of roadway crashes and fatalities, a trend that the adoption of
autonomous trucks and other AVs can help combat. There is an epidemic
of deaths on America's roads, with over 42,000 traffic fatalities in
both 2021 \5\ and 2022,\6\ according to National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration's (``NHTSA'') estimates. In 2022 alone, 5,887 people
died in crashes involving large trucks, a 2% increase in fatalities
from 2021.\7\ This increase is part of a decade-long pattern, with a
47% increase in such fatalities between 2011 and 2021.\8\ Further, 2021
saw large trucks involved in over 117,000 crashes that resulted in an
injury, a 12% increase from 2020.\9\ Autonomous vehicles are programmed
to be model drivers, staying at or below the speed limit and observing
traffic laws and rules of the road. Autonomous trucking technology is
designed to improve the safety of commercial truck driving by
eliminating blind spots, having 360 degree perception of its
surroundings, and safely navigating around other road users.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., U.S. Dep't of Transp., DOT
HS 813 298, Early Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and
Fatality Rate by Sub-Categories in 2021, 1 (2022), https://
crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813298.
\6\ Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., U.S. Dep't of Transp., DOT
HS 813 428, Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2022,
1 (2023), https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/
813428.
\7\ Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., U.S. Dep't of Transp., DOT
HS 813 448, Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and
Fatality Rate By Sub-Categories in 2022, 1 (2023), https://
crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813448.
\8\ Nat'l Safety Council, Large Trucks, NSC Injury Facts, https://
injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/large-trucks/ (last
visited Sept. 10, 2023).
\9\ Id.
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Autonomous trucks have already demonstrated a remarkable safety
record, without a single fatality in more than seven years of
operations and millions of miles driven on public roads. This safety
record is supported by data collected by NHTSA. For over two years,
NHTSA has required AV companies to report every incident--no matter how
minor--that occurs while an automated driving system (``ADS'') is
engaged as part of Standing General Order 2021-01 (``SGO'').\10\ During
this period, only one reported incident involving an autonomous truck
resulted in injuries, and the cause of that incident was a human-driven
vehicle that collided with an autonomous truck. As the autonomous
trucking industry continues to grow, so will the roadway safety
improvements the technology provides.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ See Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., Second Amended
Standing General Order 2021-01 (2023). https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/
nhtsa.gov/files/2023-04/Second-Amended-SGO-2021-01_2023-04-05_2.pdf.
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The further deployment and integration of autonomous trucks into
America's logistics network will help optimize the transportation of
freight nationwide, bringing goods directly to consumers faster and
helping to ease the ongoing supply chain crisis. At present, the United
States is not hauling all the freight it could, and this is holding
back our farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers. This gap is due to a
variety of factors, including a truck driver shortage that the American
Trucking Associations estimates to be nearly 78,000 truck drivers. This
number is set to double by 2031.\11\ Autonomous trucking offers a means
to address supply chain inefficiencies by filling workforce gaps,
enhancing fleet flexibility, and reducing travel times.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ Driver Shortage Update 2022, Am. Trucking Ass'n (Oct. 25,
2022), https://ata.msgfocus.com/files/amf_highroad_solution/
project_2358/ATA_Driver_Shortage_Report_2022_
Executive_Summary.October22.pdf.
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American workers also stand to benefit from the gradual adoption of
autonomous trucking. A U.S. DOT-funded study found that autonomous
trucking will increase U.S. employment by up to 35,000 jobs per year on
average.\12\ As demand for freight hauling continues to grow, automated
trucks can help shippers keep up with that demand, supplementing and
augmenting human driven fleets. With AVs hauling more long-haul
freight, more opportunities will be created for truck drivers in their
communities. This will also allow companies to strategically place
their drivers where they are needed most, and ensure America's truck
drivers can remain in and near their communities and sleep in their own
beds.
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\12\ Robert Waschik et al., John A. Volpe Nat'l Transp. Sys. Ctr.,
FHWA-JPO-21-847, Macroeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving Systems in
Long-Haul Trucking, 1 (2021), https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/54596.
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Let me be clear: autonomous vehicles must coexist with America's
truck drivers and the goal of industry is to create more opportunity
for all in our country. The autonomous vehicle industry needs America's
truck drivers as partners in addressing the supply chain challenges our
country faces. A growing AV industry will also continue to create new
job opportunities at AV trucking companies for workers with a range of
educational backgrounds and experiences, including local drivers,
technicians, operations center workers, and more.
The wider adoption of AVs will also bring important fuel efficiency
benefits, with studies pointing to a 10% cut in fuel consumption for
autonomous trucks.\13\ AVs will produce more environmental benefits
compared to traditional vehicles.
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\13\ Self-Driving Trucks Cut Fuel Consumption by 10%, SAE
International (Dec. 19, 2019), https://www.sae.org/news/2019/12/
tusimple-autonomous-trucks-cut-fuel.
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The widespread distribution of the benefits of autonomous trucking
depends in part on the continued U.S. global leadership in the AV
industry. The United States is currently leading the way on autonomous
trucks, but China and other countries are determined to catch up and
surpass the United States' progress. Only if policymakers and industry
work together to build a robust AV ecosystem that includes autonomous
trucks can we ensure that American workers and consumers are able to
reap the full benefits of AVs.
II. AV Technology Is a Vital Tool for Improving Roadway Safety
The United States is in the midst of an epidemic of roadway
fatalities and injuries, which autonomous trucks and other AVs can
alleviate. America's roads have become increasingly dangerous for truck
drivers and other road users alike. 2022 saw over 42,000 deaths on
America's roads,\14\ with 5,887 of those deaths involving at least one
large truck.\15\ The 2022 statistics, egregious as they are on their
own, show only part of the story when it comes to traffic fatalities on
our roads. Unfortunately, traffic deaths have been steadily rising over
the last decade, increasing by 47% between 2011 and 2021, and by an
additional 2% between 2021 and 2022.\16\ A National Safety Council
analysis of NHTSA data showed a 12% increase in injuries from crashes
involving a large truck from 2020 to 2021, and recorded over 117,000
such incidents in 2021 alone.\17\
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\14\ Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., supra note 7.
\15\ Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., supra note 8.
\16\ Id.
\17\ Nat'l Safety Council, supra note 9.
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Human error, including speeding, unfamiliarity with the roadway,
and fatigue, is a major contributor to roadway incidents. Autonomous
trucks are designed to remove that error from the equation, as they do
not drive distracted or tired. AVs have built a significant safety
record through more than a decade of development, testing, and
deployment. ADS-equipped vehicles have now driven millions of miles
autonomously, with vehicles operated by AVIA members driving more than
44 million autonomous miles on public roads in the U.S. alone.\18\
Reinsurer Swiss Re recently published an analysis of 3.8 million
autonomous miles driven by passenger AVs operated by AVIA member Waymo.
The analysis found that when compared to baseline human drivers, Waymo
AVs reduced bodily injury claims by 100 percent, and reduced property
damage claims by 76 percent.\19\ These results led Swiss Re to conclude
that Waymo's AVs are ``significantly safer towards other road users
than human drivers are.'' \20\ Another analysis by Cruise, an AVIA
member that has likewise driven more than one million miles
autonomously, found that when benchmarked against human drivers the
company's AVs were involved in 54% fewer collisions overall, and 73%
fewer collisions with a meaningful risk of injury.\21\
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\18\ Autonomous Vehicle Indus. Ass'n, supra note 3.
\19\ Luigi Di Lillo et al., Comparative Safety Performance of
Autonomous and Human Drivers: A Real-World Case Study of the Waymo One
Service (2023), https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2309/2309.01206.pdf.
\20\ Id.
\21\ Louise Zhang, Cruise's Safety Record Over 1 Million Driverless
Miles, Cruise (Apr. 28, 2023), https://getcruise.com/news/blog/2023/
cruises-safety-record-over-one-million-driverless-miles/.
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Autonomous trucks have also demonstrated a strong safety record.
Fourteen incidents involving an autonomous truck have been reported
under NHTSA's SGO in over two years of data collection, and only one
reported incident involved injuries. That sole incident was caused by a
human-operated vehicle cutting into the AV's lane and colliding with
the AV. In contrast, 5,788 people died \22\ and 117,000 people were
injured in incidents involving traditional large trucks in 2021
alone.\23\
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\22\ Nat'l Highway Traffic Safety Admin., U.S. Dep't of Transp.,
DOT HS 813 435, Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2021, 18
(2021).
\23\ Nat'l Safety Council, supra note 9.
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AV safety is also subject to detailed requirements and multiple
layers of regulatory oversight at the federal level. Both passenger AVs
and autonomous trucks are regulated by NHTSA,\24\ which administers
broadly applicable motor vehicle safety standards and collects incident
data from AV companies under the SGO. NHTSA also has authority to
recall vehicles that present an unreasonable risk to safety, removing
such vehicles from the road when necessary. This structure ensures room
for innovation in motor vehicle technologies while retaining rigorous
oversight on manufacturers.
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\24\ Like all motor vehicles, AVs are subject to the U.S.'s
longstanding self-certification process, which relies on thorough
safety testing by manufacturers without the costly and laborious pre-
approval structures found in Europe and elsewhere.
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Autonomous trucks are also subject to an additional legal framework
established by the FMCSA, a regulatory structure for which there is no
parallel for passenger vehicles. FMCSA administers standards for
commercial motor vehicles (``CMV'') related to safety, inspections,
hazardous materials, drivers, and enforcement. With respect to
interaction with weigh stations and the commercial vehicle inspection
system, our members have worked closely with the Commercial Vehicle
Safety Alliance (``CVSA''), motor carriers, and law enforcement to
develop a robust inspection process for autonomous trucks, which CVSA
calls the Enhanced CMV Inspection Program for autonomous trucks.\25\
Moreover, safety operators in autonomous trucks are subject to relevant
requirements established by FMCSA, such as Commercial Driver's License
requirements and hours of service limitations.
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\25\ See Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, CVSA Announces New
Enhanced CMV Inspection Program for Autonomous Truck Motor Carriers
(Oct. 4, 2022), https://www.cvsa.org/news/new-enhanced-cmv-inspection-
program/.
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In March of 2023, AVIA published a federal policy framework for
AVs,\26\ which would build on efforts by NHTSA and FMCSA and support
the safe and efficient deployment of AVs across the country. In the
framework, AVIA calls for several policies that the U.S. DOT could
undertake to assist the wider deployment of autonomous trucks,
including, but not limited to:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\26\ Autonomous Vehicle Indus. Ass'n, Federal Policy Framework for
Our AV Future (March 2023), https://theavindustry.org/resources/AVIA-
Federal-Policy-Framework-for-Our-AV-Future.pdf.
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Codification of FMCSA's 2018 interpretation that the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (``FMCSRs'') do not require a
human driver to operate or be present in a CMV being operated by a
Level 4 or Level 5 ADS.
Completion of the Final Rule on Safe Integration of ADS
in Commercial Motor Vehicles. FMCSA should swiftly complete a rule or
series of rules that will encourage autonomous truck developers to
safely expand operations and commercialization. This would include
updating existing human-focused hours of service and drug testing rules
to reflect the operational realities of ADS-equipped vehicles.
The adoption of these policies by the U.S. DOT would support the
growth of the autonomous trucking industry while retaining traditional
federal oversight of commercial vehicle operations.
III. AVs Hold Tremendous Economic Promise and Can Help Create New Jobs
While Alleviating Supply Chain Challenges
The continued development of autonomous trucking will fundamentally
improve interstate commerce by improving the manner in which goods move
in our country, with autonomous trucks increasing middle-mile and long-
haul efficiency and capacity, and in turn improving the efficiency of
countless industries that rely on moving goods on trucks, such as
agriculture, retail, and manufacturing. The disruptions born of the
COVID-19 pandemic have shed light on the fragility of supply chains and
choke points in how we move goods and materials of all kinds. Supply
chain failures make it harder for farmers to get their crops to market,
while leaving consumers scrambling for finished products as store
shelves empty. By 2026, AVs could represent not only a potential $1
trillion market,\27\ but also a key solution to supply chain troubles,
all while decreasing transportation costs and improving safety.
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\27\ TEConomy Partners, Forefront: Securing Pittsburgh's Break-Out
Position in Autonomous Mobile Systems ES-1-2 (2021), https://ridc.org/
wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PGH-Autonomy-Report-Executive-Summary.pdf.
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One major supply chain challenge facing the United States is a
shortage of nearly 78,000 truck drivers, and that figure is projected
to almost double by 2031.\28\ Given the deliberate timeline for AV
truck deployment, autonomous trucking will not cause significant
displacement of current jobs in the trucking industry,\29\ but it can
serve as one tool to reduce strains on the supply chain caused, in
part, by the longstanding truck driver shortage. At the same time, AV
trucking also holds substantial potential to decrease the cost of
consumer goods, reduce delivery costs, and raise earnings for workers
across the economy.
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\28\ Am. Trucking Ass'n supra note 12.
\29\ See Securing America's Future Energy, America's Workforce and
the Self-Driving Future Realizing Productivity Gains and Spurring
Economic Growth (June 2018), https://avworkforce.secureenergy.org/wp-
content/uploads/2018/06/SAFE_AV_Policy_Brief.pdf.
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A. AVs Will Help Grow the American Economy
The wider deployment of autonomous trucks will have economic
benefits far beyond the trucking industry. By 2050, the value of public
and consumer benefits of AV deployment, including reduced congestion,
avoided accidents, and saved time, could add up to $796 billion
annually.\30\ In California alone, the knock on effects of the
introduction of autonomous trucking could increase the state's real GDP
and welfare by at least $6 billion a year.\31\ Given this, policies
that support the further development of the AV industry will help grow
the U.S. economy and support the economic competitiveness of American
businesses across many industries, in turn supporting the continued
growth of the U.S. economy.\32\
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\30\ Id. at 9.
\31\ Autonomous Long-Haul Trucking Stands to Grow the Golden
State's Economy While Creating Jobs and Raising Wages Without Mass
Driver Layoffs, Silicon Valley Leadership Group (Apr. 13, 2022),
https://www.svlg.org/study-shows-autonomous-trucking-will-grow-
californias-economy/.
\32\ Jack Caporal, William O'Neil, and Sean Arrieta-Kenna, Bridging
the Divide: Autonomous Vehicles and the Automobile Industry, CSIS (Apr.
14, 2021), https://www.csis.org/analysis/bridging-divide-autonomous-
vehicles-and-automobile-industry.
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The growth in autonomous trucking is poised to run in parallel with
an ever-growing market for freight trucking, with the Bureau of
Transportation Statistics estimating that freight activity in the
United States alone will grow fifty percent from 2020 to 2050, reaching
a projected value of $36.2 trillion. With trucking representing roughly
72% of all freight transportation tonnage,\33\ the number of trucks on
the road, autonomous and human driven, will need to grow as well. AVs
will be able to help fill that demand and supplement existing human
drivers.
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\33\ ATA Truck Tonnage Index Increased 2.4% in May, Am. Trucking
Ass'n (July 20, 2023), https://www.trucking.org/news-insights/ata-
truck-tonnage-index-increased-24-may.
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For consumers, AVs are positioned to reduce general transportation
costs and the cost of goods, and ensure goods are made more readily
available and closer to home. Sixty-five percent of U.S. consumable
goods are brought to market by trucks, and the implementation of
autonomy in the trucking sector stands to decrease operating costs by
about 45%--resulting in savings between $85 billion and $125 billion,
which can be passed on to consumers and transportation workers.\34\
Finally, through the introduction of shared AV fleets, transportation
costs--which amount to the second-largest expense for most households--
could be reduced by as much as $5,600 per year.\35\ The wider
deployment of AVs for consumer deliveries and personal transportation
would be particularly impactful in food deserts, rural communities, and
other areas that do not have significant, accessible public transit
options.\36\
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\34\ Aisha Chottani, Greg Hastings, John Murnane, and Florian
Neuhaus, McKinsey & Co., Distraction or Disruption? Autonomous Trucks
Gain Ground in US Logistics (Dec. 10, 2018), https://www.mckinsey.com/
industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights/
distraction-or-disruption-autonomous-trucks-gain-ground-in-us-
logistics.
\35\ SAFE, Fostering Economic Opportunity Through Autonomous
Vehicle Technology (July 2020), https://safe2020.wpenginepowered.com/
wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Fostering-Economic-Opportunity-through-
Autonomous-Vehicle-Technology.pdf.
\36\ See Joann Muller, How Autonomous Vehicles Could Improve
Mobility for the Poor, Axios (July 17, 2020), https://www.axios.com/
2020/07/17/autonomous-vehicles-mobility-poverty.
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Preserving American leadership in the AV industry is key to
ensuring that the economic benefits of AV deployment reach American
companies, workers, and consumers. By developing a supportive national
AV policy framework, the federal government can promote widespread AV
deployment and commercialization, which will help secure continued U.S.
leadership against foreign competitors and unlock greater opportunities
for American companies to test and deploy AVs safely.
B. Autonomous Trucks Can Create New Jobs and New Opportunities for the
Transportation Workforce
Autonomous trucks will be part of a comprehensive trucking
ecosystem that coexists with human truck drivers, and ultimately the
customers of AV trucking companies will decide how the technology is
applied in the marketplace. We need truck drivers and they are a vital
part of America's supply chain. The adoption of this technology will
not lead to mass layoffs, and can help create a positive lifestyle
change for thousands of truckers, allowing them to stay closer to home
instead of driving routes that keep them on the road for weeks at a
time. The technologies being developed and deployed by AVIA members
will allow drivers to spend more nights in their own beds instead of in
the sleeper berth of a truck.
As noted above, the U.S. trucking industry also faces a
longstanding shortage of drivers, and is currently short of nearly
80,000 truck drivers due to a long-term decline in new drivers entering
the profession, and an annual turnover rate exceeding 90% in certain
parts of the industry.\37\ AVs can help fill the gap and, as the demand
for freight carrying grows, expand the industry's carrying capacity
over time by supplementing human operated vehicles. Given the timeline
for AV truck deployment, autonomous trucking will not likely cause
significant displacement of jobs in the trucking industry,\38\ but it
can serve as one tool to reduce strains on the supply chain. Indeed, a
U.S. DOT study has found that most autonomous trucking adoption
scenarios would not lead to layoffs for existing truckers.\39\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\37\ Am. Trucking Ass'n, supra note 12.
\38\ See Securing America's Future Energy, supra note 39.
\39\ Robert Waschik et al., supra note 13.
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Beyond truck driving, the further adoption of autonomous trucking
will support employment overall. A recent study found that in
California, which already allows smaller AVs to operate, the
introduction of autonomous trucking would create 2,400 jobs.\40\ A
Federal Highway Administration study has found that the adoption of
autonomous trucking will increase total U.S. employment by up to 35,100
jobs per year on average and raise annual earnings for all U.S. workers
by between $203 and $267 per worker per year.\41\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\40\ Silicon Valley Leadership Group supra note 41.
\41\ Robert Waschik et al., supra note 13.
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The AV industry itself has already created new jobs and brought new
investment, tax revenue, resources, and human capital to states across
the country, including Arkansas, California, Alabama, Arizona,
Arkansas, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Michigan,
Florida, Washington, Colorado, and Texas. In communities across those
states, the AV industry is providing opportunities for workers with a
wide array of expertise and educational backgrounds, including many
jobs that do not require a college degree. These jobs include auto
technicians, fleet managers, safety operations specialists, sensor
calibrators, transportation planners, and many others to serve the
growing needs of AV fleets and AV manufacturers. As the industry
continues to expand, delivery workers and grocery store employees will
be involved in selecting, packing, and delivering goods to consumers,
among other jobs and roles. The wider deployment of AVs can create over
three million new jobs by 2035, all while expanding access to
affordable delivery services, according to a study conducted by
Steer.\42\
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\42\ Steer, Economic Impacts of Autonomous Delivery Services in the
U.S. xi (2020), https://www.steergroup.com/sites/default/files/2020-09/
200910_%20Nuro_Final_Report_
Public.pdf.
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The AV industry is also investing in partnerships to create the
jobs of tomorrow. These investments not only move AV technology
forward, but also prepare the American workforce to compete globally.
For example, AVIA member Aurora has partnered with Pittsburgh Technical
College to create and launch a new associate degree program that trains
autonomous service engineer technicians.\43\ Similarly, AVIA member
Nuro has developed programs with De Anza Community College in
California and San Jacinto Community College in Texas that offer a new
career pathway to prepare the next generation of autonomous fleet
technicians.\44\ The initiatives include a free tuition option, access
to paid internships and part time work, and preference for full time
jobs with and benefits upon graduation. In San Francisco, another AVIA
member, Cruise, partners with a local non-profit organization,
Humanmade,\45\ to help build bridges between historically underserved
communities and the advanced manufacturing economy through skills
training, education, access to advanced tools and machinery, interview
workshops and other resources.
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\43\ Pittsburgh Technical College Launches Robotics and Autonomous
Engineering Technology Program, Pittsburgh Technical College, https://
www.pghtech.org/news-and-publications/PTC_Robotics (last visited Sept.
10, 2023).
\44\ Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Technician Pathway, De Anza
College, https://www.deanza.edu/autotech/av (last visited Sept. 10,
2023); Press Release, San Jacinto College and Nuro, San Jacinto College
and Nuro Announce First AV Technician Certificate Program in Texas
(Feb. 24, 2023), https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/156026/San-
Jacinto-College-and-Nuro-Announce-First-AV-Technician-Certificate-
Program-in-Texas.
\45\ Workforce Development Programs, HumanMade, https://
www.humanmade.org/workforce-development (last visited Sept. 10, 2023).
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IV. U.S. Leadership in AV Technology Continues to Face Challenges
Today, the United States is the global leader in the AV industry,
with a robust ecosystem of American companies working on all aspects
and applications of the technology. However, the United States must not
assume it will win the global AV race and sustain its leadership
position in a market potentially worth multiple trillions of
dollars.\46\ To ensure continued U.S. leadership in AV development and
deployment, we must get three things right: technology development;
capital investment; and public policy.\47\
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\46\ Sonia Abhay, Allied Market Research, Autonomous Vehicle Market
by Level of Automation (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, and Level
5), Application (Civil, Defense, Transportation & Logistics, and
Construction), Drive Type (Semi-Autonomous and Fully Autonomous), and
Vehicle Type (Passenger Car and Commercial Vehicle): Global Opportunity
Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030 (2022), https://
www.alliedmarketresearch.com/autonomous-vehicle-market; TEConomy
Partners, supra note 37.
\47\ See also Economic Danger Zone: How America Competes to Win the
Future Versus China: Hearing Before the Subcom. on Innovation, Data,
and Com. of the H. Comm. on Energy and Com., 118th Cong. (2023)
(statement of Jeff Farrah, Executive Director, Autonomous Vehicle
Industry Association), https://theavindustry.org/resources/testimony/
Witness_Testimony_
Farrah_IDC_2023_02_01_Hearing_dac1666f21.pdf.
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The United States is leading in the first two categories. AVs are
an American invention, with many of the leading voices in AV
development today having participated in Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (``DARPA'')-sponsored challenges in the early 2000s.
The work of these pioneers led to an explosion in AV development over
the last decade, as they built dynamic companies across the United
States. American companies have developed the most advanced AV
technology to date, and billions have been invested in innovative AV
companies, ranging from dogged startups to established players with
experience scaling in the transportation sector.
Despite this lead, the United States is at severe risk of falling
behind the rest of the world on AV public policy, which would deny
Americans the technology's lifesaving mobility and efficiency benefits
and harm the United States' global economic competitiveness. The
American AV industry is at an inflection point, as the technology is
now being commercialized and the benefits of AVs are beginning to
accrue. Now is the time for policymakers to establish a national policy
framework that prioritizes American leadership and has Congress, the
U.S. DOT, and the private sector acting in partnership. While federal
efforts to establish such a framework have stalled in the last several
years, a majority of states have recognized the benefits of AVs by
expressly approving AV operations on their roads.
Make no mistake: the United States can continue to lead the way on
AVs, if we as a nation clear the path to safe commercialization and do
so with urgency. The United States must commit itself to AV leadership
to ensure that the safety, economic, mobility, and efficiency benefits
of AVs can be felt not only in the states where AVs are already on the
road, but nationwide.
A. Competition on AV Leadership from Abroad
America's leadership role is integral to securing the economic
growth, job creation, and many safety and societal benefits offered by
AVs. The United States currently faces considerable foreign
competition, including from China, Europe, and Japan.
China. China's government has invested heavily in the development
of AVs in recent years as part of its strategy to overtake and replace
foreign market leaders, leading to projections that China's share of
the AV market will be worth approximately 50% of the market's overall
estimated value by 2025.\48\ Reflecting China's investment in AVs, the
Chinese government issued a joint strategy in 2020 prioritizing AV
development and establishing goals for the large-scale production of
AVs by 2025, calling for at least 20% of all new vehicles sales to have
SAE Level 4 capabilities by 2030.\49\ In 2022, China's Ministry of
Transportation released rules in an effort to commercialize driverless
mobility.\50\ Meanwhile, eight major cities in China currently allow
testing of driverless ride-hailing services, and multiple AV companies
have obtained permits in these cities to operate autonomous taxis.\51\
One company, AutoX, backed by e-commerce giant Alibaba, announced the
launch of autonomous taxis on public roads across an area three times
the size of Manhattan within Shenzhen in January 2021.\52\ Apollo Go,
backed by China's leading search engine, Baidu, began publicly testing
its robotaxis in Shanghai in September 2021.\53\ According to Baidu,
one million rides have already been completed since it rolled out the
service, and it plans to expand into dozens of other Chinese cities by
2030.\54\ Baidu expanded its driverless ride-hailing services to public
roads in Beijing in April 2022, where another China-based AV company,
Pony.ai, also deploys driverless robotaxis.\55\ In August, Baidu
received a permit to carry passengers from central Wuhan to the Wuhan
Tianhe Airport, a major regional hub, and the first time AV routes in
China have extended to an airport.\56\ Another Chinese company, WeRide,
recently received the first ever permit to operate an AV in the United
Arab Emirates.\57\ Many other Chinese companies are investing in AV
technology and testing, including Huawei, Didi Chuxing, and Momenta.
Further, these companies are attracting investment from other countries
around the world.\58\
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\48\ See Anjani Trivedi, China Sets the Rules of the Road, Wash.
Post (Oct. 12, 2022, 6:31 PM), https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/
china-sets-the-rules-of-the-road/2022/10/11/db25bdda-49b0-11ed-8153-
96ee97b218d2_story.html.
\49\ Takashi Kawakami & Naoshige Shimizu, China's Self-Driving Car
Push Hits Legal and Cost Roadblocks, Nikkei Asia (Jan. 19, 2023),
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/China-s-self-driving-car-
push-hits-legal-and-cost-roadblocks.
\50\ See Anjani Trivedi, supra note 58.
\51\ Id.
\52\ Rita Liao, China's Robotaxis Charged Ahead in 2021, TechCrunch
(Jan. 14, 2022, 8:20 AM), https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/14/2021-
robotaxi-china/.
\53\ Rebecca Bellan, Chinese Tech Giant Baidu Begins Publicly
Testing Apollo Go Robotaxis in Shanghai, TechCrunch (Sept. 14, 2021,
1:24 AM), https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/13/chinese-tech-giant-baidu-
begins-publicly-testing-apollo-go-robotaxis-in-shanghai/.
\54\ Robotaxis are taking over China's roads. Here's how they stack
up to the old-fashioned version, CBS News (Aug. 18, 2022), https://
www.cbsnews.com/news/china-robotaxis-self-driving-cabs-taking-over-cbs-
test-ride/.
\55\ Rebecca Bella, Baidu, Pony.AI Win First Driverless Robotaxi
Permits in China, TechCrunch (Apr. 27, 2022, 11:21 PM), https://
techcrunch.com/2022/04/27/baidu-pony-ai-win-first-driverless-robotaxi-
permits-in-china/.
\56\ David Leggett, Daidu First in China to Offer Driverless
Airport Rides, Just Auto (Aug. 31, 2023), https://www.just-auto.com/
news/baidu-first-in-china-to-offer-driverless-airport-rides/.
\57\ Rebecca Bellan, China's WeRide Secures Self-driving Vehicle
License from UAE, TechCrunch (July 4, 2023), https://techcrunch.com/
2023/07/04/chinas-weride-secures-self-driving-vehicle-license-from-
uae/.
\58\ Id.
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China's focus on advancement in this space should be alarming, as
no American policymaker should want to see a world where China
dominates the AV market. This scenario presents immense national
security challenges and would also mean the United States would not see
much of the job creation from a prosperous AV industry.
European Union (``EU''). In August 2022, the European Commission
issued the first EU-wide safety regulations for the automated driving
systems of ``fully automated'' vehicles, enabling EU-wide approvals for
commercial deployment of vehicles with these systems.\59\ This marked
the first multinational safety regulation for fully automated vehicles
and provided added certainty to the AV industry but also a significant
competitive advantage for the region.
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\59\ Commission Implementing Regulation 2022/1426 of Aug. 5 2022,
Laying Down Rules for the Application of Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 of
the European Parliament and of the Council as Regards Uniform
Procedures and Technical Specifications for the Type-Approval of the
Automated Driving System (ADS) of Fully Automated Vehicles, 2022 O.J.
(L 221).
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Japan. Japan incorporated SAE Level 4 autonomous driving into its
traffic law in April of this year.\60\ This is the latest step in
Japan's demonstrated support for AVs, following Japan's enactment of a
Road Transport Vehicle law in 2020 recognizing AVs and establishing a
related inspection regime and permit system.\61\
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\60\ Graham Hope, Japan to Greenlight Self-Driving Vehicles in
2023, IOT World Today (November 3, 2022), https://
www.iotworldtoday.com/transportation-logistics/japan-to-greenlight-
self-driving-vehicles-in-2023.
\61\ Kazuhiro Ogawa, Japan Revamps Laws to put Self-driving Cars on
Roads, Nikkei Asia (Mar. 9, 2019), https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/
Japan-revamps-laws-to-put-self-driving-cars-on-roads.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. AVs and National Security
American leadership in the AV industry is also a matter of national
security. Since before the days of the DARPA challenge, the Department
of Defense (``DOD'') has been interested in developing and deploying
autonomous ground vehicles as tools on the battlefield and for
logistics. Autonomous trucks could replace manned vehicles on dangerous
convoy missions, allowing for greater flexibility in logistics without
putting soldiers in harm's way,\62\ while other AVs can augment
existing assets and undertake high-risk frontline missions like
reconnaissance.\63\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\62\ Maj. Brian Mathews, Autonomous Vehicles: New Technology
Revolutionizes Army's Principles of Sustainment, U.S. Army (Aug. 31,
2022), https://www.army.mil/article/259621/
autonomous_vehicles_new_technology_revolutionizes_armys_principles_of_su
stainment.
\63\ David Vergun, DOD Adopting Commercial Technology to Control
Unmanned Ground Vehicles, Dept. of Defense (Dec. 6, 2022), https://
www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3237210/dod-adopting-
commercial-technology-to-control-unmanned-ground-vehicles/.
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AVIA member Kodiak recently partnered with the DOD's Defense
Innovation Unit as part of the Army's ongoing Robotic Combat Vehicle
program.\64\ This partnership connects Kodiak's AV expertise directly
to DOD experts as they work to develop the next generation of combat
vehicles. Congress included language in the House-passed fiscal year
2024 National Defense Authorization Act supporting the Robotic Combat
Vehicle program's leveraging of dual-use commercial ADS and pushing
other branches to follow the Army's lead in autonomous software
procurement.\65\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\64\ John Rosevear, Self-driving Truck Startup Kodiak Robotics Wins
$50 Million Deal to Help Develop Driverless Army Vehicles, CNBC (Dec.
6, 2022), https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/06/kodiak-wins-50m-deal-to-
develop-driverless-army-vehicles.html.
\65\ National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, H.R.
2670, 118 Cong. Sec. 267 (2023), https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-
congress/house-bill/2670/text/rds.
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The future of these programs, and their potential to keep soldiers
out of harm's way, depends on maintaining U.S. leadership in the AV
industry. Preserving American leadership will keep the United States
ahead of competitors while saving lives--both on distant battlefields
and on highways here at home. Further, ensuring a robust U.S. AV
industry and retaining a dynamic civilian AV industry can provide vital
expertise and technology for military automation programs, while DOD
funding can provide added support for civil AV development, creating a
positive feedback loop that will help the long-term sustainability of
the AV industry.
V. Conclusion
The further deployment of autonomous trucks and other AV
technologies will vastly increase safety on our roadways and generating
substantial job creation and supply chain benefits. However, to ensure
those benefits are realized here in the United States, we must preserve
American leadership in the AV industry. I thank the Subcommittee for
its leadership on these important issues. AVIA looks forward to serving
as a resource for technical and policy questions on this subject and
working with you to make safe autonomous vehicles a reality for
Americans nationwide.
Mr. Crawford. Thank you, Mr. Farrah.
Mr. Spear, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
TESTIMONY OF CHRIS SPEAR, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER, AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS
Mr. Spear. Thank you, Chairman Crawford, Ranking Member
Holmes Norton, full committee Ranking Member Larsen, and
members of the subcommittee. I appreciate the opportunity to
testify this morning on behalf of the American Trucking
Associations.
This hearing coincides with National Truck Driver
Appreciation Week, as you have already heard. It is an annual
celebration honoring all 3.5 million professional truckdrivers
for their service to our Nation's economy.
Each year, these heroes drive over 320 billion miles, that
is equal to 13 million trips around the globe, delivering 12
billion tons of freight, now 72.5 percent of our goods. We
celebrate these achievements this week as an important reminder
of the critical role they play the other 51 weeks of the year.
Today's hearing examines the impact automated commercial
vehicles will have on consumers, our supply chain, and the
United States ability to remain a global innovator.
What is key to each is our industry's ability to safely and
responsibly meet economic demand. We believe AVs are a critical
piece to that equation, including their potential to assist
drivers by improving their awareness and responsiveness.
You are all aware there is now a shortage of talent in most
sectors of employment. Our industry is no exception. In fact,
trucking has long battled the shortage of drivers and
technicians largely due to four decades of unchanged Federal
weight and length requirements and surging consumption, an
aging workforce, barriers to entry for younger workers, an
underrepresentation of women, and lifestyle preferences
precluding many job seekers from considering long-haul
trucking.
In 2022, the shortage of qualified drivers was at a near
record level of 78,000. Projections show that our industry will
need to hire 1.2 million more drivers over the next decade just
to keep pace with the economic demand and replenish an aging
workforce.
In short, we need more drivers, and we needed them
yesterday.
I stress this data as it underscores the challenges our
industry faces to meet the needs of society, to avoid lags in
the supply chain, and maintain the Nation's position as a world
leader.
In short, there is plenty of room for innovation to help
fill this gap without displacing drivers.
To the contrary, we see this technology as improving the
essential job of truck driving by making it safer, more
productive, and less stressful. We believe it is vital to
attracting the next generation of talent into this profession.
What is needed first is a national framework that
encourages development, testing, and deployment of technology
in direct support of interstate commerce.
Federal guidance should treat commercial and passenger
vehicles equally and require automated vehicles to achieve an
acceptable level of safety and performance rather than
requiring the use of specific technologies.
The ATA and its members commit to working with this
subcommittee to help shape this framework, blending
technological value with operational realities that reduce
highway injuries and fatalities.
Levels 2 through 4 driver assist technologies are already
producing safer operations of commercial and passenger
vehicles, protecting truckdrivers and the motoring public
through preventive means.
Our written testimony also underscores the importance of
cybersecurity where ATA is working with Federal agencies and
the law enforcement community to standardize protocols that
safeguard the movement of freight.
Conversely, securing cargo and ensuring that movement of
hazardous materials, livestock, and produce, particularly in
extreme weather conditions, are all factors that will
undoubtedly require a driver, superseding the values of
automation.
Lastly, our Nation must continue to lead the world in
innovation, not concede vital ground to competitors or foes who
are actively developing and deploying integrated systems with
domestically sourced chips and software.
A Federal performance-based framework will ensure that the
United States is not relegated to the position of benchwarmer.
ATA starts with yes. We come here to this hearing with
data, facts, and real-world experiences that help generate
outcomes. Understanding and solving this issue won't happen if
decisions rely on baseless rhetoric and emotion.
To that end, Mr. Chairman, I look forward to answering your
questions.
[Mr. Spear's prepared statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chris Spear, President and Chief Executive
Officer, American Trucking Associations
Introduction:
Chairman Crawford, Ranking Member Holmes Norton, and Members of the
Highways and Transit Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to
testify before you today on behalf of the American Trucking
Associations (ATA).\1\ ATA is a 90-year-old federation and the largest
national trade organization representing the interests of the U.S.
trucking industry, including the approximately 8.4 million men and
women working in trucking-related jobs.\2\ Our fifty-state federation
encompasses 37,000 motor carriers as well as their corresponding
suppliers. ATA represents every sector of the industry, from less-than-
truckload to truckload, agriculture and livestock transporters to auto
haulers and movers, and large motor carriers to mom-and-pop one-truck
operations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The American Trucking Associations is the largest national
trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50
affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences
and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most
to move our nation's freight.
\2\ American Trucking Trends 2023 American Trucking Associations
(August 2023)
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I'd like to begin my testimony by noting that today's hearing
coincides with National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, an annual
celebration honoring all professional truck drivers for their hard work
and fortitude in tackling one of our economy's most demanding and
essential jobs. Truck drivers are the unsung heroes of our supply
chain, each year driving over 320 billion miles--the equivalent of
nearly 13 million trips around the globe--to deliver roughly 12 billion
tons of freight.\3\ Every one of those miles represents a stocked store
shelf, a package placed on a household doorstep, materials delivered to
a manufacturer, and equipment conveyed to a construction site. These
professional men and women deliver the goods we rely on safely,
securely, and on time while serving as role models in their
communities. Representing and supporting our nation's truck drivers is
one of my highest honors as ATA President and CEO, and I am privileged
to celebrate those men and women.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is not lost on me that during the week that we honor our
nation's truck drivers I am testifying about a technology that some
fear may eliminate the role of the driver. However, we must realize
that development of automated technology for vehicles does not mean
that all vehicles will become ``driverless vehicles'' and that truck
driving jobs will simply be eliminated. The reality is much more
complex. Given the variety of freight movement--think about liquids,
livestock, hazardous material, large construction equipment, and
oversize loads--and the variety of road, terrain, and weather
conditions throughout the country, there will continue to be a role and
need for drivers as part of a logistics system that includes automated
trucks. ATA believes that automated trucks will be a tool that will
help improve the efficiency of freight movement and help address a
shortage of drivers, not replace them. Driver responsibilities may
adjust over time with deployment of automated technologies, but the
industry continues to need drivers, our greatest asset.
It is both timely and important that the Highways and Transit
Subcommittee holds today's hearing to consider the future of automated
commercial motor vehicles, as well as their likely impact on society,
the supply chain and U.S. economic leadership. This subcommittee knows
well that trucking is the dynamic lynchpin of the U.S. economy. More
than 80% of U.S. communities rely exclusively on trucking to meet their
freight transportation needs, and trucking currently moves more than
70% of the nation's annual freight tonnage.\4\ Over the next decade,
trucks will be tasked with moving 2.4 billion more tons of freight than
they do today, and trucks will continue to deliver the vast majority of
goods to American communities.\5\ It is no coincidence that an industry
so essential to American productivity is at the forefront of such
exciting innovation and ingenuity.
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\4\ U.S. Census Bureau Commodity Flow Survey, U.S. Census Bureau,
2017.
\5\ Freight Transportation Forecast 2020 to 2031, American Trucking
Associations, 2020.
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The COVID-19 pandemic opened Americans' eyes to the convenience and
reliability of delivery, and as we emerge from the pandemic, Americans
expect their goods to be delivered even faster, more cheaply, and more
efficiently. Ongoing supply chain disruptions have exposed the need for
greater flexibility to meet these new challenges. ATA believes
automated driving systems (ADS) will significantly enhance the safety,
efficiency, and productivity of the U.S. freight and logistics system
and provide 21st century solutions to meet 21st century challenges.
The benefits of this technology are recognized globally, and the
United States is now competing with other nations like China to assert
dominance in this burgeoning space. ATA encourages Congress and federal
agencies to develop policies that will foster innovation and ensure
that America does not fall behind its global competitors in the
development of this important technology. The absence of a federal
framework that encourages the development of 21st century solutions
right here in the United States amounts to a competitive advantage for
other nations.
The trucking industry has a substantial stake in the enhancements
to road safety that automated and connected vehicle technology will
provide. America's roads and bridges are truck drivers' workplace, and
safety is of paramount importance. The safety gains achieved by
removing human error--as well as the additional economic and societal
benefits--are very enticing to an industry that already spends at least
$10 billion annually on safety, including technology enhancements, to
help ensure that drivers and passengers of all vehicles make it safely
to their destination.\6\
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\6\ ATA Safety Investment Study, 2016, http://www.trucking.org
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As the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which maintains
jurisdiction over automated vehicle technologies in commercial motor
vehicles, considers legislation to guide federal policy and regulations
on autonomous vehicles (AVs), ATA encourages a multi-modal approach
that prioritizes commercial motor vehicles, heavy specialty vehicles,
trailer-combination vehicles, and passenger vehicles equally. We
strongly recommend that any legislation establishing federal oversight
of the development and deployment of AV technologies consider all road
users, including passenger vehicles, commercial trucks, buses, as well
as the supporting infrastructure. We stand ready to support and work
hand-in-hand with you in that effort.
We thank and commend you for holding this important hearing today
and welcome the opportunity to engage on this critical issue. National
Truck Driver Appreciation Week is an annual reminder that we must
continue to do more to support the hard-working individuals who drive
this economy, and a federal framework that supports innovation will
greatly improve safety, efficiency, and productivity on our nation's
roadways, while strengthening our supply chains and ensuring the
nation's long-term global economic competitiveness.
The Current State of the Industry:
Six years ago to the day, I testified before the Senate Committee
on Commerce, Science and Transportation on this very issue and shared
the trucking industry's perspective on how the deployment of automated
trucks might play out.\7\ That discussion focused on the potential
safety benefits and the opportunities to improve the resiliency of our
supply chain. I testified on timelines and relayed the difficulty of
envisioning a future where driving jobs would be obsolete. Everyone
agreed that safety was paramount, and I underscored that testing would
follow deliberate and measured steps towards maturity. Since that
hearing, we have seen the automated vehicle technology available for
heavy-duty trucks and vehicles of all sizes grow by leaps and bounds to
the cusp of commercialization. In the six years since my previous
testimony, Congress has missed the opportunity to take a leadership
role in overseeing the development and deployment of these
technologies. But the opportunity is still at hand for the federal
government's leadership role to now grow.
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\7\ https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2017/9/transportation-
innovation-automated-trucks-and-our-nation-s-highways
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Our predictions from six years ago were accurate. Developers have
built robust and safe testing programs across many different parts of
the trucking industry. We see automated trucks in development for
heavy-duty and medium-duty use, for highway and off-highway
applications, and for public roads and private yards. These
developments are data-driven and based on needs identified by industry
for particular sectors and use cases. There has been no rush to deploy,
no flood of driverless trucks on our highways, and no driving jobs
lost. Along the way, these companies have been highly regulated and
transparent, even by the high standards of our industry. They have
submitted voluntary safety self-assessments that detail their processes
in depth. They are subject to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration's (NHTSA) Standing General Order (SGO) and report every
incident involving their trucks for public view, regardless of who is
at fault.\8\ They have worked with ATA's Technology and Maintenance
Council and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to build a robust
inspection program and comply with inspections like every other truck
on the road. They have been patiently working with industry partners to
understand their needs and concerns. We have seen that automated trucks
have not and will not show up everywhere all at once. The developers
understand the complexity and diversity of our industry and are
carefully following the maturity of the technology.
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\8\ https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/standing-general-order-
crash-reporting.
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The timing of this hearing is not a coincidence. We now have a much
clearer view of what deployment might look like, and the need for
federal leadership is more important than ever. Developers have
identified specific over-the-road routes that meet the needs of
industry partners, and they are testing their technology to maturity.
These routes may be ready for deployment very soon, and federal
leadership is vital for success and continued innovation. It is not
enough for the federal government to just remove barriers to operation
like outdated regulatory language. We need federal leadership to ensure
that these vehicles can operate in interstate commerce without
disruption. Automation has the potential to dramatically increase our
nation's supply chain resiliency, but only if it can operate like other
trucks on our roads. The risks of a patchwork of state or local
requirements threaten to stifle the innovation before it even has a
chance to prove its worth. Kneejerk reactions like AB 316 in California
undermine not just the technology itself but our ability to imagine the
future. Since I last testified on this topic, we all have had six more
years of valuable experience, and the urgency of the moment demands
that we move beyond the hype and alarmist predictions for automation in
commercial vehicles.
In 2021 the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) estimated that
adoption of automation in long-haul trucking would increase earnings
across all workers, increase overall employment, and increase the US
GDP.\9\ The DOT did not find that there would be industry lay-offs
except in the most aggressive case of adoption. We have an aging work
force and an ongoing driver shortage in trucking. Clearly there is room
for both drivers and automation to build a more efficient and resilient
supply chain. The industry is ready for leadership, and Congress and
the DOT can help us build that future.
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\9\ https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/54596
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Recent Federal Regulatory and Legislative Activity:
In 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SELF DRIVE
Act (H.R. 3388) unanimously, and later that fall, the AV START Act (S.
1885) did not advance beyond consideration by the Senate Commerce
Committee. Despite the fact that efforts to enact federal legislation
have stalled since 2017, the DOT has continued to use the tools at its
disposal to exercise federal oversight and facilitate the safe testing
and initial deployments of automated vehicles in the United States.
These tools include guidance documents such as AV 4.0 \10\ (issued in
2020) and DOT's 2021 Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan \11\, which
identify roles and responsibilities of the DOT and other stakeholders,
and NHTSA's SGO \12\ (issued in 2021), which ensures that DOT receives
timely information on safety-related incidents involving ADS-equipped
vehicles on public roads. Another DOT tool, the exemption process,
provides a means for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA) and NHTSA to evaluate and approve on a temporary basis
alternative means to meet or exceed existing safety standards that were
written with the implicit assumption of the presence of human drivers
and traditional driver controls. Additionally, and importantly, NHTSA
maintains its recall authority, which allows the Agency to recall
vehicles or equipment that pose an unreasonable risk to safety even
when there is no applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS).\13\ In the near term, these tools establish an initial pathway
for testing and limited deployment of ADS-equipped vehicles to
demonstrate their positive impact on vehicle safety, transportation
system efficiency, and improved mobility for people and goods.
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\10\ https://www.transportation.gov/policy-initiatives/automated-
vehicles/av-40.
\11\ https://www.transportation.gov/av/avcp.
\12\ https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-regulations/standing-general-order-
crash-reporting.
\13\ Understanding NHTSA's Regulatory Tools, DOT HS 808 795,
Revised August 2017, page 2. Available at: https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/
nhtsa.gov/files/documents/understanding_nhtsas_
current_regulatory_tools-tag.pdf (accessed September 7, 2023).
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Longer term, as ADS technology matures, it will be necessary for
DOT to modernize its regulations to reflect the capabilities of ADS and
its integration into commercial vehicle operations. ATA commends FMCSA
for seeking supplemental information for its rulemaking on the Safe
Integration of Automated Driving Systems-Equipped Commercial Motor
Vehicles \14\ earlier this year, and we look forward to working with
FMCSA as the Agency moves forward with this rulemaking. Likewise, ATA
commends NHTSA for the recently announced plans to issue an NPRM this
fall for the ADS-equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency and Evaluation
Program (AV STEP) among other ADS-related rulemaking initiatives.\15\
The overall goal for DOT should be to develop a set of regulations that
remove unnecessary barriers created by existing rules that did not
envision automated driving, while establishing a clear regulatory
baseline for companies developing or deploying automated vehicles. An
updated federal regulatory framework that reflects the difference
between human operators and ADS is critical to preserving a seamless
set of safety standards across the country that provides assurance to
the public and certainty to companies developing and deploying
automated vehicles.
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\14\ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/01/2023-
02073/safe-integration-of-
automated-driving-systems-ads-equipped-commercial-motor-vehicles-cmvs.
\15\ https://www.nhtsa.gov/speeches-presentations/automated-road-
transportation-symposium-
arts23-keynote-address (accessed September 7, 2023).
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Beyond the federal regulatory action being undertaken at DOT, we
are aware that Congress is again considering legislative action as
well. We commend those efforts and would urge the Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee to take part in those discussions and
negotiations to ensure that automated commercial motor vehicles are a
part of that dialogue.
Automated Driving Technology Strengthens Highway Safety:
The trucking industry has a substantial stake in the success of
safe automated and connected vehicle technology. America's roads and
bridges are truck drivers' workplace. Safety is not just a slogan; it
is of paramount importance. There were 13.9 million medium and heavy-
duty trucks registered in the U.S. in 2021, including 4.07 million
Class 8 trucks.\16\ That same year, medium- and heavy-duty trucks
accounted for approximately 10.4% of the vehicle miles traveled.\17\
Since deregulation in 1980, both the number of fatal truck crashes and
rate of fatalities have declined.\18\ However, ATA does acknowledge a
recent up-tick in fatal crashes. While there are several factors that
have contributed to this, including the overall majority of truck-
related crashes being the fault of the passenger vehicle,\19\ automated
vehicle technology has the potential to decrease fatal crashes.
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\16\ S&P Global, U.S. Freight Transportation Forecast (2023)
\17\ Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics, 2021,
Table VM-1, accessed online at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/
policyinformation/statistics/2021/pdf/vm1.pdf.
\18\ Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2020, Trends Chapter, Table 4,
page 7, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/
fmcsa.dot.gov/files/2022-10/LTBCF%202020-v5_FINAL-09-20-
2022%20508%2010-3.pdf.
\19\ Financial Responsibility Requirements for Commercial Motor
Vehicles, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration, January 2013, page xii, footnote 2.
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Safety gains are achievable by removing human error, which is a
factor in 87% of large truck crashes \20\ and 94% of all vehicle
crashes. \21\ The additional economic and societal benefits, are very
enticing to an industry that--as mentioned previously--already spends
at least $10 billion annually on safety. These investments include
deployment of safety technology enhancements that go above and beyond
what is mandated by federal regulations. Automated and connected
vehicle technology can work together to further reduce or even
eliminate these crashes. With these innovations, improvements in safety
are only the beginning; we can also make meaningful advances in other
important policy areas like reducing traffic congestion and emissions
nationwide.
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\20\ Large Truck Crash Causation Study, Federal Highway
Administration, July 2007
\21\ Singh, S. (2015, February). Critical reasons for crashes
investigated in the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey.
(Traffic Safety Facts Crash Stats. Report No. DOT HS 812 115).
Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Automated driving systems are the next step in the evolution of
currently available safety technologies, and it is critical that
federal policies developed for these advances consider all vehicles
operating on our nation's roadways. These improvements will not be one-
size-fits-all technologies, but rather will offer layers of driver
assistance that, in some cases, include full automation. While
opponents of this safety technology will often refer to it in a
negative light, we need to think beyond anecdotes and fearmongering and
collect data on the benefits of avoiding accidents, reducing crash
severity, mitigating congestion, and improving air quality.
Quantifiable factors must guide policy and drive outcomes. Far too
often, when we reach barriers in the development of this safety
technology, opponents will cite those barriers as a reason for why we
should not have automated vehicle technologies rather than engaging in
conversations with stakeholders as to how we can overcome these
barriers and advance these meaningful and lifesaving efforts. Holding
innovation hostage under the guise of safety considerations is an
outdated, performative approach that may appease interest groups but
certainly does not advance our common goal of zero highway fatalities.
ATA is not the association of ``NO'' and will always stand committed to
work with any and all stakeholders in these discussions.
Automated Driving Technology and Addressing Cybersecurity:
As automated vehicle technologies have advanced for both passenger
and commercial motor vehicles, some have expressed concerns that the
shift to autonomy may pose significant cybersecurity risks. Just as
automated driving technology has the potential to bring safety benefits
to the motoring public, steps must be taken to ensure that deployment
of these technologies do not create vulnerabilities as a result of
cybersecurity threats. As with many things in life, including the
threat against passenger vehicles, cybersecurity is an important
consideration for commercial vehicles.
At an early stage, ATA recognized these threats and has already
taken steps to help ensure a robust cybersecurity environment for motor
carriers. For instance, in conjunction with ATA's Technology and
Maintenance Council (TMC) and Transportation Security Council (TSC) we
have developed the Fleet CyWatch program.\22\ Fleet CyWatch assists ATA
fleet members in assessing their cybersecurity maturity and shares
information with fleets about cyber-threats that may impact their
operations. Fleet CyWatch coordinates private and federal efforts to
provide motor carriers with information and recommendations in the
areas of cybersecurity awareness, prevention, and mitigation methods.
These efforts compliment industry best practices produced by the Auto-
ISAC (Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center) with the
common objective to demonstrate the industry's proactive collaboration
to protect consumer safety through vehicle cybersecurity.\23\
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\22\ https://www.trucking.org/fleet-cywatch.
\23\ https://automotiveisac.com/best-practices/.
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Additionally, TMC's Fleet Maintenance Management Study group has
taken an industry leadership role pertaining to various aspects of
cybersecurity through its Cybersecurity Task Force. Among other goals,
the Task Force's mission includes addressing cybersecurity issues and
how they can be dealt with when they occur, and more importantly,
preventing attacks from occurring in the first place. This task force
focuses on creating recommended practices combined with research from
other expert sources, such as the National Science Foundation, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, DOT, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
National Motor Freight Traffic Association, and the Society of
Automotive Engineers.
Since its inception, the Task Force, in concert with other TMC task
forces and committees, has developed multiple recommended practices
(RPs) related to cybersecurity efforts. For example, the task force
produced an RP titled Cybersecurity Insurance Guidelines that offers
guidelines for cybersecurity awareness, prevention, and risk mitigation
through insurance for commercial motor vehicles weighing more than
10,001 pounds. The guidelines also list resources that fleet managers
can use for managing cybersecurity risk. TMC continues to raise
awareness of the importance of cybersecurity among fleet managers and
service technicians by incorporating efforts into its annual National
Technician Skills Competition which is designed to challenge top
industry technicians' knowledge and awareness of critical issues that
these frontline personnel can positively impact through maintenance
operations.\24\ TMC's cybersecurity efforts will play an integral part
in highway safety today and into the future.
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\24\ https://tmc.trucking.org/TMC-Fall-Meeting.
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In addition to these steps, ATA's leadership has also implemented a
monthly dialogue with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
to share information and resources and discuss the protocols and
standards being developed to improve cybersecurity. TSA has expressed a
willingness to collaborate with, and even train, ATA staff and the
trucking industry on cybersecurity best practices. The trucking
industry and government working hand-in-hand to address and prevent
potential threats is a significant step towards enhancing cybersecurity
efforts.
These actions show just how serious the trucking industry is taking
the potential threat of cyberattacks, as well as the significant steps
that we are taking to mitigate and prevent these risks. As the shift to
autonomy continues, the trucking industry will remain ever vigilant of
cybersecurity risks and threats.
Automated Driving Technology Supports the Trucking Workforce:
The trucking industry, the backbone of our nation's economy and
supply chain, continues to face a significant driver shortage. In 2022,
the shortage of qualified drivers was at a near-record level of
78,000.\25\ Recent events have not helped; the closure of a large,
less-than-truckload motor carrier contributed significantly to the
decreased employment of 37,000 in the truck transportation sector.\26\
Many who lost jobs due to this closure will find jobs with new
employers due to the demand for their skills. However, in the near
term, this closure will exacerbate the shortage. Even before this
closure, we projected that the shortage would increase to 160,000 by
2031.\27\ Furthermore, the trucking industry must hire roughly 1.2
million new drivers over the next decade to both keep pace with growing
demand and replenish an aging workforce.\28\ Our nation needs drivers,
and we need them yesterday.
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\25\ ATA Driver Shortage Update 2022. American Trucking
Associations, October 25, 2022. Available online at: https://
ata.msgfocus.com/files/amf_highroad_solution/project_2358/ATA_
Driver_Shortage_Report_2022_Executive_Summary.October22.pdf (accessed
September 1, 2023).
\26\ ``Transportation and warehousing lost 34,000 jobs in August.
Employment in truck transportation fell sharply (-37,000), largely
reflecting a business closure. Couriers and messengers lost 9,000 jobs,
while air transportation added 3,000 jobs. Employment in transportation
and warehousing had shown little net change over the prior 12 months.''
Employment Situation Summary, August 2023, U.S. Department of Labor,
Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 1, 2023. Available online at:
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm (accessed September 1,
2023).
\27\ ATA Driver Shortage Update 2022.
\28\ Ibid.
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Technologies that empower drivers to be more productive help
alleviate the driver shortage. Contrary to the unfounded alarmist fears
propagated by some opposing interest groups, these technological
advances will enhance safety and improve drivers' lives. Improving
drivers' lives makes the occupation more desirable, enabling more
drivers to stay in the industry and attracting new drivers.
A current debate in the California legislature is the result of
some pushing the notion that autonomous vehicles will result in fewer
jobs and less safety.\29\ Labor leaders are attempting to pass
legislation that would ban autonomous trucks over 10,000 lbs in that
state.\30\ Governor Newsom's administration is wisely pushing back to
prevent damage to the state's culture of innovation while ensuring
state agencies can perform their duties of protecting public
safety.\31\
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\29\ Sean M. O'Brien, the Teamsters general president recently
stated, ``the Newsom administration is catering to Big Tech when it
should be protecting good-paying jobs and keeping Californians safe
from roadside tragedy.'' TEAMSTERS CALL ON GOV. NEWSOM TO PUT SAFETY
BEFORE BIG TECH BY SUPPORTING AB 316, Teamsters.org, August 29, 2023.
Available online at: https://teamster.org/2023/08/teamsters-call-on-
gov-newsom-to-put-safety-before-big-tech-by-supporting-autonomous-
vehicle-bill-ab-316/ (accessed September 1, 2023).
\30\ ``The Teamsters Union and the California Labor Federation are
sponsoring legislation to require a human operator on driverless big
rigs to ensure safety and prevent job loss.'' California Labor Opposes
Expansion of Driverless Vehicles, California Labor Federation, August
11, 2022. Available online at: https://calaborfed.org/letter-to-
california-puc-re-autonomous-vehicles/ (accessed September 1, 2023).
\31\ ``Since 2012, California has undergone a long and thoughtful
regulatory process to permit autonomous passenger vehicles and other
light-duty vehicles, and the state is currently developing its
permitting framework for autonomous heavy-duty trucks. Despite this
history of careful and fact-based public policy, AB 316 circumvents the
process and effectively bans heavy duty autonomous trucks without
safety drivers in California. And it runs counter to our state's
business climate, where thoughtful policy, innovative ideas and an
inclusive culture combine to fuel the creation of new industries, while
protecting public safety.'' Letter from Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor
to the Governor and Director, Governor's Office of Business and
Economic Development, to Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, August
15, 2023. Available online at: https://www.politico.com/f/?id=0000018a-
1e52-d2a3-a3fe-fffaa3a20000 (accessed September 1, 2023).
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Fears that all commercial driving jobs will be eliminated and that
individuals will be left out of work are overblown and
unsubstantiated.\32\ If a future exists in which these jobs are all
handled by autonomous vehicles, it is too far away to see. As mentioned
earlier in my testimony, a recent 2021 DOT study showed that the
adoption of automation in long haul trucking would not only increase
earnings across all workers and increase the US GDP but would also
increase employment.\33\ Today, the issue is increasing all levels of
automated technology to improve safety and productivity. To increase
the availability and accessibility of such technology, testing must be
undertaken safely and responsibly. Policymakers should not ignore the
positive impact it will have on workers and society by reflexively
banning the testing and implementation of technology because, at some
point in the distant future, it could change the nature of work for
some individuals.
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\32\ ``Our model indicates that the adoption of driving automation
will bring direct productivity enhancements to the long-haul trucking
sector and (due to transportation's central role in the economy)
produce secondary productivity enhancements to the larger macroeconomy.
These productivity enhancements will increase GDP, capital, employment,
wages, and welfare that can be monetized into billions of dollars.
Additionally, our model concluded that these economic benefits can
likely be reaped without mass lay-offs of long-haul truck drivers.''
Waschik, Robert et al., Macroeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving
Systems in Long-Haul Trucking, U.S. Department of Transportation,
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology,
Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office, 2021, at p.
35. Available online at: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/54596
(accessed September 1, 2023). See also, Autonomous long-haul trucking
stands to grow the Golden State's economy while creating jobs and
raising wages without mass driver layoffs, Silicon Valley Leadership
Group Foundation, April 13, 2022. Available online at: https://
www.svlg.org/study-shows-autonomous-trucking-will-grow-californias-
economy/ (accessed September 1, 2023).
\33\ https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/54596
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As technology increases productivity, this may mean that fewer
individuals are needed to perform the same work. While ATA believes
that the increase in productivity provided by automated trucks will
help address the driver shortage in the face of increasing demand for
freight transportation by truck,\34\ we do not dismiss the importance
of considering the potential impacts on the workforce and the need to
develop programs that will help prepare workers with the skills needed
for the jobs of the future.
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\34\ Freight Transportation Forecast 2020 to 2031, American
Trucking Associations, 2020.
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The integration of automated driving systems in trucking could
lower freight transportation costs and enhance productivity, leading to
greater economic activity and job creation in the transportation and
logistics industries as well as other business sectors.\35\ This would
require some individuals to acquire new skills, and provides an
opportunity for Congress to support the industry as we embrace these
innovations. Ensuring that job training programs and federal workforce
development dollars are targeted to support our workers as they adjust
to a changing workplace will help prepare workers with the new and
marketable skills needed for the jobs of the future.
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\35\ ``New jobs will be created. Driving automation systems would
be expected to lower freight transportation costs and enhance
productivity, leading to greater economic activity and job creation in
the transportation and logistics industries, and other business
sectors. Just as many employees today work in occupations that were
unknown to prior generations--such as unmanned aerial systems, vehicle
cybersecurity, or micromobility--future workers may choose from a wider
variety of jobs that emerge from technology improvements, including
driving automation.'' Driving Automation Systems in Long-Haul Trucking
and Bus Transit: Preliminary Analysis of Potential Workforce Impacts,
DOT Report to Congress, January 2021, page 10. Available online at:
https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2021-01/
Driving%20Automation
%20Systems%20in%20Long%20Haul%20Trucking%20and%20Bus%20Transit%20Prelimi
nary
%20Analysis%20of%20Potential%20Workforce%20Impacts.pdf (accessed
September 7, 2023).
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The trucking industry's best asset is our incredible workforce. ATA
is committed to developing that workforce, bringing unique individuals
into great family-sustaining careers \36\, and helping existing
individuals in the industry gain and increase the skills they need to
succeed. As the U.S. unemployment rate is near historic lows,\37\ we
know that our industry must be employers of choice to recruit the next
generation. To that end, the industry is focused on bettering the lives
of its workforce. Technology has a substantial role to play here, and
our industry is moving ahead to enhance safety and productivity,
leading to benefits for all.
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\36\ According to ATA's 2021 industry survey, the median pay for a
truckload driver is $69,687 per year, not including benefits. This
represents an 18% increase from 2019. 2022 ATA Driver Compensation
Study Advanced Executive Summary. American Trucking Associations, June
30, 2022. Available online at: https://ata.msgfocus.com/files/
amf_highroad_solution/project_
2358/ATA_2022_Driver_Compensation_Study_-_Press_Executive_Summary.pdf
(accessed September 1, 2023).
\37\ The current U.S. unemployment rate as reported by the U.S.
Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.8 percent.
Employment Situation Summary, August 2023.
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Automated Driving Technology and the Supply Chain/
Global Competitiveness:
ATA encourages Congress and federal agencies to develop policies
that will foster innovation and ensure that America does not fall
behind its global competitors in the development of this important
technology. AVs and ADS deployment have the potential to significantly
enhance the safety, efficiency, and productivity of the U.S. freight
and logistics systems. We have an opportunity to ensure that the
technologies and vehicles that generate those benefits are developed,
improved, implemented, and sold around the world by American companies.
Core technologies that will drive autonomous vehicle development
and deployment--LIDAR (light detection and ranging), programming,
machine learning, and artificial intelligence--should be emphasized by
federal agencies so that America leads in the development of connected
and automated heavy-duty trucking technology. As noted by the
Congressional Research Service in a 2021 report, the pace of
commercialization for autonomous technologies has slowed in reaction to
accidents involving autonomous technology in passenger vehicles, but
this has not stopped the accelerating development of advanced
technologies that will improve vehicle performance, efficiency, and
safety.\38\ Establishing a federal framework for testing and deployment
of vehicles with advanced sensors, machine learning algorithms, and
real-time data processing capabilities will ensure that we do not fall
behind and forfeit our global dominance in innovation. It is also
important to remember that autonomous vehicles and these core
technologies can also be used to support military applications,
protecting our service men and women on the job while they protect our
country.\39\
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\38\ Congressional Research Service. Report R45985, ``Issues in
Autonomous Vehicle Testing and Deployment.'' 23 April 2021. https://
crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45985.
\39\ Autonomous Vehicles: New Technology Revolutionizes Army's
Principles of Sustainment, August 31, 2022. Available at: https://
www.army.mil/article/259621/autonomous_vehicles_
new_technology_revolutionizes_armys_principles_of_sustainment (accessed
September 7, 2023)
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As local, state, and federal agencies seek to achieve policy goals
such as reducing emissions and strengthening supply chain resilience,
we are also seeing a need for increased investment in autonomous
technologies to support these goals. New zero-emission yard tractors at
a terminal at the Port of Long Beach in California, which will be
required to be operated by humans, will operate alongside over 100
automated vehicles and 70 driverless container-stacking cranes at the
most automated port terminal in the U.S.\40\ However, these investments
in automation are lamentably rare in the U.S. where only four of 360
commercial ports have at least semi-automated terminals,\41\ and those
terminals still rank relatively low for efficiency among their global
peers according to the 2023 Container Port Performance Index.\42\ We
all saw firsthand as we emerged from the pandemic that less efficient
cargo handling at ports led to idling trucks outside of marine port
terminals, delayed deliveries of goods, and empty store shelves. With
those impacts in mind, it is important for Congress to step in and lay
out a framework that will enable the testing and deployment of
autonomous vehicles where appropriate to increase our supply chain
efficiency and resilience.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\40\ Reuters. ``Focus: Jobs at stake as California port terminal
upgrades to green technology.'' Lisa Baertlein, 8 June 2023. https://
www.reuters.com/sustainability/jobs-stake-california-port-terminal-
upgrades-green-technology-2023-06-08/.
\41\ APM Research Lab, ``Why does the U.S. lag other nations so
badly in the automation of its ports? (And is that good or bad?).''
Emily Schmidt, 3 November 2022. https://www.apmresearchlab.org/10x-
port-automation.
\42\ World Bank Group, Transport Global Practice. ``The Container
Port Performance Index 2021.'' 24 May 2022. https://
thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/66e3aa5c3be4647addd01845ce353992
-0190062022/original/Container-Port-Performance-Index-2021.pdf
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Technologies in development here in the U.S. can be adapted and
deployed to ensure the safe operation of new, clean trucks with
tangible benefits to safety and the environment. Autonomous trucks can
ensure the continuous flow of goods by leveraging real time data and
the potential 24/7 availability for equipment. Additional benefits can
be found in minimizing the energy consumption of heavy-duty trucks and
trailers through platooning, route optimization that minimizes idling
time in traffic jams or at facilities to load and unload cargo, and
split-second responsiveness in real-time traffic conditions. These are
technologies that should be explored with a mind towards improving the
safety and traveling experience of all road users, making supply chains
more efficient and reducing the environmental footprint of freight
transportation.
The United States has a unique opportunity to establish itself as a
global leader in AV technology, leveraging its technological prowess,
research capabilities, and skilled workforce. ATA looks forward to
working with congressional leaders, federal agencies, and industry
stakeholders to ensure that, as AVs become an integral part of the
transportation landscape, they not only drive economic growth but also
contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future.
The Need for a Federal Framework:
While DOT continues its work to establish a regulatory framework to
support the testing and deployment of automated commercial and
passenger vehicles on U.S. roadways, it is important that Congress
support these efforts or, at a minimum, not harm or impair the
industry's ongoing efforts to advance AV technology and our continued
work and collaboration in the regulatory arena. A clear path to
deployment will provide the certainty needed for all stakeholders to
continue their efforts to bring the benefits of automated vehicles to
the U.S. transportation and logistics systems. As Congress considers
legislative action to support automated vehicle technology, ATA
encourages Congress to adopt a multi-modal approach and prioritize
commercial motor vehicles, heavy specialty vehicles, trailer-
combination vehicles, and passenger vehicles equally. We strongly
recommend that any legislation establishing federal oversight of the
development and deployment of AV technologies consider all road users,
including passenger vehicles, commercial trucks, and commercial buses,
as well as surrounding infrastructure. Doing so will provide all road
users a seat at the table to ensure that the development of AV
technologies is done safely. To that end, ATA offers the following
guiding principles to promote the expeditious and safe deployment of AV
trucks in the U.S.:
1. The federal government should take a leading role in setting
policies that will help foster the nationwide deployment of AV
technologies in trucking. The trucking industry relies on interstate
highways to facilitate the free flow of goods between states.
Accordingly, it is important that state and local laws do not
inadvertently create disparities that slow the adoption of these
safety- and productivity-boosting technologies. A clear process and
standards-setting role for the federal government that preempts state
efforts to regulate vehicle design is critical for commercial AV
development.
2. The federal government's approach should follow technological
maturity and industry best practices. AV technology in trucking is
developing rapidly--and demonstrations continue to show the promise of
enhanced safety and efficiency benefits. Congress and DOT should work
with ATA, including ATA's Technology and Maintenance Council, and other
trucking industry representatives to incorporate industry best
practices when developing guidance and regulations for ADS-equipped
commercial motor vehicles. Industry best practices provide a vital
technical basis to assist the evolution of legislative and/or
regulatory frameworks.
3. The federal government should collaborate with industry to
create performance-based standards that focus on objective testing and
evaluation criteria for autonomous vehicles. Requiring AVs to achieve
an acceptable level of safety and performance, rather than requiring
the use of specific technology, will focus regulations on risk
management within specific operating environments. Government-industry
interactions through the Voluntary Safety Self-Assessment (VSSA)
process, the AV TEST Initiative, and the anticipated AV STEP program
provide DOT with information on a variety of approaches to ADS
technology and operations from a cross-section of organizations testing
ADS-equipped vehicles. This information will help DOT, Congress, and
other agencies develop policies, regulations, and/or guidance without
inadvertently picking technological or operational winners or losers.
In the absence of a federal legislative framework, regulatory
efforts related to AV technologies must ensure that they do not stymie
meaningful progress in development, testing, and deployment. Should
Congress choose to pass legislation, we recommend that those efforts do
not hinder private sector innovation.
Conclusion:
In closing, I am grateful for the opportunity to testify before the
Highways and Transit Subcommittee today on behalf of the American
Trucking Associations and the motor carriers, suppliers, developers,
and approximately 8.4 million men and women in trucking-related jobs
that ATA represents. AV technology offers the trucking industry
boundless potential for improvements to road safety, improvements to
workforce recruitment and retention, reductions in congestion and
emissions, and advancements in productivity. Deployment and adoption of
these technologies will serve to strengthen supply chains and ensure
the U.S. remains a global leader in technology and innovation.
While some have raised concern about the impacts that automated
vehicle technologies will have on the future of work for truck drivers,
I would reemphasize that our drivers are the trucking industry's best
and most cherished asset. As we recognize and celebrate National Truck
Driver Appreciation Week this week, we should consider how automated
vehicle technologies can improve safety, operations, and productivity
for those amazing men and women who will continue to play a critical
and necessary role in our supply chain.
As the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Congress
consider and debate a legislative federal framework for the development
and deployment of automated vehicle technologies, those efforts should
take a multi-modal approach to include all road users--both passenger
as well as commercial motor vehicles--and the supporting
infrastructure. Congress should evaluate the benefits of connected and
automated technology on public safety and the economy and review
regulations to take advantage of the capabilities provided by these new
innovations. Implementing a seamless set of guidelines and safety
standards nationwide will minimize any disruption and support the
development of exciting and beneficial new technologies.
As the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain challenges of recent
years reminded the nation, trucking plays the most critical role in our
economy. It keeps the shelves of our local supermarkets fully stocked,
gets life-saving medical supplies to hospitals and clinics, and
delivers goods at every stage of production to communities across our
country. The trucking industry should not be left out of any
legislation that supports innovation in automated vehicle technology.
As you endeavor in these efforts, I, and the members of the
American Trucking Associations, stand ready to support and work hand-
in-hand with you. Thank you again, Chairman Crawford, Ranking Member
Holmes Norton, and Members of this distinguished Subcommittee. I
appreciate the opportunity and look forward to your questions.
Mr. Crawford. Thank you, Mr. Spear.
Ms. Chase, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
[Pause.]
Mr. Crawford. Can you get your microphone, please?
TESTIMONY OF CATHERINE CHASE, PRESIDENT, ADVOCATES FOR HIGHWAY
AND AUTO SAFETY
Ms. Chase. Good morning, Chair Crawford, Ranking Member
Norton, Ranking Member Larsen, and subcommittee members. I am
Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto
Safety.
Advocates is a national coalition of leading property and
casualty insurance companies and agents and public health
consumer law enforcement and safety groups working together
since 1989 to prevent crashes, save lives, and reduce economic
costs.
Thank you for holding today's hearing at a critical time
when motor vehicle crash fatalities are at historic highs.
Nearly 43,000 people were killed and 2.5 million more were
injured in 2021. Fatal truck crashes have also been on the
rise, increasing by 71 percent since 2009.
These are not just statistics. They are family members and
friends who have needlessly died or been seriously injured in a
preventable truck crash [indicating Advocates' ``2023 Roadmap
to Safety''].
Many are joining us today, in person or virtually. I want
to thank them for their strength and determination to advance
commonsense and cost-effective solutions to prevent truck
crashes.
Also, I want to acknowledge National Truck Driver
Appreciation Week and convey my gratitude for their essential
contributions to our everyday lives.
Truck driving is one of the most dangerous jobs in our
country, and drivers are at risk every time they get behind the
wheel.
Automated or driverless technology, including cars, trucks,
and buses, is being offered as a solution to reduce our
Nation's mounting death and injury toll.
However, this remedy cannot be realized without rigorous
testing, effective regulation setting minimum performance
standards, comprehensive data collection, full transparency to
inform regulators and the public, diligent Government
oversight, and AV industry accountability to immediately
identify problems and take corrective actions.
In other words, we need to know what is happening on our
roads, and we need to make them safe.
AV safety performance and reliability are largely unknown,
unresolved, and frequently unpredictable. What we do know is
that AV operations in San Francisco have caused numerous
dangerous situations. City officials, emergency responders, and
local transportation leaders have raised serious safety
concerns and strongly opposed the recent program expansion.
The safety mishaps are substantial and the consequences are
alarming. A recent crash involving an AV and a firetruck and
other incidents resulted in the State's regulatory agency
cutting certain AV operations by 50 percent.
While AVs for passengers and AV trucks are not the same,
there are similarities and lessons to be learned from the
ongoing San Francisco program.
The serious problems must not be replicated or magnified
with trucks or transit vehicles, which are significantly larger
and heavier, more complex to operate, and can have devastating
outcomes and crashes.
It is really no surprise that the public has serious
concerns about AVs. Advocates commissioned a national public
opinion poll earlier this year. It revealed that nearly 9 in 10
people are concerned about sharing the roads with driverless
trucks.
When asked if their concerns about driverless vehicles
would be addressed if required to meet minimum Government
standards, 64 percent responded yes.
In 2020, Advocates, together with key stakeholders,
developed the AV Tenets to guide the development of policies
concerning the introduction and operation of AVs. More than 65
groups representing truckdrivers, unions, disability rights,
emergency responders, law enforcement, bicyclists, pedestrians,
smart growth and others, support the tenets.
They offer a blueprint to achieve essential goals. One, to
prioritize the safety of all road users. Two, to guarantee
accessibility and equity for all individuals, including those
with disabilities. Three, to preserve consumer and worker
rights. And four, to ensure local control and sustainable
transportation.
Furthermore, the safe development and deployment of
driverless trucks requires issuing Federal performance
standards and other necessary regulations; reporting crashes
involving fatalities, injuries, and property damage; rejecting
mass exemptions from Federal safety standards; collecting data
and making it publicly available; requiring driverless trucks
to always have an operator with a valid CD in the vehicle for
the foreseeable future and requiring other necessary
endorsements; and obtaining additional operating authority for
motor carriers with driverless trucks.
As AV trucks progress, many proven safety solutions that
can dramatically reduce truck crash injuries now are currently
available and need to be implemented. For example, the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included a mandate for automatic
emergency trucks [sic] within 2 years. Moreover, these are the
building blocks for the possibility of future AV cars and
trucks.
In closing, advancing safety, achieving technological
innovation, and attaining economic leadership can and must be
compatible goals and not tradeoffs.
Thank you.
[Ms. Chase's prepared statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Catherine Chase, President, Advocates for Highway
and Auto Safety
Introduction
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) is a coalition of
public health, safety, law enforcement and consumer organizations,
insurers and insurance agents that promotes highway and auto safety
through the adoption of federal and state laws, policies and
regulations. Advocates is unique both in its board composition and its
mission of advancing safer vehicles, safer motorists and road users,
and safer infrastructure. We have been at the forefront of furthering
proven and lifesaving technologies to prevent crashes and reduce the
motor vehicle crash fatality and injury toll since our inception in
1989. Automated, or autonomous, vehicles (AVs) and automated commercial
motor vehicles (ACMVs) may be able to contribute to this goal. However,
this outcome cannot be achieved in the absence of effective regulations
setting minimum performance standards, as well as thorough
transparency, strong government oversight, and AV and ACMV industry
accountability.
Currently there are no federal performance standards for advanced
driver assistance systems (ADAS), partial automation convenience
features, AVs, or ACMVs. ADAS include safety features presently offered
in some cars and trucks such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane
departure warning (LDW) and blind spot detection (BSD). The highly
respected Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has found real-
world significant crash rate reductions in vehicles equipped with these
technologies. For many years, Advocates has been supporting legislation
in Congress and regulatory actions by the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) to require proven safety technologies as standard
equipment in all new vehicles.
Conversely, partial automation convenience features, such as
adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane centering used together, have
not been proven to improve vehicle safety. According to IIHS President
David Harkey, ``[T]here is no evidence that [partial automation
systems] make driving safer . . . In fact, the opposite may be the case
if systems lack adequate safeguards.'' \1\ Misuse of and overreliance
on some technologies already have led to numerous fatal crashes.\2\
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\1\ IIHS, IIHS creates safeguard ratings for partial automation
(Jan. 20, 2022).
\2\ Collision Between Vehicle Controlled by Developmental Automated
Driving System and Pedestrian Tempe, Arizona, March 18, 2018, Accident
Report NTSB/HAR-19/03 (Nov. 19, 2019); NHTSA Office of Defects
Investigation Preliminary Evaluation PE21-020.
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In contrast to ADAS and partial automation convenience features,
AVs and ACMVs are not available for consumer purchase at this time.
However, testing has been increasing in recent years throughout the
country, and operations of so-called robotaxis are allowed in a few
cities including San Francisco with a recently approved expansion of
their deployment approved by the California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC).\3\ However, soon after the expansion was approved, a crash with
a fire truck and other incidents that jeopardized public safety
resulted in a swift order by the CPUC to reduce the robotaxi fleet
while the California Department of Motor Vehicles conducts an
investigation.\4\ Additionally, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
announced their intention to petition the CPUC for a reconsideration of
the robotaxi expansion decision because of the serious threat they pose
to public safety.\5\ San Francisco officials subsequently filed an
administrative motion to pause the CPUC approved expansion.\6\ Based on
data from the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), robotaxis have been
involved in 39 incidents since January 2023.\7\ Due to this concerning
safety record, the SFFD, San Francisco Police Officers Association
(SFPOA), San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), San
Francisco County Transportation Authority and the San Francisco
Planning Department have expressed grave concerns about the
robotaxis.\8\ While AVs and ACMVs have both similar and differing
issues in need of consideration, the San Francisco real-world
experience cannot be ignored or dismissed and is essential to examine
and assess when developing legislation or national policies on AVs and
ACMVs in order to prevent similar or additional safety risks to all
road users across the Nation.
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\3\ CPUC, CPUC Approves Permits for Cruise and Waymo To Charge
Fares for Passenger Service in San Francisco (Aug. 10, 2023), available
at: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/news-and-updates/all-news/cpuc-approves-
permits-for-cruise-and-waymo-to-charge-fares-for-passenger-service-in-
sf-2023.
\4\ Dana Hull, San Francisco orders Cruise to cut robotaxi fleet by
half and take `corrective actions' after collision with firetruck,
Fortune (Aug. 19, 2023).
\5\ Evan Symon, San Francisco Petitioning CPUC for Reconsideration
Following Robotaxi Vote, California Globe (Aug. 15, 2023).
\6\ Ricardo Cano, San Francisco asks California regulators to halt
approval of expanded robotaxi service, San Francisco Chronicle (Aug,
16, 2023).
\7\ Russ Mitchell, San Francisco's fire chief is fed up with
robotaxis that mess with her firetrucks. And L.A. is next, LA. Times
(Jun. 22, 2023).
\8\ San Francisco Comments on the Draft Resolution Approving
Authorization for Cruise LLC's Expanded Service in Autonomous Vehicle
Passenger Service Phase I Driverless Deployment Program, Order
Instituting Rulemaking on Regulations Relating to Passenger Carriers,
Ridesharing, and New On-Line-Enabled Transportation Services, R.12-12-
011 (May 31, 2023).
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Motor Vehicle Crashes are a Public Health Crisis which Demand Immediate
Action Using Proven and Viable Solutions
On average, 118 people were killed every day on roads in the U.S.
in 2021,\9\ totaling nearly 43,000 fatalities for the year. An
additional 2.5 million people were injured.\10\ This amounts to a 27
percent increase in deaths in just a decade.\11\ Early projections for
2022 show traffic fatalities remain high.\12\ Specific categories of
road users experienced steep increases in deaths as well. Pedestrian
fatalities increased 18 percent, and bicyclist deaths were up 12
percent from 2019 (pre-pandemic) to 2021.\13\
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\9\ Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2021, NHTSA, Apr.
2023, DOT HS 813 435. (Overview 2021).
\10\ Overview 2021.
\11\ Traffic Safety Facts 2020: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle
Crash Data, NHTSA, Oct. 2022, DOT HS 813 375, (Annual Report 2020); and
Overview 2021; [comparing 2012 to 2021].
\12\ Traffic Safety Facts: Crash Stats, Early Estimate of Motor
Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2022, NHTSA, Apr. 2023, DOT HS 813 428.
(Early Estimates 2022).
\13\ Overview 2021, Annual Report 2020.
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In 2021, 5,788 people were killed and nearly 155,000 people were
injured in crashes involving large trucks.\14\ Since 2009, the number
of fatalities in large truck crashes has increased by 71 percent.\15\
In the first six months of 2022, traffic fatalities in crashes
involving at least one large truck were up 10 percent; 2,811 people
were killed.\16\ In fatal two-vehicle crashes between a large truck and
a passenger motor vehicle, 97 percent of the fatalities were occupants
of the passenger vehicle.\17\ The cost to society from crashes
involving large trucks and buses was estimated to be $143 billion in
2020, the latest year for which data is available.\18\ When adjusted
solely for inflation, this figure amounts to over $166 billion.\19\
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\14\ Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2021, NHTSA, Apr.
2023, DOT HS 813 435.
\15\ Id. and Traffic Safety Facts 2020: A Compilations of Motor
Vehicle Crash Data, NHTSA, Oct. 2022, DOT HS 813 375. Note, the 71
percent figure represents the overall change in the number of
fatalities in large truck involved crashes from 2009 to 2021. However,
between 2015 and 2016 there was a change in data collection at U.S. DOT
that could affect this calculation. From 2009 to 2015 the number of
fatalities in truck-involved crashes increased by 21 percent, and
between 2016 to 2019, it increased by 7.6 percent, and between 2020 and
2021, it increased by 17 percent.
\16\ Traffic Safety Facts: Crash Stats; Early Estimates of Motor
Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate by Sub-Categories Through
June 2022, NHTSA, Dec. 2022, DOT HS 813 405.
\17\ Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Large Trucks.
See: https://www.iihs.org/topics/large-trucks.
\18\ 2022 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics, FMCSA,
Dec. 2022, RRA-22-007.
\19\ CPI Inflation Calculator, BLS, Jan. 2020 to Jan. 2023,
available at https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm.
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The financial impact of motor vehicle crashes on our economy and on
our families is staggering. Conservatively, the annual economic cost of
motor vehicle crashes is approximately $340 billion (2019 dollars).\20\
This means that every person living in the U.S. essentially pays an
annual ``crash tax'' of over $1,000. Moreover, the total value of
societal harm from motor vehicle crashes in 2019 was nearly $1.4
trillion.\21\
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\20\ The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes,
2019, NHTSA, Dec. 2022, DOT HS 813 403. (Economic and Societal Impact
2019).
\21\ Economic and Societal Impact 2019.
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On the Potential Path to AVs and ACMVs, Proven and Existing Vehicle
Safety Technologies and Policies Can Save Lives, Reduce Injuries and
Mitigate Crash Damages
Fortunately, inexpensive and lifesaving solutions to prevent or
mitigate motor vehicle and commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes are
verified and readily available. What is lacking is implementation.
Advocates always has championed proven vehicle safety technologies
because they are highly effective and affordable. For example,
Advocates led the coalition that supported enactment of the bipartisan
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 \22\
which included a mandate for front seat airbags as standard equipment.
As a result, by 1997, every new car sold in the United States was
equipped with this technology and the lives saved have been
significant. Airbags have saved an estimated 50,457 lives from 1987 to
2017, according to NHTSA.\23\
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\22\ Pub. L. 102-240 (Dec. 18, 1991).
\23\ Traffic Safety Facts 2018, A Compilation of Motor Vehicle
Crash Data, DOT HS 812 981, NHTSA (Nov. 2020).
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Advocates continued to support proven lifesaving technologies as
standard equipment in new vehicles in other federal legislation and
regulatory proposals. These efforts include: tire pressure monitoring
systems; \24\ rear outboard 3-point safety belts; \25\ electronic
stability control; \26\ rear safety belt reminder systems; \27\ brake
transmission interlocks; \28\ safety belts on motorcoaches; \29\ rear-
view cameras; \30\ ADAS; \31\ impaired driving prevention technology;
\32\ enhanced vehicle hood and bumpers to better protect vulnerable
road users; \33\ and, advanced head lamps.\34\ The NHTSA has estimated
that between 1960 and 2012, over 600,000 lives were saved by motor
vehicle safety technologies.\35\
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\24\ Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and
Documentation (TREAD) Act, Pub. L. 106-414 (Nov. 1, 2000).
\25\ Anton's Law, Pub. L. 107-318 (Dec. 4, 2002).
\26\ Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity
Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Pub. L. 109-59 (Aug. 10, 2005).
\27\ Id.
\28\ Id.
\29\ Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act,
Pub. L. 112-141 (Jan. 3, 2012).
\30\ Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007,
Pub. L. 110-189 (Feb. 28, 2008).
\31\ Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Pub. L. 117-58 (Nov.
15, 2021).
\32\ Id.
\33\ Id.
\34\ Id.
\35\ Lives Saved by Vehicle Safety Technologies and Associated
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, 1960 to 2012, DOT HS 812 069
(NHTSA, 2015); See also, NHTSA AV Policy, Executive Summary, p. 5
endnote 1.
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ADAS:
ADAS can prevent or mitigate crashes caused by numerous factors
including distracted, drugged, drunk, and drowsy driving, and protect
drivers, vehicle occupants and other road users.
Compelling and irrefutable research by the IIHS found the following
benefits about ADAS components:
AEB can decrease front-to-rear crashes with injuries by
56 percent;
LDW can reduce single-vehicle, sideswipe and head-on
injury crashes by over 20 percent;
BSD can diminish injury crashes involving lane changes by
23 percent;
Rear AEB can reduce backing crashes by 78 percent when
combined with rearview camera and parking sensors;
Rear cross-traffic alert can reduce backing crashes by 22
percent; and,\36\
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\36\ IIHS, Real world benefits of crash avoidance technologies,
available at: https://www.iihs.org/media/259e5bbd-f859-42a7-bd54-
3888f7a2d3ef/e9boUQ/Topics/ADVANCED%20DRIVER
%20ASSISTANCE/IIHS-real-world-CA-benefits.pdf.
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Equipping large trucks with forward collision warning and
AEB could eliminate more than two out of five crashes in which a large
truck rear-ends another vehicle.\37\
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\37\ IIHS, Study shows front crash prevention works for large
trucks too, available at: https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/study-shows-
front-crash-prevention-works-for-large-trucks-too.
Furthermore, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has
included increasing implementation of collision avoidance technologies
in its Most Wanted Lists of Transportation Safety Improvements since
2016.\38\
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\38\ NTSB Most Wanted List Archives, https://ntsb.gov/safety/mwl/
Pages/mwl_archive.aspx.
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However, the widespread use of these lifesaving technologies and
realizing their significant lifesaving benefits are hampered when they
are not required as standard equipment on all new vehicles. Today, AEB
may only be sold as part of an additional, expensive trim package along
with other non-safety features, or included as standard equipment in
high end models or vehicles. This situation hinders mass dissemination
and safety equity by providing access only to those individuals and
families who can afford an upcharge of thousands of dollars for the
best brake systems.
Moreover, there are currently no minimum safety standards to ensure
the technologies perform as expected and as needed to protect all road
users, not just vehicle occupants. This void of regulations for ADAS
needlessly endangers bicyclists, pedestrians, roadside first
responders, and others.\39\ Additionally, the average age of vehicles
operated on roads in the U.S. was approximately 15.7 years in 2022.\40\
Further delays on issuance of Final Rules will needlessly extend the
length of time for ADAS to attain market saturation in the light
vehicle (i.e., car) and CMV fleets.
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\39\ Note some ADAS may not be appropriate for certain CMV
operations.
\40\ Robert Ferris, Cars on American roads keep getting older, CNBC
(Sep. 28, 2021).
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The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) took steps to
remedy this deficiency.\41\ The law requires the U.S. DOT to issue a
final rule within two years for AEB in large CMVs and the issuance of a
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (FMCSR) to require drivers use
AEB.\42\ The U.S. DOT issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in
July.\43\ The IIJA also required U.S. DOT to promulgate a rule
requiring AEB on passenger vehicles.\44\ The U.S. DOT subsequently
issued an NPRM in June.\45\ Advocates submitted comments to both
proposed rules. When these two rules are completed and implemented,
they will have a significant impact on safety and result in substantial
reductions in highway deaths and injuries. It is incumbent that the
U.S. DOT not delay completion of comprehensive regulatory action and
meet statutory deadlines.
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\41\ Pub. L. 117-58 (Nov. 15, 2021).
\42\ Id.
\43\ 88 FR 43174, July 6, 2023.
\44\ Pub. L. 117-58.
\45\ 88 FR 38632 (June 13, 2023).
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Teen Truckers:
Despite the growing number of needless truck crash deaths and
injuries, the IIJA unfortunately allows the DOT to implement a pilot
program allowing teens to drive an 80,000 lb. truck in interstate
commerce. This program runs counter to numerous studies conducted by
the IIHS and others that have found that ``age is a strong risk factor
for truck crash involvement.'' \46\ CMV drivers under the age of 19 are
four times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes, as compared to
CMV drivers who are 21 years of age and older, and CMV drivers ages 19-
20 are six times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes (compared
to CMV drivers 21 years and older).\47\ The general pattern of over-
involvement in fatal crashes for younger CMV drivers dominates all
other factors. Studies of young CMV drivers show that as the age of the
driver decreases, large truck fatal crash involvement rates
increase.\48\ Generally, younger drivers are more likely to be involved
in fatal crashes because they lack driving experience and skills and
tend to take greater risks. Development of the brain region vital to
decision making and complex tasks, specifically the pre-frontal cortex,
may not be fully reached until one's mid-20s.\49\
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\46\ Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Comments to the
docket, FMCSA-2000-8410-0515; citing Christie, R. and Fabre, J. 1999.
Potential for fast-tracking heavy vehicle drivers. Melbourne,
Australia: National Road Transport Commission; Blower, D. 1996. The
accident experience of younger truck drivers. Ann Arbor, MI: University
of Michigan Transportation Research Institute; Frith, W.J. 1994. A
case-control study of heavy vehicle drivers' working time and safety.
Proceedings of the 17th Australian Road Research Board Conference, 17-
30. Queensland, Australia: Australian Road Research Board; Stein, H.S.
and Jones, I.S. (1988).
\47\ Campbell, K. L., Fatal Accident Involvement Rates By Driver
Age For Large Trucks, Accid. Anal. & Prev. Vol 23, No. 4, pp. 287-295
(1991).
\48\ Campbell, K. L., Fatal Accident Involvement Rates By Driver
Age For Large Trucks, Accid. Anal. & Prev. Vol 23, No. 4, pp. 287-295
(1991).
\49\ Arian, M, et al., Maturation of the adolescent brain,
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment (Apr. 3, 2013).
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Diverse stakeholders including safety groups, law enforcement,
public health and consumer organizations, truck drivers, labor unions,
some trucking companies, and truck crash victims and survivors have
repeatedly opposed efforts to lower the age to operate CMVs in
interstate commerce. Additionally, the public has resoundingly rejected
lowering the minimum age for interstate truck and bus drivers.
According to a 2020 public opinion poll conducted by Engine's Caravan
Survey, a large majority, 62 percent of respondents, oppose reducing
the minimum driving age for interstate operations.\50\
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\50\ Engine's Caravan Survey Public Opinion Poll (2020).
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The IIJA included a provision requiring the establishment of a
pilot program to permit teen truckers to operate in interstate
commerce.\51\ If accepted research protocols are not followed by the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), it could result in
preventable deaths and injuries and will also jeopardize the legitimacy
of the outcomes of the program. Additionally, the agency's
recommendations and conclusions in the required report to Congress must
be supported by sufficient evidence and data collected during the
program.
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\51\ Pub. L. 117-58, Sec. 23022 (2021).
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Speed Limiters:
Advocates has consistently supported the use of speed limiting
devices for CMVs. As detailed by the FMCSA, the safety benefits of
controlling the speed of a CMV are incontrovertible. The agency noted,
``crashes involving heavy vehicles traveling faster are more deadly
than crashes involving heavy vehicles traveling at lower speeds.'' \52\
Further, a 2012 study commissioned by FMCSA ``showed strong positive
benefits for speed-limited trucks.'' \53\ Speed governing technology is
used throughout the industry and is supported by drivers.\54\ Already,
speed limiting systems are required throughout the world including in
Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.\55\
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\52\ 81 FR 61944 (Sep. 9, 2016).
\53\ Id. at 61950.
\54\ Preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis (PRIA) and Initial
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, FMVSS No. 140, Speed Limiting Devices,
p. 28 (NHTSA, Aug. 2016); Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS), Speed limiters in trucks would serve 2 purposes, Status Report,
Vol. 45, No. 8 (Aug. 21, 2010).
\55\ PRIA.
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Data provided by FMCSA also demonstrates safety benefits of setting
the speed at 60 miles-per-hour (MPH). The agency estimates that setting
the device at 60 MPH has the potential to save almost 500 lives and
prevent nearly 11,000 injuries annually. By comparison setting the
speed at 65 or 68 MPH will result in far less lives saved and injuries
prevented. In fact, setting the speed at 60 MPH will result in over
five times the number of lives saved and injuries prevented each year
compared to 68 MPH.\56\
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\56\ See: 81 FR 61942 (Sep. 7, 2016).
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For FMCSA to fulfill its mission to reduce crashes, injuries, and
fatalities involving large trucks and buses, the agency must not be
prevented from promptly completing an overdue and necessary rulemaking
to require the use of speed limiting technology on CMVs.
Underride Guards:
Technology is currently available that can prevent a passenger
vehicle from traveling underneath the rear or side of a trailer and
significantly increase the chances of survival. The NTSB has
recommended rear, side, and front underride protection.\57\ The IIHS
conducted crash testing of side underride guards in 2017 that
demonstrated the device's effectiveness.\58\ IIHS conducted crashes at
both 35 and 40 MPH.\59\ At both speeds the side underride guard which
was tested prevented the vehicle from traveling under the side of the
trailer resulting in no passenger compartment intrusion of the test
vehicle.\60\ Moreover, the side underride guard tested by IIHS is
currently available for purchase to the public.\61\ Requiring side
underride guards on trailers could save many lives and prevent numerous
serious debilitating injuries over the long use life of a trailer. As
such, U.S. DOT should require the installation of comprehensive
underride protection (side and front) for the entire CMV.
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\57\ NTSB Safety Recommendations H-10-12, H-10-13, H-14-03, H-14-
02, H-14-04.
\58\ IIHS, Side guard on semitrailer prevents underride in 40 mph
test (Aug. 29, 2017).
\59\ Id.
\60\ Id.
\61\ Id.
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In June 2022, NHTSA updated the rear underride guard standard, yet
it remains insufficient.\62\ The IIHS has created a TOUGHGUARD award
for improved rear guard performance.\63\ The standard issued by U.S.
DOT in 2022 does not meet the standards of the IIHS crash testing
despite nine of the largest trailer manufacturers having been given the
award.\64\ Advocates and other safety groups have filed a petition for
reconsideration of the rule that is pending before NHTSA.
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\62\ 87 FR 42339 (Jul. 15, 2022).
\63\ IIHS, Truck Underride Guard Ratings, available at: https://
www.iihs.org/topics/large-trucks/truck-underride.
\64\ Id.
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Protect Current Federal Truck Size and Weight Limits:
Federal weight and size limits are essential to protecting truck
drivers, the traveling public, and our Nation's roads and bridges.
According to the 2021 Infrastructure Report Card from the American
Society of Civil Engineers, America's roads receive a grade of ``D,''
and our bridges were given a ``C.'' \65\ Nearly 40 percent of our
615,000 bridges in the National Bridge Inventory are 50 years or older,
and one out of 11 is structurally deficient.\66\ Raising truck weight
or size limits could also result in an increased prevalence and
severity of crashes. Longer trucks come with operational difficulties
such as requiring more time to pass, having larger blind zones,
crossing into adjacent lanes, swinging into opposing lanes on curves
and turns, and taking a longer distance to adequately brake.
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\65\ 2021 Infrastructure Report Card--Bridges, American Society of
Civil Engineers (ASCE); 2021 Infrastructure Report Card--Roads, ASCE.
\66\ 2021 Infrastructure Report Card--Bridges (ASCE).
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ELDs:
Truck driver fatigue is a well-known and well-documented problem in
the motor carrier industry. In fact, the NTSB repeatedly has cited
fatigue as a major contributor to truck crashes.\67\ Advocates sought
the installation of electronic logging devices (ELDs) to record
drivers' hours of service (HOS) to increase compliance and thereby
reduce driver fatigue and fatigue related crashes. ELDs were required
in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act.\68\
Unfortunately, some segments of the trucking industry continue to seek
exemptions from the ELD requirement.\69\ We urge Congress to reject all
attempts to evade compliance with this lifesaving mandate.
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\67\ National Transportation Safety Board, 2016 Most Wanted List,
accessed at ntsb.gov/safety/mwl/Documents/MWL2016_Brochure_web.pdf.
\68\ Pub. L. 112-141 (2012).
\69\ H.R. 4820, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, 1st Sess., 118th Cong.
(2023).
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Infrastructure Impacts:
The IIJA includes directives to the U.S. DOT to conduct research on
the impacts of automated, connected and platooned vehicles on the
infrastructure including wear on roadway pavements as well as a report
to Congress on the existing and future impacts of AVs to transportation
infrastructure, mobility, the environment, and safety. This information
will be critical in understanding the complexity of operating AVs on
roadways, identifying foreseeable issues and necessary mitigations, and
determining future policies for this developmental technology.
Advocates urges this Subcommittee to ensure this research is completed
without further delay.
Experimental Autonomous Technology Remains Unproven and Lacks Public
Support
While the benefits of ADAS are clear, the same is not so for
several partial automation and fully autonomous technologies for both
cars and trucks which are lacking independent supportive evidence or
data.
The current testing and deployment of AVs in San Francisco is
alarming. Several San Francisco transportation agencies submitted
comments to the CPUC in May detailing numerous dangerous incidents
involving AVs operating in the city.\70\ These events include:
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\70\ San Francisco Comments to the Draft Resolution Approving
Authorization for Waymo Autonomous Vehicle Passenger Service Phase I
Driverless Deployment Program, R.12-12-011 (May 31, 2023). Available
at: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://
sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SF-Comments-on-Waymo.pdf.
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Interfering with emergency response operations including
18 incidents documented by the San Francisco Fire Department in which
AVs put firefighters and the public at risk.
Making planned and unplanned stops in travel lanes that
have interfered with transit service and blocked traffic.
Intrusions into construction zones where City employees
were working.
Obstructions caused by AVs having to interpret and
respond to human traffic control officers.
Erratic driving.\71\
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\71\ Id. at pgs. 9-11.
These treacherous incidents are also on the rise. The agencies
indicate that during this year reported monthly incidents involving AVs
have increased six-fold.\72\ In fact, in June an AV blocked San
Francisco police from responding to a shooting.\73\ What San Francisco
has been experiencing must not be replicated across the Nation by
continuing to allow for the proliferation of AVs that do not comply
with any federal safety regulations setting minimum performance
standards for driverless systems. Again, while AVs and ACMVs have
notable differences, many lessons can be learned from AV deployment in
San Francisco so known problems are avoided in future applications.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\72\ Id. at p. 3.
\73\ Self-driving car blocks police responding to San Francisco
shooting, KTVU (Jun. 11, 2023). Available at: https://www.ktvu.com/
news/self-driving-car-blocks-police-responding-to-san-francisco-
shooting
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moreover, several fatal crashes involving cars equipped with
automated driving systems (ADS) or varying levels of driving automation
have been subject to investigation by the NTSB and NHTSA. These
investigations have and will continue to identify safety deficiencies,
determine contributing causes, and recommend government and industry
actions to prevent future deadly incidents. Advocates urges this
Subcommittee to consider critical information from our Nation's
preeminent crash investigators to inform any policies related to AVs.
The Washington Post reported in June that according to NHTSA data,
there have been 17 fatal incidents, five serious injuries and 736
crashes involving Tesla vehicles operating in Autopilot mode since
2019.\74\ As of June 2022, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation
(ODI) indicated that it had identified at least fourteen crashes in
which a Tesla vehicle operating under its ``Autopilot System'' or
Traffic Aware Cruise Control collided with vehicles at crash scenes
where first responder vehicles lights and other control measures such
as flares and cones were in place. The ODI has yet to conclude this
investigation. This action must be a priority for NHTSA because of the
serious safety implications associated with these troubling and
recurring incidents. Findings from all these investigations should be
publicly released and incorporated as applicable into any future
legislation or regulation pertaining to AVs.
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\74\ Faiz Siddiqui and Jeremy B. Merrill, 17 fatalities, 736
crashes: The shocking toll of Tesla's Autopilot, Wash. Post (Jun. 10,
2023).
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It is encouraging that NHTSA has taken several essential steps to
address the substantial safety concerns associated with vehicles
equipped with ADAS and ADS. Advocates supports NHTSA obtaining valuable
data involving vehicles equipped with Level 2 ADAS and ADS through
Standing General Order 2021-01 (SGO).\75\ The agency indicates that it
believes the frequency of crashes equipped with these systems will
increase.\76\ This unique information can help the agency identify
common problems or systematic issues with certain vehicles and/or
equipment.\77\ According to data collected by the SGO, there have been
approximately 344 crashes involving ADS and 1,049 with ADAS. These
include 27 crashes resulting in a fatality.\78\ While it is important
that NHTSA continues to collect this data, Advocates supports enhancing
the SGO as outlined by several Members of Congress in a February 28,
2023 letter to the agency.\79\
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\75\ 86 FR 54287, 54288; 87 FR 4099 (Jan. 26, 2022).
\76\ Id.
\77\ Id.
\78\ Data includes crashes from July 2021-July 2023.
\79\ Letter from Reps. Schakowsky, Castor and Trahan to NHTSA
Acting Administrator Ann Carlson (Feb. 28, 2023).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The IIHS also has performed invaluable research on the Level 2 ADAS
marketed as a convenience feature intended for highway driving for
passenger motor vehicles. They have determined that if a manufacturer
does place partial automation convenience systems in a vehicle, it
should have essential safeguards to help prevent misuse that can result
in dangerous situations such as failure to pay attention to the driving
task.\80\ These include driver monitoring systems to help ensure driver
engagement with alerts to the driver that rapidly escalate in urgency
and timing. In addition, emergency interventions such as slowing or
stopping the vehicle are needed when driver disengagement with the
driving task is detected, and the driver fails to respond
appropriately. Additional safety protocols prohibiting a driver from
using the system while unbuckled or when crash avoidance systems are
disabled are critical. Consumer Reports (CR) currently rates partially
automated driving systems, but only if they have adequate driver
monitoring systems.\81\ IIHS has announced that it plans to issue
ratings on the performance of the safeguards that partial automation
employs to help drivers stay focused on the roads including escalating
alerts and appropriate emergency procedures.\82\
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\80\ IIHS, IIHS creates safeguard ratings for partial automation
(Jan. 20, 2022).
\81\ Mike Monticello, Ford's BlueCruise Ousts GM's Super Cruise as
CR's Top-Rated Active Driving Assistance System, Consumer Reports (Jan.
25, 2023).
\82\ IIHS, IIHS creates safeguard ratings for partial automation
(Jan. 20, 2022).
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Considering the current inadequate performance of partial
automation and fully autonomous technologies, it is unsurprising that
the public has significant concerns. In February 2023, Advocates
commissioned a public opinion poll that found that 83 percent of
respondents were concerned with sharing the road with driverless cars.
This number increased to 86 percent of respondents regarding driverless
trucks.\83\ Yet, 64 percent of respondents indicated that their
concerns would be addressed if the vehicles were required to meet
minimum government standards.\84\
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\83\ ENGINE'S CARAVAN SURVEY, Public Concern About Driverless Cars
and Trucks (Feb. 2023).
\84\ Id.
Ensuring the Safe Development of Autonomous Technology
Development and deployment of AVs and ACMVs must be undertaken
without jeopardizing public safety. The following commonsense
safeguards are necessary to ensure those in and around AVs and ACMVs
are protected. This also will help bolster consumer confidence in the
technology and guide development to ensure the promised societal
benefits are attained.
Adoption of Basic AV Tenets Will Guarantee Safety and Public Acceptance
Advocates spearheaded the compilation of the ``AV Tenets,'' a
people-and-safety-first approach to AV development and deployment that
identifies policy positions which should be a foundational part of any
AV policy.\85\ This comprehensive approach is based on expert analysis,
real world experience, and public opinion and is supported by 65
stakeholders representing safety, consumer, public health, labor,
bicyclists, pedestrians, disability rights, smart growth, and others.
It has four main, commonsense categories including: 1) prioritizing
safety of all road users; 2) guaranteeing accessibility and equity for
all individuals including those with disabilities; 3) preserving
consumer and worker rights; and, 4) ensuring local control and
sustainable transportation. Many promises have been touted about AVs
and ACMVs bringing reductions in motor vehicle crashes and resultant
deaths and injuries, lowering traffic congestion and vehicle emissions,
expanding mobility and accessibility, improving efficiency, and
creating more equitable transportation options and opportunities. The
AV Tenets will be necessary to help realize these goals as well as
mitigate potential negative consequences. Among the numerous
recommendations in the AV Tenets, requiring that AVs meet minimum
standards, including for cybersecurity, and that operations are subject
to adequate oversight, including a comprehensive database accessible by
vehicle identification number (VIN) with basic safety information, will
be critical to putting safety first with regards to this burgeoning
technology.
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\85\ A summary of the AV Tenets is attached as an Appendix.
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Vigilant Oversight of ACMVs is Essential
The emergence of experimental ACMVs and their interactions with
conventional motor vehicles, trucks and buses and all road users for
the foreseeable future demand an enhanced level of federal and state
oversight to ensure public safety. It is imperative that CMVs,
including those with ADS, be regulated by U.S. DOT with enforceable
safety standards and subject to adequate oversight. The potential of an
80,000 pound truck equipped with unregulated and inadequately tested
technology on public roads is a very real and dangerous scenario if
these vehicles are only subject to voluntary guidelines. In addition,
automated passenger carrying CMVs which have the potential to carry as
many as 53 passengers will need additional comprehensive federal rules
specific to this mode of travel.
At a minimum, ACMVs must be subject to the following essential
provisions:
In the near term, rulemakings must be promulgated for
elements of ACMVs that require performance standards including but not
limited to the ADS, human machine interface, sensors, privacy, software
and cybersecurity. ACMVs must also be subject to a ``vision test'' to
guarantee they properly detect and respond to other vehicles, all
people and objects in the operating environment. Also, a standard to
ensure ACMVs do not go outside of their operational design domain (ODD)
should be issued.
Drivers operating an ACMV must have an additional
endorsement or equivalent certification on their commercial driver's
license (CDL) to ensure they have been properly trained to monitor and
understand the ODD of the vehicle and, if need be, to operate an ACMV.
This training must include a minimum number of hours of behind-the-
wheel training.
Each manufacturer of an ACMV must be required to submit a
safety assessment report that details the safety performance of
automated driving systems and automated vehicles. Manufacturers must be
required to promptly report to NHTSA all crashes involving ACMVs
causing fatalities, injuries and property damage.
ACMVs that do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS) must not be introduced into commerce nor be
subject to large-scale exemptions from such.
Any safety defect involving the ACMV must be remedied
before the ACMV is permitted to return to operation. The potential for
defects to infect an entire fleet of vehicles is heightened because of
the connected nature of AV technology. Therefore, manufacturers must be
required to promptly determine if a defect affects an entire fleet.
Those defects which are fleet-wide must result in notice to all such
owners and an immediate suspension of operation of the entire fleet
until the defect is remedied.
The U.S. DOT Secretary must establish a database for
ACMVs that includes such information as the vehicle's identification
number; manufacturer, make, and model; the level of automation of each
automated driving system with which the vehicle is equipped; the ODD of
each automated driving system; and, the FMVSS, if any, from which the
vehicle has been exempted. Also, when ACMVs move beyond testing into
deployment, they should be required to comply with the SGO.
For the foreseeable future, regardless of their level of
automation, ACMVs must have an operator with a valid CDL in the vehicle
at all times. Drivers will need to be alert to oversee not only the
standard operations of the truck but also the ADS. Therefore, the
Secretary must issue a mandatory safety standard for driver engagement.
In addition, critical safety regulations administered by FMCSA such as
those that apply to driver HOS, licensing requirements, entry level
training and medical qualifications must not be weakened.
Motor carriers using ACMVs must be required to apply for
additional operating authority.
FMCSA must consider the additional measures that will be
needed to ensure that ACMVs respond to state and local law enforcement
authorities and requirements, and what measures must be taken to
properly evaluate an ACMV during roadside inspections. In particular,
the safety impacts on passenger vehicle traffic of several large ACMVs
platooning on bridges, roads and highways must be assessed.
NHTSA must be given imminent hazard authority to protect
against potentially widespread catastrophic defects with ACMVs, and
criminal penalties to ensure manufacturers do not willfully and
knowingly put defective ACMVs into the marketplace.
NHTSA and FMCSA must be given additional resources,
funding, and personnel, in order to meet demands being placed on the
agencies due to the advent of AV technology.
Without these necessary safety protections, commercial drivers and
those sharing the road with them are at unacceptable risk. Allowing
technology to be deployed without rigorous testing, vigilant oversight,
and comprehensive safety standards is a direct and unacceptable threat
to the motoring public which is exacerbated by the sheer size and
weights of large CMVs.
ACMVs Will Impact our Nation's Infrastructure
The design of our roads--from the asphalt, to the signage, to the
lighting, to the speed limit--is largely based on the history of human
performance behind the wheel and the capability of the vehicles. The
introduction of AVs and ACMVs stands to essentially require a re-write
of many of these guidelines for road design and use in the future.
However, in the near term, there will need to be an evaluation of how
standards for design can be enhanced and possibly altered to safely
accommodate both human and machine ``drivers.''
Every driver has experienced road signs or markings that have been
damaged, intentionally altered or blocked by objects. This could lead
to misinterpretation of roadway and highway cues and result in stopped
or misdirected AVs and ACMVs that will present additional hazards. Both
human and machine ``drivers'' would benefit from improved lane marking
as well as establishing standards for pavement resurfacing to ensure
that repair seams and color differences do not confuse AV systems.
Establishing uniform standards for signage color, lighting, contrast,
letter size, and other roadway features will likely benefit the
performance of AVs and ACMVs and will also reap similar advantages for
human drivers in the interim. Many of the current manuals' guidelines
and recommendations are almost always open to engineering
interpretation. With the advent of AVs and ACMVs, more emphasis must be
placed on consistency, and consideration must be given to the effects
variations can have on autonomous driving technology. While a human
driver can see a unique situation and interpret those circumstances, an
AV or ACMV may not be able to do the same. Research already has shown
that minor distortion of a sign can cause havoc for AVs, causing stop
signs to be interpreted as speed limit signs, a confusion which can
have serious, and potentially fatal, results.\86\ Clearly, new rules
are required if ACMVs are allowed on our roadways on a widespread
basis.
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\86\ Evtimov, Ivan & Eykholt, Kevin & Fernandes, Earlence & Kohno,
Tadayoshi & Li, Bo & Prakash, Atul & Rahmati, Amir & Song, Dawn.
(2017). Robust Physical-World Attacks on Machine Learning Models.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roadway deterioration and delayed repair, which are common
occurrences on existing infrastructure, will have a negative impact on
AV and ACMV operation. Additionally, the lower variance of an AV's,
including ACMVs, position within a lane could lead to accelerated wear
in lanes, and condensed convoys of automated trucks, commonly known as
platooning, could place further strain on roads and bridges. These
concerns must be evaluated to consider operational constraints for AVs
and ACMVs before further damage is inflicted upon our Nation's roads
and bridges which are already weakened and in dire need of
fortification and updating, as mentioned above. For example, the
spacing between ACMVs in a platoon could have wide-ranging
implications. If these large vehicles travel too closely together,
their combined weight load could place severe stress on a bridge. In
addition, lengthy platoons which consist of many ACMVs could be
difficult to pass and affect merging and exiting from roadways.
Taking into consideration the long-term ramifications, the
budgetary constraints, the impacts on safety, and the necessary
coordination among a diverse group of stakeholders when it comes to
planning and implementing infrastructure projects at any level,
research on the impact of AVs on our roads is clearly needed. In
addition, further research is required to examine the differing
infrastructure upgrades that will be required for urban, suburban, and
rural regions. More analysis and deliberation must be given to this
complex issue before AVs, particularly ACMVs, can be deployed.
Dispelling Misleading Claims about AVs and ACMVs
Some proponents of ACMVs claim that they will relieve supply chain
issues by addressing the so-called ``driver shortage'' within the
trucking industry by eliminating the need for human drivers and
allowing for the more efficient movement of goods through the constant
operation of trucks. However, harsh and unsafe working conditions for
truck drivers have created a retention crisis, not a driver shortage.
In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor has determined that ``the labor
market for truck drivers works about as well as the labor markets for
other blue-collar occupations'' and ``a deeper look [at the truck
industry labor market] does not find evidence of a secular shortage.''
\87\ In addition, states issued more than 50,000 new CDLs and permits
each month on average in 2021, demonstrating that there are candidates
to fill vacancies.\88\
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\87\ United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Is the U.S. labor market for truck drivers broken? (Mar. 2019).
\88\ FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Administration Trucking Action
Plan to Strengthen America's Trucking Workforce (Dec. 16, 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The supply chain issues currently facing the Nation are complex and
will not be solved by the introduction of ACMVs, which will not be
ready for prime time in the near future. This technology still faces
significant operational challenges such as responding to all
participants in the transportation ecosystem including traffic control
officers and vulnerable road users as well as differing weather
conditions. Moreover, the constant operation of trucks raises serious
questions as to the ability to properly service vehicles continuously
in use. Even without this potential new regime, 23 percent of CMVs were
placed out of service in 2022 for maintenance issues.\89\ In addition,
many of the issues with the physical condition of the truck that would
be identified by a human driver during a pre- or post-trip inspection
as well as problems during a trip such as the shift of a load or other
emergencies noted by a human driver may not be identified or corrected
under this type of use.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\89\ See: FMCSA Enforcement Programs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Furthermore, adding an autonomous driving system into passenger
carrying vehicles such as buses does not negate the need for a driver.
Human interaction remains essential. Beyond the operational task, these
professional drivers have a myriad of other responsibilities including
assisting individuals with disabilities on and off the bus safely,
managing emergency situations and the delivery of medical care, and
coordinating safe transportation for all people.
Supporters of ACMVs also contend that placing autonomous systems in
a CMV is not as daunting a task as with passenger vehicles because CMVs
operate largely on highways, an easier environment for the technology
to master. Operating a CMV on a congested highway at a high rate of
speed is a complicated task in a dangerous environment as evidenced by
the fact that a quarter of fatal crashes involving CMVs occur on
highways.\90\ Additionally, as CMVs do not operate exclusively on
highways, safe operations on the more complex environment of the first
and last mile must be achieved.
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\90\ U.S. DOT, Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2019, Table 5,
Report FMCSA-RRA-20-055 (Oct. 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lastly, supporters of ACMVs also claim that the technology will
eliminate most crashes citing a statistic accredited to NHTSA which
indicates that 94 percent of crashes are due to human error or the
fault of the driver.\91\ Their use of this statistic is misleading. The
agency has noted in the same report which includes this data point that
``[t]he critical reason is the immediate reason for the critical pre-
crash event and is often the last failure in the causal chain of events
leading up to the crash. Although the critical reason is an important
part of the description of events leading up to the crash, it is not
intended to be interpreted as the cause of the crash nor as the
assignment of the fault to the driver, vehicle, or environment''
(emphasis added).\92\ This statistic was rebuked by NTSB Chair Jennifer
Homendy who stated, ``At the same time it relieves everybody else of
responsibility they have for improving safety, including DOT . . . You
can't simultaneously say we're focused on a `safe system' approach--
making sure everybody who shares responsibility for road safety is
taking action to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries . . .--and
have a 94% number out there, which is not accurate.'' \93\ There are
often multiple causes of a crash and replacing human error in the
operation of a vehicle, when it does occur, with unproven, unreliable
and unsafe technology is not an acceptable solution to reducing the
death toll on our Nation's roads.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\91\ Singh, S. (2015, February). Critical reasons for crashes
investigated in the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey.
(Traffic Safety Facts Crash Stats. Report No. DOT HS 812 115).
Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
\92\ Id.
\93\ Hope Yen and Tom Krisher, NTSB chief to fed agency: Stop using
misleading statistics, Associated Press (Jan. 18, 2022).
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Some proponents of advancing the deployment of AVs contend the U.S.
is at risk of falling behind other nations unless it takes steps to
merely promote and identify a regulatory ``framework'' rather than
regulate ACMVs. However, this fear-inducing claim is inaccurate. In
fact, other countries are taking a more calculated, careful, and
cautious approach to the development of AVs.\94\ For example:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\94\ Autonomous vehicles: cross jurisdictional regulatory
perspectives update, Oct. 7, 2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
China continues to require permits or restricts
operations of AVs on its roads to only those areas approved by the
authorities.\95\
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\95\ China drafts rules on use of self-driving vehicles for public
transport; Aug. 8, 2022, Reuters; and Baidue bags China's first fully
driverless robotaxi licenses, Aug. 7, Reuters. Real driverless cars are
now legal in Shenzhen, China's tech hub, Jul. 25, 2022, TechCrunch+.
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Germany continues to require permits, approvals, and
limits areas of operation for AVs.\96\
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\96\ Germany completes legal framework for autonomous driving--
Federal Cabinet approves new ordinance, Apr. 2022, Malterer, M.
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In Japan, the introduction of Level 4 vehicles will be
controlled and limited to specific, lightly populated areas.\97\
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\97\ Japan to open roads to autonomous vehicles in 2023, Nov. 28,
2022, Wessling, B., The RobotReport.
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Even the latest United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UNECE) regulations will limit operations to restrict risks and
oversee approval through testing and other requirements.\98\
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\98\ New rules to improve road safety and enable fully driverless
vehicles in the EU, Jul. 6, 2022, UNECE.
According to the most recent KPMG analysis, the U.S. ranks fourth
in the world for AV readiness, while China stands at number twenty. In
short, the U.S. is not lagging other countries in allowing AVs to go to
market, but we are behind in establishing comprehensive regulations to
ensure public safety will not be jeopardized or diminished. As Dr.
Missy Cummings, Professor, George Mason University, College of
Engineering and Computing, and a well-respected expert on autonomy and
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robotics, stated during a briefing convened by Advocates in March 2023:
I was a military officer; I spent three years on the Defense
Innovation Board advising the Secretary of Defense. China is a
real threat, a real problem that we have to address from a
national security perspective. What it [China] is not is a
threat to our commercialization of autonomous vehicles. And any
insistence that it actually takes away from the emphasis that
we need to place on national security. So, what I would really
like everyone to do is back off the China fear mongering. China
is not beating us to the commercialization of autonomous
vehicles . . .\99\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\99\ Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Virtual Capitol Hill
Briefing: Expert Panel on Autonomous Vehicle Safety (Mar. 7, 2023).
See: https://saferoads.org/briefing-expert-panel-on-autonomous-vehicle-
av-safety-3-7-23-public/.
In sum, no country is selling fully automated vehicles to the
public and by many accounts, none will be for a significant time in the
future.\100\ The U.S. is not behind other countries in allowing them to
go to market, but we are behind in establishing and enforcing
comprehensive safeguards to ensure that this process happens without
jeopardizing or diminishing public safety.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\100\ Lawrence Ulrich, Driverless Still a Long Way From Humanless,
N.Y. Times (Jun. 20, 2019); Level 5 possible but ``way in the future'',
says VW-Ford AV boss, Motoring (Jun. 29, 2019).
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The fact remains that there is scant independently verifiable data
that ACMVs can operate safely on any road or help to address any of the
Nation's longstanding supply chain issues. Furthermore, we already know
from real world experience the limitations, mistakes, defects,
failings, and faults of self-driving technologies currently in cars. It
would be irresponsible and an abrogation of safety to allow self-
driving trucks, weighing 80,000 pounds and traveling at high speeds to
operate on streets and highways with cars, motorcycles, and other road
users without first meeting basic minimum performance requirements
established with federal government standards.
Conclusion
Since our founding in 1989, Advocates has supported and worked to
advance in federal legislation and government rulemaking the safe and
equitable development and requirement for proven technologies to reduce
crashes and save lives on our Nation's roads. Consequential and
worthwhile societal benefits and improvements to public safety will
require implementing and enforcing mandatory comprehensive safeguards
to ensure AV and ACMV technology is developed and deployed without
putting the public at risk. To address the current motor vehicle crash
crisis, public officials should work to require the installation of
available, advanced, and proven safety technologies in all new vehicles
and improving our compromised infrastructure. Concurrently, the
approach of the AV Tenets should be utilized to ensure the safety of
all road users and address the known and foreseeable challenges and
issues of AV operations. Advancing safety and moving forward with
innovation can and must be compatible goals, and not trade-offs. The
public deserves that its safety on our public roadways be the number
one priority and that known safety solutions be implemented
immediately.
Appendix
Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Tenets
November 30, 2020
[Editor's note: The Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Tenets are retained in
committee files and are available online at https://saferoads.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/11/AV-Tenets-11-24-20-1.pdf]
Mr. Crawford. Thank you.
And let the record reflect that each of our four witnesses
came in under their allotted time, which rarely happens. I
appreciate that.
I now recognize Members for questioning, starting with
myself.
Mr. Spear, I appreciate everything ATA and its members do
to improve safety and the quality of life for our Nation's
truckdrivers, particularly during this week as we honor our
truckdrivers in National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
This committee believes in the value of American truckers,
as do you. I know that is the case. We are exploring new
technologies. And that is not to try and displace truckers. It
is actually to assist truckers.
And I want to know if you agree with that statement and, if
so, can you expand on it a little bit.
Mr. Spear. I do.
I really draw attention, as we were talking through our
opening statements, about the shortage of talent. We see it
across every segment of employment, but specific to
truckdrivers, we are short right now 78,000 drivers. We are
going to have to bring in 1.2 million more over the next decade
just to meet economic demand and deal with an aging, retiring
workforce. So, there is a massive gap here to fill.
Innovation can play a role, Mr. Chairman. It has the
ability to not only enable our existing driver force to be more
aware and responsive and have more command and control when
they are driving, which is good for the motoring public, that
breeds safety, but it also has the development of autonomous
vehicles in years to come where we can fill that gap.
If we are not going to add workforce to fill that 78,000,
we are going to need technology. We are going to need
innovation to play that role.
So, we believe that there is a place for both to
cohabitate, and displacement is a myth.
Now, if we didn't have a shortage, we would be having a
candid discussion about people losing their jobs. That is not
the case here. There is no data to support that. I have read
all the letters and everything that has been submitted to you.
I can assure you displacement is a myth.
So, there is plenty of room for innovation to play a role.
We need to embrace it. And it has serious measurable benefits
to safety.
Mr. Crawford. Thank you.
I want to turn to Mr. Urmson if I could.
We are living in a world now where we face a lot of cyber
threats. And so, I want to give you an opportunity to kind of
explain how your technology addresses that evolving threat.
Because what is happening today doesn't look like what will
happen tomorrow and the next day with regard to cyber threats.
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
Obviously, cybersecurity is a much broader topic than
automated vehicles. We have this challenge whether it is with
our industrial infrastructure or with vehicles that are on the
road today.
At Aurora, we take this very seriously. Our whole business
is our intellectual property and the systems we are developing.
And so, we have invested heavily in a cybersecurity team. I
think we have around 50 people that are dedicated to improving
the cybersecurity both of our corporate infrastructure but,
importantly, the product infrastructure.
They look at best practices, various standards that are
promulgated, even though it is, of course, from NIST, and we
integrate that into the way we develop our system.
So, as you know, we have to continue to innovate in this
space. It is kind of a running battle. But we feel well-
equipped to fight that battle.
Mr. Crawford. Thank you.
Mr. Farrah, real quick. Monday, the California Senate
passed a bill requiring a driver in any autonomous vehicle over
10,000 pounds. What is the impact of this legislation on our
Nation's supply chain?
Mr. Farrah. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for the
question.
The bill I believe you are referring to is AB 316. And,
interestingly enough, Governor Newsom's agencies at a State
level, including the Department of Motor Vehicles, the
Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, other
agencies, have vociferously opposed this bill. They have noted
that it would be detrimental from a safety and supply chain
perspective to California.
I think that it really goes back to what I said during the
opening statement, which is that we need to move more freight
in this country, otherwise, we are letting down the people that
depend upon the supply chain.
That is acutely the case in California. You have seen a lot
of strains that have happened on the ports of Long Beach and in
Los Angeles. This is something where a lot of the prominence of
those ports has shifted east, and that has certainly benefited
other States.
And California is very vital to our supply chain. And so,
if they ultimately reject this technology, this is something
where it not only locks in the safety status quo, which is
unacceptable, on California's roads, it also continues to put
California behind the eight ball.
And so, we are hopeful that Governor Newsom's agencies are
able to ultimately make this point very loud and clear, and we
are hopeful that the Governor will veto that bill.
Mr. Crawford. Thank you. And I would again thank the
witnesses.
I yield the balance of my time and recognize Ranking Member
Norton.
Ms. Norton. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Chase, your testimony was a little scary. You held up a
picture that I took note of. And you note that there are
currently no standards to ensure that driver assistance
technologies protect those outside of the vehicle, including
pedestrians and cyclists.
As we see the advancement from driver assistance technology
to fully self-driving vehicles, we need to protect these
vulnerable road users even more.
What should Congress and the Department of Transportation
be doing to ensure that partially and fully automated vehicles
will prioritize the safety of those walking and bicycling on
our roads?
Ms. Chase. Thank you for the question, Ranking Member
Norton.
I want to first clarify that my staff informed me that I
misspoke. I said ``automatic emergency trucks'' instead of
``automatic emergency braking.'' And that brings me to answer
your question, actually.
On the road to protect vulnerable road users, we should be
advancing proven technologies that we know work now. For
example, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which is
well known for its crash testing down in Ruckersville,
Virginia, is a very prominent and respected organization, and
they have demonstrated that automatic emergency braking can
reduce front-to-rear large truck crashes by 41 percent. That is
pretty tremendous if you think about it.
So, on the path to autonomous vehicles, as we think about
protecting all road users, including vulnerable road users, we
really need to make sure that technologies like automatic
emergency braking and other advanced driver assistance systems
get into all trucks now.
We know how to save lives. We just need Congress and the
U.S. Department of Transportation, as you suggested, to make it
happen.
There are also other technologies, like underride
protections, speed limiters, and electronic logging devices,
which are required in cars now, but there are currently special
interests who request exemptions. We need to protect ELDs
because they do make sure that truckdrivers are following the
hours-of-service requirements.
So, in sum, there are steps that can be taken on the path
to automated trucks that could be saving lives now.
Ms. Norton. Thank you.
Mr. Farrah, now, I think, if I recall correctly, that you
said displacement would not occur, that the autonomous vehicle
companies, indeed, frequently claim that job losses in long-
haul trucking will be replaced by more jobs in short-haul
routes.
But a recent study by the University of Michigan and
Carnegie Mellon University found that the loss of long-haul
jobs will not be made up for either in quantity or in quality
by short-haul jobs.
The study notes that short-haul jobs typically pay less and
that many truckdrivers will have to relocate to find those
jobs. These factors could weaken a job option that has long
served as a path to the middle class.
Can you respond to the study's findings about losses in the
long-haul trucking sector?
Mr. Farrah. Thank you very much for the question. I
appreciate it. I would be happy to take a look at the study and
take a look at those specifics and engage with you and your
staff.
What I will say, as a general matter, is that the reality
is, is that we are not moving as much freight in this country
as we need to today. We are certainly not going to be able to
move as much freight as we need to tomorrow and in many years
from now. So, we as a country need to figure out a way to do
this given the shortages that are happening.
Autonomous trucking is one of the solutions that is part of
a suite of solutions that we can all work together on to
ultimately ease a lot of these supply chain challenges.
And so, we are trying to be a part of the overall
composition of that. We think this is something where there is
plenty of work to go around, both for truckdrivers, for
autonomous trucking companies. This will ultimately allow
alleviation of a lot of the supply chain burden.
And so, that is the aim of our industry and certainly the
way we see things playing out over a very long period of time.
Ms. Norton. Mr. Urmson, you testified that Aurora is hoping
to launch fully self-driving trucks, without a safety driver in
the cab, by the end of next year. Even if your technology works
perfectly, it will essentially need to make life-or-death
decisions when unexpected conditions arise.
Is Aurora able to guarantee that its technology will
prioritize the safety of people--not property, not
infrastructure, but people--when making split-second decisions
on the highway?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
And safety is paramount to how we approach developing
technology at Aurora.
Today, we implement what we call a safety case, which is a
framework that explains how and why we come to the conclusion
that the vehicle is safe to operate, and we have shared that
transparently and publicly.
We do a lot of development in simulation where we test
challenging scenarios, including ones that you talk about.
Just as a concrete example, we looked at fatal accidents
that involve trucks on I-45, where our trucks are operating
today, between the years 2018 and 2022.
Across those, there are about 29 of those events where the
Aurora Driver could have actually been operating the vehicle,
and had the Aurora Driver been operating, none of those events
would have happened, which translates to no fatalities in those
situations.
To give you an idea of the type of situations that come up,
there was one event that we looked at where two passenger
vehicles had had a minor fender bender. The people got out of
the vehicle, were assessing it. A heavy truck came down the
road behind them, for whatever reason noticed the event late,
and then swerved on the shoulder to avoid the vehicles and
ultimately killed some people.
In our simulations, what happens is exactly what you had
hoped would happen. The truck sees them at range, reacts,
decelerates, and then lane changes to the left to avoid the
scene, and everybody would have gone home safely.
So, we take that objective very seriously.
Mr. Crawford. The gentlewoman's time has expired.
Mr. Bost, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. Bost. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And I am going to say more of a statement. I am not even
going to ask questions.
Many of you know that I grew up in a trucking company. I
drove trucks. I lived it. We started a business in--I didn't
start a business in 1933, I am not that old, but my grandfather
did.
But I have some serious concerns as far as AV trucking. And
I want to be real clear that I am not opposed to it.
At the same time, I want to make sure that certain
important roles of human drivers are not lost because of that
innovation.
I have sat in the seat, like I have told you. I ran the
company. It is a small company.
My big concern is, is that the only ones who will have
access are the mega trucking companies and/or those that can
make the major investments and that it will strangle the small
trucking companies out of business. I have concerns about that.
I also have concerns about how much safety it is that we
can actually put in autonomous trucks. I know that the
technology is there. I also know that we have enemies around
this world that know how to tap into technology and can cause
major concern if we have a lot of them running up and down our
roads and would possibly do some kind of technology that would
cause a loss or a breakdown when we become dependent on too
many of the autonomous trucks.
I know the concerns that we have. I know the concerns we
have. And we put ourselves into a lot of this situation in this
United States. One, I think the fact is, is that we have made
it so difficult for drivers quite often to get their license.
In my company, we never let anybody who was unsafe drive.
We checked them out. But now we have put rules in place that
says: No, no, no. Now you are going to pay a lot of money to
send them to a truck driving school. And then a bigger company
can take them away, and you have spent all the money on
educating and making sure you have a safe driver.
Not only that, we have States throughout this Nation that
keep legalizing marijuana, and we can't get drivers to pass a
simple drug test because once you smoke one joint, that shows
up in your bloodstream for 30 days. It is not like having a
beer on Sunday and driving on Monday.
So, we have put ourselves in a lot of bad situations by
existing laws. I think we still have a problem, as far as I am
concerned, of hours in service and with the electronic logbooks
because it doesn't allow for drivers to use the common sense
and common safety that would encourage them to stay in the
trucking business. All of a sudden, they are an hour from home
and they are plenty rested, they can't go ahead and get back
home. Instead, they have to find a place to pull over.
And many of you know that I am also carrying the language
for truck parking because you see all the problems we have out
there right now. And I appreciate your support on doing that.
But my statement is just this. I know everybody wants to be
safe, but I think there are certain safety mechanisms that we
can't guarantee. We can't guarantee what hackers might be able
to get into and put autonomous trucks at risk to our people. I
mean, I think we can put a lot of safety in there, but we have
got to be very, very, very careful.
And I would hate to see a truck driving industry--I know we
need drivers now, but I would hate to see this grow so much
that we are no longer dependent on our truckdrivers. They do a
good job.
I am always bothered by the fact, whenever I am driving
down the road with some friends, and you have all done it or
you have all seen it happen, and you are following behind and
one truck is trying to pass another truck and you are in a
hurry and, by golly, you are griping at the truckdriver.
You should never bad mouth the truckdriver or the farmer
when your mouth is full. It just isn't wise.
And let me say that we have got to make sure that the
drivers that are making sure the shelves are full have the
opportunity to continue to get good-paying jobs doing the work
that many of them love, and I just don't want to see us head
down a path where we would destroy that.
And I am sure this technology is going to move forward.
There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. But I am concerned
about those issues. I know that each one of you are bringing
them up, and I know you are watching them very closely. But on
this week and month where we are thanking our truckdrivers, we
want to make sure that we are truly thanking them, not putting
them out.
So, thank you.
Mr. Crawford. The gentleman yields.
Ranking Member Larsen.
Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The first question is for Ms. Chase.
In hearing quite a bit about safety, much of this potential
seems to be years away. And in your testimony, you talked
through steps that can be taken today.
What would be the top three steps we could take today to
improve truck safety and save lives that we are not doing?
Ms. Chase. Thank you for the question, Ranking Member
Larsen.
As I briefly touched upon with the previous question, I
think that automatic emergency braking, getting that into
trucks today, would be a significant improvement to reducing
truck crashes and also car crashes. Additionally, if we get
underride protections on both the rear and the side.
And for those of you unfamiliar, who may be unfamiliar with
what an underride crash is, it is when the trailer of a truck,
which is about at the neck height of a car passenger, goes
underneath the truck.
And these are particularly gruesome crashes. And if someone
survives, they most likely suffer significant brain injury or
had to undergo many surgeries. We have worked with crash
victims who have survived, and it is a very difficult life to
go through.
So, those are the top two.
And then the third one, as I mentioned, are speed limiters.
We know that about 1,000 people are being killed every year in
crashes involving speeding trucks.
So, if we get the trucks to slow down--and many trucks
already have speed limiters, so, this is nothing new. We need
to just make sure that they are in all trucks to slow the
trucks down and make the roads safer.
And thank you again for the question.
Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thanks.
Mr. Farrah, you mentioned the 44 or now 45 million miles on
public roadways that autonomous trucks have traveled. The
fatality rate is 1.24 deaths per 100 million miles. So, you are
not even halfway through the standard for the number of miles
that we use for highway fatality rates. So, there is quite some
time to go.
And I am not as enthusiastic about the safety record
because I don't think there has been enough work yet to be
enthusiastic about the safety record, is my point.
But I was curious about, absent more real-world data, has
your organization looked at any other proactive safety
standards to help prove out AV technology in terms of safer
roadways?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, thank you very much for the
question.
I should begin by saying I think that your district, in
particular, stands to benefit quite significantly from
autonomous trucking, given the proximity to ports and I-5 and
other economic activity.
In terms of data that is out there, the most important
thing that I would point out is that, as you are probably
aware, for more than 2 years, through NHTSA, the Department of
Transportation has required any autonomous vehicle company to
report any incident, no matter how minor, when the technology
is engaged.
And so, specific to autonomous trucking, this is really a
very remarkable safety record that we now have data on. What we
know is that there have only been 14 incidents during that 2-
year time period related to autonomous trucking----
Mr. Larsen of Washington [interrupting]. You testified to
that. So, absent more real-world data, do you support any
proactive safety standards to help better prove out AV
technology in terms of safer roadways?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, I think that we are seeing that
real-world data, both through the SGO, also in terms of our
members as they are passing through different intervals, 1
million, 2 million, 5 million miles driven. They are producing
a lot of that. That is being shared in a very transparent way.
And so, there is not a shortage of information out there
about the safety record of autonomous vehicle companies, and it
is something that we are quite proud of.
Mr. Larsen of Washington. You used the term ``model
driver,'' and so, I just want to tee up Mr. Urmson on this one
a little bit, because on I-45, that might actually be a model
roadway for you. You are not going to get model roadways in the
Pacific Northwest or along the northern tier of the country to
fully test out safety records.
So, what are you all doing--other than thinking about your
simulations--what are you all doing to better prove out in
nonmodel conditions the operations of AV technology on trucks?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
I think this is an important concept to understand in
automated vehicles.
Mr. Larsen of Washington. Can you speak up and just pull
the microphone----
Mr. Urmson [interrupting]. I apologize. I will try. Is that
any better, sir?
Mr. Larsen of Washington. Yes, it is.
Mr. Urmson. OK. Sorry about that. It sounded loud here.
So, as we think about developing the technology, there is
actually constraints we can put on it, where it we will
operate. And so, as we initially deploy the technology, the
Aurora Driver we constrain to operate initially on the route
between Dallas and Houston, and then we expect from there to go
between Fort Worth and El Paso.
And for each place where we expand out to, we are going to
go through a thorough process that fits into that safety case
concept that I mentioned earlier where we evaluate what is
different between this new place to drive and the last place,
incorporate that understanding, and broaden the test suite that
we expose the driver to.
So, before we ever operate in the Pacific Northwest, where
there is rain and sleet and all of that, we will make sure that
we have actually done the development and validation work that
is necessary for there.
And there is a real reason why a lot of the freight moves
along the southern freight corridor, because driving a good
truck in bad weather is still difficult for human drivers, and
so, they try to avoid it.
And so, as we see the technology coming out, it will follow
that commonsense approach and that rigorous approach to
deployment.
Mr. Larsen of Washington. For the record, we get a lot of
rain and sleet, but not like 365 days of the year. Just for the
record.
With that, I yield back.
Mr. Crawford. The gentleman yields.
Mr. LaMalfa.
Mr. LaMalfa. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to compare the potential--I know there is a
lot of safety that is driving this conversation here--but the
comparison, let's say, between highways full of trucks and our
railroad system, for example.
So, work has been done to have better train control over
the years. And I know, ``Why are you talking about trains?''
Well, because railroads have a dedicated lane, so to speak,
that only trains are on, pulling many, many, many tons and very
efficiently in doing so. But they are having difficulty even
keeping the safety record perfect on railroads.
If they were to be autonomous, versus thousands and
thousands of trucks all trying to operate off of the same set
of satellites or what have you, how in the world are we going
to do that with so many vehicles when we have a certain amount
of difficulty right now with a lot fewer on a dedicated lane
that doesn't have automobiles, doesn't have a whole lot of
people on them, doesn't have trucks with drivers?
How do we expect to integrate that many vehicles when it
has not been that easy with railroads.
So, why don't--do you want to tackle that, Mr. Spear?
Mr. Spear. Yes. I think--and I will give some deference,
too, to where the technology stands in terms of differentiating
between highways, where there are smoother roads, lines
painted, the technology functions based off of indicators that
allow it to perform at an optimal level. I think country roads,
rural environments, to delineate between that, I think that is
something that would have to evolve much longer than the
testing and deployment that we are seeing today----
Mr. LaMalfa [interrupting]. No, no. What I am asking,
though, is we are talking about it is difficult enough to keep
a safety record going on railroads, which are on dedicated
tracks, dedicated lanes, so to speak. And now we are talking
about many thousands of vehicles all trying to operate.
How about, Mr. Urmson, would you take a shot at that?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
And I think this is one of the places where there is an
opportunity where we see to leverage modern technology.
So, for example, when our trucks are driving down the road,
every second they are evaluating thousands of different
parameters to ensure that they are operating at peak
performance, whether that is the cycle times for the
computation, the health of the sensors, the health of the base
platform. And so, that level of----
Mr. LaMalfa [interrupting]. You are going to have a lot
more sensors on a whole freeway system than you already have
on, say, lesser miles of railroads with lesser numbers of
vehicles, meaning trains.
So, I am wondering how much are you asking for technology
to try and move forward with so many independent autonomous
vehicles. I know truckdrivers aren't perfect, but I appreciate
them during Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
So, let me morph this into a rural aspect, as we touched on
here. So, do you see this as being primarily something that is
being done in urban areas with high volumes of traffic?
Because I am trying to imagine how this is going to work in
rural districts like mine, moving mine products or timber
products out of the woods onto rural roads and then meeting
larger railroads and finally interstate, perhaps. Is this going
to be adapting well to those conditions?
Mr. Urmson. So, again, we don't see this as a big-bang
deployment all at once. We expect this technology to roll out
incrementally, much as Mr. Spear has talked about, to
complement other functions--or other operators on the roadway.
And so, we will initially target long-haul trips on
interstates.
Eventually, I could imagine this technology operating in
those environments, but that won't be the initial deployment.
This is how come we have so much confidence that this will be
complementary to the skills that our human driving----
Mr. LaMalfa [interrupting]. So, do you see this as a--in
the Western States, you are frequently going to have--you were
talking about weather a minute ago with heavy snows, rains,
lots of rain in the high country. Since so much of the West is
on fire so much of the summer and the fall, how about smoke? I
mean, how is that going to interfere with the technology you
are speaking of?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
And, again, here one of the things I can say is our company
was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is part of the
Nation that has all four seasons. And so, even in the first
year that we were developing the technology, we were out in a
parking lot testing in snow.
Once again, we are able to constrain the technology. So, if
the weather is so inclement that it shouldn't operate, then it
won't. But the technology----
Mr. LaMalfa [interrupting]. Well, then we are going to have
to have a backup plan to have available drivers that can
operate these autonomous vehicles. It is already difficult
enough to have these drivers with so many--the regulations and
many other challenges.
So, we shouldn't run too headlong too fast into this
autonomous situation, which I don't know if it is really
seeking a solution to a problem that isn't as huge as would be
sold to us.
So, Mr. Chairman, I will yield back. Thank you.
Mr. Crawford. The gentleman yields.
Mrs. Napolitano, you are recognized.
Mrs. Napolitano. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Chase, in jurisdictions across the country that have
started to allow autonomous transit, ride-sharing, and AVs,
what have been the results, both positive and negative, on the
impact and the safety aspect of them?
Ms. Chase. Thank you for the question.
I would like to focus first on the negative parts because
there has been a lot of conversation today about all of the
positive parts of AVs.
I think we really need to pay attention to what is
happening in realtime in San Francisco. And we know that these
AVs have interfered with emergency response operators,
including 18 incidents documented by the San Francisco Fire
Department in which AVs put firefighters and the public at
risk. We also know that they have made planned and unplanned
stops in travel lanes that have interfered with transit service
and blocked traffic.
Additionally, intrusions into construction zones where city
employees were working have happened, and obstructions caused
when AVs have had to interpret and respond to human traffic
control officers, police officers. They don't know what to do,
especially if you have them--a New York police officer and a
police officer in California don't necessarily speak the same
way or use the same hand mannerisms.
And lastly, erratic driving. One of my staff members
actually went to the arts conference in San Francisco and took
a ride--three rides, actually, in driverless cars, and all
three of them had problems. In one of them, he was told to
leave the vehicle and that a vehicle would come and get him and
never did. And this was after midnight in San Francisco, which
could be potentially dangerous.
So, in short, these are just not ready for primetime.
Let me just say, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety has
always been a champion of proven safety technologies, and we
hope that someday autonomous vehicles will help to relieve the
mounting traffic crash fatality and injury toll. But as far as
we can tell from data that has been collected from the standing
general order and from the press and from other sources, it is
not happening yet.
Mrs. Napolitano. Thank you.
Mr. Urmson, how important are roadway markings, roadway
signs, and maintenance to affect the operations of AVs or
autonomous trucks? And would the Federal Government, the State
government, or local governments have to invest in roadway
striping, restriping, and maintenance in affected projects in
order to make autonomous trucking work?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
Our intent in delivering the technologies, it needs to meet
the world where it is today. And so, if it is good for human
drivers, it will be good for automated vehicles. So, there are
benefits to road safety of having clear markings for people
driving on those roads. If it is good for people, it will be
good for us.
Mrs. Napolitano. But who does the striping?
Mr. Urmson. Who does the striping? The Department of
Transportation, I imagine, does the striping.
Mrs. Napolitano. And the cost would be a little bit more
than normal striping?
Mr. Urmson. No. No. No, ma'am. We don't believe that you
need to change anything about the striping that is on the
roadways today.
Mrs. Napolitano. OK. Thank you.
I am concerned about the company's application to be exempt
from the requirements of placing traditional warning devices
around the truck. What if the electrical system doesn't work on
the truck? What are possible alternatives? And have you tested
if the alternative is as safe as traditional warning devices?
Mr. Urmson. So, thank you for the question.
We see this as a real opportunity to improve roadway
safety. That today, if a truck breaks down on the side of the
road, someone has to get out into the roadway and put warning
triangles behind it. Obviously, our automated vehicles, the
intent is to not have an ability to go do that.
We have developed a--we call it a beacon. You can think of
it as lights, right, like, on the back of a tow truck that are
on the sides of the truck to indicate that it has stopped in a
place where it wouldn't normally be stopped.
And we and an independent group have evaluated the
performance of that and see that it is as good as putting cones
behind or triangles behind the vehicle without exposing someone
to the roadway. So, we see this as a really important safety
advantage.
Mrs. Napolitano. But what if the electrical system on the
truck is not working?
Mr. Urmson. What if the additional system on the truck is
not working? Again, thank you for the question.
I think someone would have to go and deploy cones at some
point behind it. But we are talking about a light, which we
think is a relatively straightforward technology to keep
working. And the trucks have redundancies in the power that is
distributed to them. So, you would have to have many things
fail at the same time for that to occur.
Mrs. Napolitano. Thank you.
Mr. Spear, what do you believe will be the impact on the
type and number of jobs in the trucking industry by increased
automated trucking?
Mr. Spear. As I said earlier, Congresswoman, I think that
there is an opportunity for both innovation and the existing
workforce to coexist.
We have a gap. We have a shortage of talent that we are
trying to fill just to meet economic demand. So, there is a lot
of opportunity for innovation to fill that, particularly for
driver assist technologies levels 2, 3, 4, which really empower
a driver to be safer in operating their equipment.
We are a ways yet to see fully automated driverless trucks
out there, but the progression toward that, we believe there is
plenty of space without displacing drivers.
Mrs. Napolitano. Thank you, sir.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Crawford. Thank you.
Mr. Owens, you are recognized.
Mr. Owens. Thank you.
I first of all want to thank Chairman Crawford for today's
hearing and our witnesses for taking the time to help this
subcommittee to better understand and support the topic.
Innovation in how Americans move and transport goods has
long underpinned America's ingenuity. The challenge of keeping
our Nation connected and commerce flowing manifested early in
our Nation's history. My home State of Utah is central to this
history, fulfilling the manifest destiny of our young Nation
with the completion of the transcontinental railroad.
Since then, America has continued to be at the forefront of
transportation and logistical innovation, introducing the world
to our automobiles, interstate highways, commercial aviation,
space exploration, ride-sharing, to simply name a few.
Today, the growing premise of autonomous vehicles on our
highways is the next era of transportation innovation.
Automation holds a promise to enhance safety and efficiency
while also stimulating economic growth in our commercial motor
vehicle sector.
As the pace of technology accelerates, we must embrace
these advancements. However, this topic must be approached with
caution and with a commitment to addressing complex issues
around safety, infrastructure, workforce impact, and
cybersecurity.
After safety, my constituents are most concerned on the
impact of American jobs. This conversation is incomplete
without simultaneously exploring strategies for workforce
development training and ensuring the future includes
fulfilling and meaningful employment.
My goal is to ensure that our workforce needs and education
evolves as this industry evolves.
Mr. Urmson, are we losing progress on innovation because we
are not keeping pace in terms of our Government itself? And
what steps should Congress take to boost the U.S. AV industry?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you. I have certainly answered to much
worse than that, so, I appreciate the question.
As we look at the situation America is in right now in this
space, we see that we are leading, that we have incredibly
gifted people come here, develop this technology, and have a
lead. But we know that, for example, China is investing heavily
and working hard to ultimately eclipse us.
I think that as a Nation, we need to continue to foster
innovation in this space. There is an opportunity, whether it
is, as we talked about with the warning beacons, to start to
see this technology out on the road and deployed, the
opportunity to support that with FMCSA.
We see an opportunity to continue to harmonize regulations
across States, that because the value of this technology is
really about deepening interstate commerce, the more consistent
regulations are, the easier it will be and the better benefit
we will see from the technology.
Mr. Owens. OK. Thanks so much.
Mr. Spear, what would be the impact if we overregulated or
prohibited fully autonomous trucks?
Mr. Spear. Well, I think what we are looking for is more
oversight at the Federal level. We have talked a little bit
about NHTSA and their standing general order, their ability to
exhibit oversight. But we are also talking about commercial
vehicles. NHTSA has more of a role in leadership and expertise
in passenger vehicles.
We need the FMCSA to be more involved and in sync with
NHTSA in the development and oversight of this technology. We
need a Federal framework. It needs to be a performance and
safety standard. Don't pick favorites.
And we have forward-leaning policies on speed limiters,
ELDs, AEB. But we want a performance standard that lets
innovation thrive, and we want it to govern all 50 States. We
don't want a patchwork of rules that are confusing, not only to
innovation, but to our industry's ability to adopt it.
So, your ability to hand DOT--particularly NHTSA and
FMCSA--the structure, the staff, the resources so that they
have the expertise to oversee a Federal framework. Make it a
performance standard. That is something that we all understand
and can measure. You are going to have more data coming in. You
all are going to have much better oversight and understanding
where this is trending if you give us that Federal framework.
So, that would be something that we would recommend. Our
testimony exhibits that.
Mr. Owens. In the last few seconds, what would be the
result if we cede leadership in this industry to China?
And I am going to--Mr. Farrah, would you mind maybe
addressing that?
Mr. Farrah. Thank you, Congressman. I would be happy to.
And I want to underscore what Mr. Urmson said about
competition with China. The reality is, is that China wants to
be the world leader when it comes to autonomous vehicle
technology. We need to make sure that that doesn't happen. We
need to make sure the United States is the global leader.
It means Congress working on a bipartisan basis with FMCSA
on making sure that we have got clarity on important rules.
This hearing is an important piece of that, and I certainly
appreciate the opportunity to talk to you today about that.
Mr. Owens. OK. Thank you.
And I yield back.
Mr. Crawford. The gentleman yields.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Chase, safety on our highways has long been a priority
of mine. In previous Congresses, I introduced the Safe Roads
Act, which would mandate automatic emergency braking systems
for truck tractors, tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, with
electronic stability control technology. This critical piece of
legislation became a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
While our goal is to prevent crashes of all types, a
mechanical or other failure on an 80,000-pound tractor-trailer
truck or a 55-passenger bus or a hazmat truck filled with
propane gas can be catastrophic, particularly when compared to
the consequences of a simple automobile wreck.
Ms. Chase, do you believe that prudence requires that we
should be even more cautious about deploying level 3, 4, and 5
automated commercial motor vehicles on our roads than we should
be about the deployment of autonomous automobiles? And if so,
why?
Ms. Chase. Thank you for your question, Congressman. Also,
thank you very much for your safety leadership. We appreciate
that you have made it a priority in your portfolio to make sure
that the roads are safer for your constituents and everyone in
the country. So, thank you very much.
Yes. I think, absolutely, we need prudence when we are
discussing autonomous vehicles of any level. What we know so
far is that--the biggest sample that we have so far is San
Francisco. And it is not going so well, to say the least.
When we have the San Francisco fire chief coming out
publicly and saying that she has tremendous trepidation about
what is happening on her roadways because it is imperiling
firefighters to get to their scenes, it's a problem. We can't
just stick our head in the sand and pretend that these real
problems aren't happening.
So, when you talk about----
Mr. Johnson of Georgia [interrupting]. An emergency
vehicle, like an ambulance dispatched to pick up or to tend to
an elderly patient having a heart attack, or an infant that
swallowed a button or something, that kind of vehicle--or a
firetruck having trouble getting to the destination to put out
the fire or to render life-or-death aid to a person, automated
vehicles are interfering with that process?
Ms. Chase. Yes, it is. In fact, in addition to the
firetrucks, there was a live crime shooting scene in San
Francisco, and the police department could not get to the
shooting scene because of obstructions of autonomous vehicles.
So, we need to deal with these known problems. We know
these problems exist. We can't just move forward.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. So, we need to be careful as we
move forward.
Ms. Chase. Yes, sir.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. We certainly know that automated
vehicles are coming, but we need to be careful about rolling
them out and deploying them on our streets.
You have heard the argument that deployment of autonomous
trucks on the road will actually reduce motor vehicle crashes.
What are your thoughts on that assertion?
Ms. Chase. Well, maybe they can. We don't know yet.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. Not yet?
Ms. Chase. Not yet. Not yet. We are not there yet.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. I got you. OK.
Let me move on to Mr. Urmson.
Aurora has publicly supported laws which liberalized
autonomous vehicle operations, but which also impose liability
on an AV certificate holder for negligence arising from the
operation of Aurora Driver. Is that correct?
Mr. Urmson. I believe so, yes.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. And do you believe that that
commonsense liability requirement should be adopted nationally?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
As we look at the regulatory regime here and the liability
regime, we see a legal system that actually is robust and
works.
And we have introduced new products across the last
century, and they have all been able to fall under the current
tort system, and we anticipate that this technology is no
different, that product liability is a mechanism that will work
well here.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. OK. Thank you.
Mr. Spear, I heard you say during your testimony that
displacement of workers is a myth. How do you contend that that
statement is true?
Mr. Spear. Because there is no data to back up that we are
going to displace workers. We have a gap. We have a shortage.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. I am talking about taking drivers
out of the--I mean, my colleague----
Mr. Spear [interrupting]. There is no evidence of that,
Congressman. None.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. You are going to then have
drivers----
Mr. Spear [interrupting]. When you have a shortage of
78,000 drivers, there is plenty of space for innovation to play
a role. We have got to add talent.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. But eventually you would eliminate
all drivers, though, correct?
Mr. Spear. I am not bought into that. We have got to add
1.2 million drivers over the next 10 years. How are you going
to do that if we can't add more people behind the wheel? There
is a role for innovation to fill that gap, and it will not
displace drivers.
We will take them. If you can give me 1.2 million, I will
take them. They are not out there.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. Well, maybe if we stop testing for
marijuana, which stays in the blood for 30 days----
Mr. Spear [interrupting]. I don't want people high behind
the wheel----
Mr. Crawford [interrupting]. The gentleman's time has
expired.
The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. Spear. Yes, I can't get behind that.
Mr. Crawford. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. Yakym.
Mr. Johnson of Georgia. At least think about it.
Mr. Yakym. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And thank you to our witnesses for lending your expertise
on this important issue.
Autonomous vehicles are an exciting and intriguing
technology, but this is also a topic that requires a lot of
education and thoughtful consideration.
I would like to follow up on one of Chairman Crawford's
earlier questions and comments on cybersecurity as it pertains
to autonomous vehicles because I think that in a lot of ways,
it's core not just to security, but also to the safety and the
overall confidence in autonomous vehicles.
There are a lot of roads we can go down in this
conversation, whether it is safeguarding data, ensuring
privacy, preventing hacking and hijacking, protecting trade
secrets, and probably many more. But I would like to kind of
drill down here on a few of these specifics.
And maybe, Mr. Urmson or Mr. Farrah, could one or both of
you talk about what measures are taking place in the autonomous
vehicle industry to ensure privacy? And when I say ``privacy,''
maybe be specific to things like user locations and camera
privacy. Things like that. Can you maybe expound on that a
little bit, please?
Mr. Urmson. Maybe I could start and then turn it to Mr.
Farrah to talk broadly. So, I can talk about what we are doing
at Aurora.
So, today, we are complying with all of the privacy
requirements that we have to comply with, that are out there,
and that we actually have a robust policy in place to respond
to law enforcement requests for data from our vehicles.
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, certainly I appreciate the
interest. This is something that is a core tenet of the
industry.
I'll say that what Mr. Urmson said, from my perspective,
seems to be applicable across the industry. There is a deep
commitment to cybersecurity, a lot of investment that goes into
this. There are particular ways that we mitigate against
cybersecurity intrusions that we can follow up for the record
and give additional information.
Specific to data privacy, obviously, these vehicles are out
on the roads and needing to collect data to make the
performance safe. That is something that is critically
important. We realize that a lot of responsibility comes with
that. There are a host of measures that are taken across the
industry. And, again, we can provide more specifics after this
hearing.
Mr. Yakym. Thank you.
And also to Mr. Urmson and Mr. Farrah, can one or both of
you talk about what measures are being taken in the autonomous
vehicle industry to safeguard against hijacking threats? I
mean, what happens if there is a breach in cybersecurity? Is it
possible for someone remote to actually take over and
commandeer a vehicle remotely?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, I will begin, and maybe Mr. Urmson
wants to share his perspective from his company.
What I will say is that these vehicles are the most
monitored vehicles on the road. Obviously, there is a
tremendous amount of capital investment, technological
investment that has gone into them.
They are under the custody of the companies. These are
fleet-managed. And so, the companies themselves have control
over them. There are command centers, obviously, that are
making sure that these are being treated appropriately.
The other thing that is important to underscore here is
that these vehicles cannot just go anywhere, anytime. There is
a specific operational design domain. This is a set of limiting
circumstances, whether it is geographical, whether it is other
types of circumstances. And so, they are confined to that
space.
All this goes to making sure that they are going where they
need to go, making sure that they are not being used
inappropriately, they are not subjected to cybersecurity
intrusion.
And so, this is something where there is very strong
alignment from the industry as well as policymakers.
Mr. Urmson. Again, thank you for the question.
Just talking concretely about what Aurora does, we have
this technology called a fault management system, and that is
the part of the Aurora Driver that is monitoring constantly all
different systems. One of the things it is looking for is our
various cybersecurity checks.
And when it comes to remote operation of the vehicle, we
actually follow best practices on how you can connect to the
vehicle, and we can constrain what is expressed. So, there
isn't somebody with a Logitech steering wheel somewhere
steering the thing down the road. Really, the interface looks
much more like a taxi dispatcher communicating information that
is kind of not critical realtime to the truck about what might
be beneficial for it.
Mr. Yakym. Great.
And finally, can one of you briefly talk about what steps
are being taken to prevent this technology from falling into
the hands of one of our adversaries? Let's say someone like
China, who we know is world-renowned for intellectual property
theft.
Mr. Urmson. Again, thank you for the question.
For us, that is our business, right, is the intellectual
property. And so, for us, we take that seriously. We have what
we think is a world-class team. It is about 50 people that are
working on both the cybersecurity of our corporate
infrastructure but also on the product infrastructure.
Mr. Yakym. Great.
Mr. Farrah. I will just say, Congressman, very briefly--I
know we are at time here--but this really underscores why it is
important for policymakers to support the development of the
American autonomous vehicle industry. We need to make sure
these jobs are here, these companies are here, we have got a
robust supply chain, and we are very happy to have this
conversation today.
Mr. Yakym. Thank you.
And, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Mr. Crawford. The gentleman yields.
Mr. Stanton.
Mr. Stanton. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, for holding
this hearing.
And thank you for each of the witnesses for your great
testimony today.
Arizona generally, and my district, specifically, in the
East Valley, have been at the epicenter for the development and
testing of autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles have the
potential to transform our transportation system, improve
mobility for vulnerable populations and those who face barriers
to transportation, enhance vehicle safety, reduce vehicle
crashes and death, and increase productivity. At the same time,
we need to recognize that AVs have the potential to alter our
workforce.
My questions. The first one is for Mr. Urmson, Mr. Farrah,
and Mr. Spear. Choose if you want to each answer or just one of
you.
How are you engaging with truckdrivers who have extensive
experience driving millions of miles as this technology is
being developed?
Mr. Urmson. So, truckdrivers are critical to how we develop
this technology. Today, we have 40-some of them on staff at
Aurora. It is important to me they are actually employees of
the company. They own equity in the company. As the company is
successful, we anticipate them benefiting from that success as
well.
If you look at someone like Tom Randall, who is on our
staff, he has driven for 40 years. He sees the opportunity to
introduce new technology into a career that he has loved, and
that experience translates directly into the way we develop the
technology. His quality driving on the road is what we model
the behavior and what the Aurora Driver learns from so that
they can drive well and safely down the road.
Mr. Stanton. Mr. Farrah?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, thank you very much, and I
appreciate your leadership on this policy area.
I will say that I think today's hearing is an incredibly
important moment because we need to be clear as an industry
that the autonomous vehicle industry needs truckdrivers. We see
a strong role for coexistence. This is something where we are
not a panacea. We want to be a tool to help with supply chain
challenges.
And so, we recognize that certainly there are questions out
there, and we are eager to have the opportunity today to
clarify that.
Mr. Stanton. That's right.
Mr. Spear?
Mr. Spear. Well, they are skills. We are teaching drivers
to operate at a much higher level. These are marketable skills.
These are portable skills. But we are enabling these drivers to
be more aware, more responsive.
Some of the most basic things that we have talked about,
like automated emergency braking, to adaptive cruise control,
to more integrated systems, we are teaching not only the
drivers, but the technicians how to service this equipment.
These are all things that are going to allow increased pay.
These are all things that are going to make this workforce more
talented and marketable. These are all good things. We should
not stymie innovation. We should encourage it.
So, that Federal framework that is performance-based is
going to help our workforce by giving them more skills. The
quality of life, too, I would point out is we lose $74.5
billion a year sitting in traffic. That is 425,000 drivers
sitting idle for an entire year. Connectivity, vehicle-to-
vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, these are all things that
will eliminate that congestion and improve the quality of life
and also improve our economy.
So, there is a tremendous role for automation and
connectivity to really impact our workforce as well as our
economy.
Mr. Stanton. Similar question. Does the current workforce
have the skills necessary to operate automated technology, or
will fleets need to undertake significant retraining or
recruitment of new drivers?
Mr. Spear. Yes, I would be happy to.
Listen, I think our workforce is very excited about giving
them new skills. We are giving them an opportunity to optimize
their performance.
If you are teaching a driver how to operate an 80,000-pound
vehicle with more command, more control, more awareness, more
responsiveness, they are going to be better at their job. The
motoring public is going to be safer.
And I would incorporate equality between commercial
vehicles and passenger vehicles. Two-thirds of the accidents
that involve our trucks are caused by passenger vehicles. They
are speeding, and they are texting. They are not paying
attention and they are running into the vehicle.
AEB, connectivity, these are all things that are going to
save lives. We want to take a massive cut out of those 40,000
fatalities. And we believe that our workforce being properly
trained is going to have a measurable impact on doing just
that.
Mr. Stanton. All right.
Mr. Farrah?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, I should just clarify that I think
what is important to understand here that all of the jobs
needed to maintain trucks today, these are ones that we still
need in the future. But we also need additional jobs
specifically at these companies. We need people that are
helping to maintain the fleet, work with the technology.
What we see across the board with members of AVIA is that
they are working very closely in their communities on training
programs so that they can have that talent work for their
workforce. And so, that is just another way we are adding more
jobs.
Mr. Stanton. That is great.
Mr. Urmson, please.
Mr. Urmson. And just to follow off of that. So, concretely,
we have worked with the Pittsburgh Technical College, where we
have put in place a training program for vehicle service
technicians. We have worked with Gallatin College, where we are
working on sensor technician accreditation and education.
And then importantly, at the company itself, we have
created pathways for folks to move from our operations team
into other roles at the company, program management and other
aspects of it, to create that mobility for these critical
employees for us.
Mr. Stanton. That is great.
It looks like I ran out of time here, so, I will submit my
final question for a written answer.
I yield back.
Mr. Crawford. The gentleman yields.
Mr. Stauber.
Mr. Stauber. Thank you very much.
Mr. Spear, I really appreciate you bringing up the fact
that crashes involved--many crashes are a result of automobile
drivers with texting and what have you. We have to recognize
the danger of that. And I think that our professional
truckdrivers across this country see it every day, and it is
horrendous.
And having been a former police officer, I was to many
violent crashes because of the inattentive drivers and texting.
So, thank you very much for bringing that up.
I also want to take a moment to acknowledge that this is
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. Our truckdrivers are
critical to our supply chains. They keep our economy afloat.
They work around the clock to ensure that we want for nothing.
And I am thankful to all of our truckdrivers, not just today,
but every day, for their professionalism and their safety on
the roads.
As we talk about automated trucking, it is important that
development of this technology, I believe, must be done in
consultation and coordination with our truckdrivers. They have
years of experience driving millions of miles and certainly
know what is needed for safety.
Now for my question.
Truck driving provides a great income and it is a great
profession. We have many truckdrivers in Minnesota. But what
would you say to someone who is concerned that this technology
will limit their employment opportunities in the future?
Mr. Spear?
Mr. Spear. I would point out that we have a responsibility
as an industry now moving 72.5 percent of the domestic freight
in this country to meet economic demand. We are consuming more.
We are adding more people to our economy that are going to buy
more goods, and we have to move those goods.
So, as that gap grows between consumption and our
industry's ability to move those goods to where they need to
be--we have a gap. We have a gap of talent that we need to add.
And if we can't add people behind the wheel, there is a role
for innovation to play without displacing anyone.
So, I don't look at this through the lens of displacement.
I think there is plenty of room for innovation to solve
problems, improve safety, improve performance, quality of life.
These are all good things for our workforce to grow into.
Mr. Stauber. So, Mr. Spear, you would look that
professional Minnesota truckdriver in the eye and say, ``You
will not lose your job because of automation''?
Mr. Spear. I would. I would. I wouldn't hesitate. In fact,
I think it is going to empower that driver. Certainly levels 2,
3, 4 are going to make them more marketable, giving them better
performance. These are all exciting inroads that we want to see
in our industry.
If we were flooded with drivers, if we had an abundance of
people behind the wheel, we would be having this conversation
very differently than we are today.
But I do believe there is a role for innovation to play
without displacing those drivers. I would look them in the eye
and tell them, ``You have got nothing to be concerned about.''
Mr. Stauber. Thank you.
Truck driving in Minnesota and many of the northern
climates is--the weather changes suddenly. We can be in
Minnesota, and all of a sudden, a snowstorm hits, like,
immediately, and black ice.
You are smiling, Mr. Spear, because you have been there,
and you have heard the drivers say that. And that is in all the
northern climates.
But I know we are still early in the stages, but where does
this technology stand with varying weather conditions like icy
roads in northern Minnesota or black ice or fog right away?
Near Lake Superior, the fog can come in and you can't see 20
feet in front of you. Where do you see that technology fitting
in?
Mr. Spear. I think it is an evolution. I mean, technology
is going to evolve.
I am smiling because I am from Wyoming. I have been to
Minnesota, too. We have the exact same--we have 2 weeks of
really good weather, and the rest of it is hit and miss.
Mr. Stauber. We have 1 great week.
Mr. Spear. Yes. One? OK. OK. Well, we've got 1 week on you.
Look, I think there are a lot of variables beyond that.
Wind. High wind. There are a lot of variables that have to be
taken into account.
I think what these gentlemen are demonstrating is that they
are properly testing this in environments that are conducive to
the technology as it stands. We are running lanes in the
Southwest. It is a very good environment from Texas to
California to test this equipment.
And as it evolves, as it gets better and the performance
can take into account these weather variables, you are going to
see more of it operating in States like ours.
But I would defer to them on that. But I think they are
doing this responsibly. They are doing it with Government hand-
in-glove to make sure that we are getting it right and we are
not putting anybody in the motoring public in jeopardy. So, I
think it is an evolution.
Mr. Stauber. And I think that it is comforting to know that
you are bringing the professional drivers in for consultation
and advice. I think that is a very good way to move forward.
So, I yield back. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Crawford. The gentleman yields.
Mr. Garcia.
Mr. Garcia of Illinois. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And thanks to all the witnesses this morning.
The automated trucks that we are talking about this morning
are way upwards of 80,000 pounds. They are massive, heavy, and
not particularly agile machines. So, when crashes happen, the
risks are immense, especially to the communities that they
drive through.
As everyone here knows, Chicago is at the heart of our
Nation's transportation network, and the district I represent,
Illinois' Fourth Congressional District, is crisscrossed by
major truck routes. Every day, huge freight trucks run through
bustling neighborhoods, down streets that kids cross for
school, and feet away from people's front doors.
So, with that, I would like to ask my first question to Ms.
Chase.
It is my understanding that all a vehicle needs to do to
comply with existing Federal legislation is, one, have basic
operating equipment--we are talking about a steering wheel and
pedals--and two, report certain incidents to the NHTSA.
Am I accurate in saying that is about as much oversight as
the Federal Government would have?
Ms. Chase. Yes, sir. You are correct.
And if I could give an example of what is needed, a
standard that is needed.
Right now, when a person goes to get a driver's license or
a CDL, you have to take a vision test. So, with a truck taking
over this capability, there are no current requirements that it
be able to see and respond to the roadway environment like a
human does now.
And while my current panelists have great promise, they are
speaking about great promise for this technology, we are not
there yet. And we don't know--we need the assurance of
Government regulations to make sure that it can be accomplished
safely.
Mr. Garcia of Illinois. So, it seems that those regulations
don't address the fact that AV trucks don't just rely on
steering wheels or pedals. Instead, they use a set of systems
to make sophisticated decisions about the driving environment.
Given that, do you think that the same basic measures can
be used to adequately regulate automated commercial vehicles?
Ms. Chase. I think that we need new, additional safety
standards when we are talking about automated trucks.
These are very sophisticated systems, and they can be prone
to cybersecurity hacks. They can be prone to multiple
disengagements and different problems on the roads.
So, without the assurance of set standards, we don't know
how they are going to perform. One company might do a great
job. Another company, not so much. And it is the motoring
public that is put in danger if we don't have that security.
Mr. Garcia of Illinois. So, of course, truckdrivers--who
are noticeably absent from this witness panel so far--are the
ones with the actual experience and expertise in the cabin.
How can regulators ensure that workers have a strong voice
in regulating the deployment of new technology, since they are
the ones actually using them?
Ms. Chase. Oh, I think all stakeholders should be involved
in this process.
In fact, one of the best things that I have done during my
tenure at Advocates is I did a ride-along with a truckdriver,
and I experienced what it was like to be on the road. And it is
such a different perspective than a car driver. You are so much
higher. There are so many more responsibilities. And that voice
is essential to have in the room to share what their
experiences are on the roads.
Mr. Garcia of Illinois. Thank you.
I am trying to squeeze one more question in. This one is
for Mr. Farrah and Mr. Urmson, if you can be brief.
Earlier, I spoke about the huge size of these vehicles and
the correspondingly huge risk to nearby communities. But it is
not just the size of these trucks that presents a danger, it is
what is inside them, too. We have all seen stories of crashes
and truck explosions sending toxic fumes high into the air,
forcing entire communities to evacuate.
Should driverless vehicles ever be used to transport
hazardous materials?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, thank you much for the question. I
will try and be brief here.
First, I think that I would like to follow up for the
record with some additional information about requirements that
are needed both at a Federal level and State level. This is a
highly regulated industry. I think there is a little bit of
context that we need to provide.
Second, I am not aware of companies that are doing
placarded hazardous material delivery at this point. Certainly,
I understand that that is, again, a very highly regulated space
and would happy to follow up with you and talk about that
further.
Mr. Garcia of Illinois. And Mr. Urmson?
Mr. Urmson. Yes. I would say--again, I would characterize
that the regulatory environment is a little different than as
was expressed. I think it is important to understand that the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards exist and apply to these
vehicles and this is a regulation with hundreds of pages.
And there is an ability for the Federal Government to exert
to remove vehicles from the road if they create unreasonable
risk on the roadway. And so, that is there and is a backstop as
needed.
Mr. Garcia of Illinois. Thank you.
And I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Van Orden [presiding]. Thank you, Mr. Garcia.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Edwards for 3 minutes.
Mr. Edwards. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Van Orden. Correction. Mr. Edwards, I am sorry. You are
recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. Edwards. All right. Thank you.
Ms. Chase, I can't help but think as you made your comment
about you doing the ride-along with a truckdriver: My dad was a
truckdriver. And so, as a child, I have done hundreds of
thousands of miles as a ride-along. And it is a very
interesting perspective, that way of life.
Mr. Urmson, I am curious. I am trying to visualize how
these trucks would operate. And it seems like--because there
are some really fine maneuvers at the end of the line that
would be required.
At what point does the automation end and someone climb in
the cab and start doing the fine turns and that sort of thing
that would be required to get to the final destination?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
The technology we are developing today--the Aurora Driver--
will basically drive gate to gate. So, it will leave a
terminal, get through the industrial park, onto the freeway,
head down the freeway, come off, and get into the terminal
through the industrial park.
Mr. Edwards. You say ``terminal.'' Is there, like, a
certain parking place? At some point, it seems like somebody
has got to get behind the wheel and start working that thing
around to a dock.
That requires a very specific skill. I have watched my dad
and many others do it over and over again, and it looks
impossible. I have a difficult time imagining a machine or any
sort of automation being able to do that.
Mr. Urmson. Yes, it is an incredibly skilled job and really
important, obviously. And, yes, we expect the Aurora Driver to
deliver the truck and the trailer--or the tractor and the
trailer to the yard, and then someone at that point will
maneuver it in the yard to take it to the dock.
Mr. Edwards. Gotcha. Thank you.
Also, this question is for you, Mr. Urmson.
China is America's lead competitor in the race to automated
vehicle technology. For hundreds of reasons, not the least of
which is the valuable data collected and transmitted by this
technology, it is imperative that the U.S. maintain our lead.
Is there anything inhibiting America's development of
autonomous vehicles that may assist China in deploying their
technology before the U.S.?
Mr. Urmson. I do believe we are leading today, but that
lead is fragile. Again, I think that there is an opportunity to
harmonize regulation across States. I think taking a strong
voice of support from the Federal Government and obviously
oversight from this committee of agencies like FMCSA and NHTSA
and help encourage them to put in place ultimately performance-
based regulation is the right step.
Mr. Edwards. And so, specifically, what would you recommend
Congress be able to do to help secure America's place at the
forefront of this technology?
Mr. Farrah. I would be happy to weigh in there,
Congressman.
I think that one big piece of this--and first of all, I
completely agree with you. We are very aligned on the idea that
China is our nearest competitor here. We need to make sure that
we are all rowing in the same direction.
One big thing that Congress can do is we would like to see
FMCSA take action on a notice of proposed rulemaking specific
to autonomous trucking. We think this is something that there
should be very strong bipartisan support for.
This is something where there are certain open questions in
the industry that we would like to see clarified that will give
a lot of confidence so that our members can continue to make
significant capital investments, technological advancement
investments, to make sure, ultimately, this technology moves
forward in the United States.
Mr. Edwards. And so, I will direct this next question to
Mr. Urmson. And if you feel somebody else on this panel is more
qualified to answer that, please point us in the right
direction.
It seems like this technology will require a significant
investment and that, most likely, it will be larger companies
that will be able to take advantage of it and that smaller
companies and startups could maybe be crowded out.
Can you give us any perspective on how you might see small
businesses, small operators, and startups affected by this
technology?
Mr. Urmson. Certainly. And as a company that has fought to
be an independent company and grown from 3 people now to 1,800,
certainly value that.
And I think that independence is absolutely critical,
because a large company has some mission, and it may not be and
it almost certainly isn't delivering the benefits of this
technology. And so, that independence has allowed us to operate
and build what we think is going to be a very important
business.
As we bring the Aurora Driver to market, we are intending
to bring it to market in a way where you will be able to buy a
truck, and then you will have a subscription to the Aurora
Driver. And so, it reduces the capital needs upfront in getting
access to this technology. And we hope that that will help
everyone get benefit from it.
Mr. Edwards. Thank you.
Mr. Chair, I see my time is up, so, I yield back.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Mr. Edwards.
The Chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from Nevada, Ms.
Titus, for 5 minutes.
Ms. Titus. Thank you very much.
As you heard, I represent Nevada. And for over three
decades, the Federal Government has left open the possibility
of Yucca Mountain, and that means a lot of hazardous, high-
level radioactive waste would be transported on trucks. Some
might come on trains, but most will probably come on trucks.
I wonder if you could maybe address if driverless vehicles
should be allowed to carry hazardous materials, especially
something as dangerous as nuclear waste. Anybody.
Mr. Urmson, or----
Mr. Farrah [interrupting]. Congresswoman, I will start.
First of all, thank you for your leadership on autonomous
vehicles in Nevada. You have certainly been a national leader
on this issue. I was just----
Ms. Titus [interrupting]. [Inaudible] Out front on getting
something through the legislature on autonomous vehicles. Thank
you for mentioning that.
Mr. Farrah. Absolutely. Yes. And certainly, your State is
seeing a lot of the benefits of that already.
I would say, I am not aware of companies that are in the
hazardous material space right now. I understand there are
additional regulations that come with moving that, and so, we
would obviously need to comply with that. Happy to give you a
sense of the market developments as they play out.
Ms. Titus. Thank you.
Anybody else?
Mr. Spear. I would just say that, Congresswoman, when you
look at hazardous materials, if you look at livestock, if you
look at produce, there are certain things that can fall prey to
certain conditions. So, extreme heat, as you are well aware of
in your State.
I also am not aware of anybody that is operating
autonomously with respect to hazardous. I think there are a lot
of applications that are going to come last once that
technology has been fully adopted and deployed before we see it
applied to things like hazardous materials, livestock, produce,
things that are going to require the attention of a driver.
There are just conditions that unfold unexpectedly that are
going to need that driver's attention, which is why I think we
are all saying that we need to work with our current and future
driver force to make sure those applications have eyes on.
Ms. Titus. Thank you.
Ms. Chase?
Ms. Chase. Absolutely not. Hazardous materials should not
be transported by autonomous vehicles that are unproven,
untested, and still unreliable. It is, frankly, scary enough to
think about an 80,000-pound truck being driven autonomously.
Think about putting hazardous materials in it. It could be
catastrophic.
So, until we have the regulations and the safeguards that
are needed put into place, there is no way that hazmat should
be transported autonomously.
Ms. Titus. Thank you.
Commercial trucks have to follow a lot of regulations and
report a lot of data on safety. With the driverless vehicles,
what kind of data should be reported and who should have access
to that data?
Mr. Urmson. So, I can just talk about what we report today.
So, we report to Federal and State officials. We are very
transparent about it.
As part of the standing general order, we have reported
three incidents with our trucks. Two of them were incidents
where debris was thrown up and from the road by another truck
on the road and hit one of our vehicles.
The third was an incident where we believe the operator of
a light vehicle dozed off for a moment and then sideswiped
across multiple lanes, contacted our truck, and then went off.
And, fortunately, everyone walked away. It's about as good a
collision as you can have between a light vehicle and a truck.
In that situation, I think it highlights, again, the
available data. And we have shared this. We actually posted
this and explained it in the response. If you look at the state
of the art today in understanding these events, it is something
like a driver monitoring system.
And when you look at this event in that film, you have no
idea what happened. At some moment, you see the driver tense,
and that's it.
With our technology, we are able to observe that other
vehicle move across multiple lanes of traffic. We see our
vehicle respond or begin to respond, note the moment the
collision occurred. Our vehicle immediately began its emergency
response procedures. Our drivers very quickly thereafter took
over to execute their response procedures. And we could--we
understood exactly what happened. And, again, we have shared
this transparently.
Mr. Farrah. Congresswoman, I would echo what Mr. Urmson
said about the standing general order. This is a robust data-
reporting regime that the autonomous vehicle has lived under
for more than 2 years.
This information is transparently available on the NHTSA
website. This is something that policymakers can look at.
Certainly, our industry shares this out whenever we can.
I think the other piece that is really important is that 23
States have proactively allowed autonomous vehicles on their
roads. And so, in those States--including Nevada, where our
members are operating--there is a deep level of engagement with
State departments of transportation, with police forces.
And so, this is something that is very much a relationship
that we want to continue to have and something that I think we
are very transparent about.
Ms. Chase. I know you only have a few more seconds, but I
just want to add that we think there needs to be even more
transparency. The data collected by the standing general order
is a step in the right direction, but there is a lot of
redaction happening.
So, we don't really have a clear picture of what is
happening on our roadways in terms of disengagements, crashes,
and other incidents on the roadways.
Ms. Titus. Thank you.
It is something we don't have time to talk about, but I
wonder about liabilities. Is it the person who makes the truck?
The person who is running the truck? The person who owns the
truck? How is all that insurance issue going to be resolved?
Maybe we can talk about that another time.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Ms. Titus.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Burlison from Missouri for 5
minutes.
Mr. Burlison. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Spear, it was said that if we suddenly enter into the
world where--or a situation where we do have driverless
vehicles, that the jobs won't be displaced. Can you elaborate
on how the industry has demand in other aspects?
Mr. Spear. We have long dealt with a shortage of talent,
both drivers, technicians, beyond. COVID certainly inflated
that. Now you are seeing all segments of employment dealing
with shortages of employment.
And we need more skills. We need more people to fill these
roles. And our ability as an industry to meet economic demand
for the foreseeable future depends on attracting more talent
into our industry, whether they are young talent replacing the
aging retiring talent. This is an ongoing challenge that is
going to impact our ability to move that 72.5 percent of the
domestic freight.
That gap is widening between the demand and our ability to
meet it. So, innovation has a role to play there. And
developing driver-assist technologies into level 5 fully
autonomous vehicles, we don't view that as a threat. There is
plenty of room for both to play.
We are going to have to still meet that demand somehow,
whether we can add that 1.2 million people over the next 10
years or we are supplementing it with technology. Either way, I
would look any driver in the eye and say, ``I do not believe
your job is at threat.''
Mr. Burlison. Right. And none of it would happen overnight
as well.
Mr. Spear. Correct.
Mr. Burlison. Right? These kind of technological advances
happened over generations.
Mr. Spear. Evolution.
Mr. Burlison. If you look at the advent of the--one could
ask the question, should Eli Whitney have not invented the
cotton gin? Because think about how many workers were displaced
ultimately over generations by the advent of technology like
that. Or harvesters.
I mean, your ancestors, more than likely, were farmers.
Mine were. Everyone was farming because that was the only job
there was and it took an enormous amount of labor.
But what they weren't able to do were things like go into
insurance, go into banking. All the enumerable job
opportunities or job titles that exist today did not exist 100
years ago when everyone had to be on the farm, correct?
Mr. Spear. That is right.
Mr. Burlison. And so, to me, to deny the opportunity,
really, the growth opportunity for individuals is what America
is denying. The opportunity to go into the new frontier to see
what--Mr. Spear, let me ask this.
If the United States didn't allow this, it's still going to
happen technologically, correct, in other countries?
Mr. Spear. Absolutely. It is already happening, as we
talked about, in China, been over in Europe. This is being
developed and deployed. This is going to happen somewhere in
the world, and it is going to put us at a disadvantage if we
don't keep pace with it.
And so, developing it, innovating it, it has safety
benefits. We need to do it right, though. We are not doing this
haphazardly. It is an evolution, and it will take time. We need
to do it responsibly, which is why we are having this hearing.
Create that Federal framework. Allow interstate commerce.
Don't have a patchwork of requirements. Have a seamless 50-
State standard on performance. Allow these agencies to work
collaboratively with our industry and feed you, as the
oversight committee, the information you need to make sure this
is being done right, not only safely, but that we are not
compromising our ability to compete.
We don't want to concede our standing in the world. We need
to maintain it. We need to lead. Innovating is key to that.
So, if you want to compete, work with us. We will work with
you. And developing that standard will go a long way to doing
just that.
Mr. Burlison. Thank you.
Mr. Urmson, you are with Aurora. I wanted to kind of geek
out with you about the technology, if that is OK.
So, this is often--it is developed in a--is it available in
a cloud environment and then is downloaded to the client side
for vehicles?
Mr. Urmson. Yes. So, the Aurora Driver--first, thank you
for the question.
The Aurora Driver is a combination of software and
hardware, and we have to work closely with our OEM partners who
make the trucks so that we can plug it in.
Mr. Burlison. And your technology is getting better and
better and better?
Mr. Urmson. Consistently better.
Mr. Burlison. Probably at an exponential rate, correct?
Mr. Urmson. No, it certainly was not an expert to begin
with, but at this point, we are driving very well down the
freeway.
Mr. Burlison. And the question--I think that we are likely
to end up in a day where--and you can--someone can chime in on
this if they like--where the vehicles will be driving
statistically more safe than a human being.
And I have a feeling there is going to be a point in time
in which insurance companies actually charge a premium to
individuals who choose to drive their vehicle themselves.
Mr. Urmson. And I think we are already starting to see some
of the signs of this. I talked earlier about the benefits that
we have seen where we have taken the Aurora Driver and
simulated how it would have responded to 29 fatal collisions
that happened where we expect the technology to first launch,
and it would have avoided all of them. And that is 29-plus
families that wouldn't have lost a loved one. I think that is
incredibly important.
Mr. Burlison. Thank you.
Mr. Urmson. Thank you.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Mr. Burlison.
The Chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from Ohio, Mrs.
Sykes, for 5 minutes.
Mrs. Sykes. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
And thank you to our witnesses for your testimony. You have
had some very fascinating discussions, including the importance
of fostering American leadership here in this field to the
potential to save drivers' lives, which is a goal that we all
have, and certainly the fuel cost savings, which is important.
And I am from Ohio. We have the seventh highest amount of
centerline miles in the country, so, there is a lot of trucking
and just transportation generally going through our State.
And all of these are really important, and I really want to
focus on the safety of our citizens here and the public safety.
In particular, I had a meeting with some local elected
officials, and one of the township trustees from Macedonia
Township back at home who is a former law enforcement officer
highlighted the many trucking accidents that he saw in his
profession, former profession, where heavy trucks were part of
crashes, and death and destruction followed. And he talked very
graphically about what it was like for him working on that and
shared concerns with the increasing weight of trucks and how
that impacts these crashes.
And so, if you could talk a bit--and maybe, Ms. Chase, this
is a question for you--about the safety of autonomous trucking
with these very heavy trucks and what does that mean when our
law enforcement officers or individual citizens are potentially
impacted, literally and physically, because of an accident that
might happen on a highway or a roadway.
Ms. Chase. Thank you so much for your question. And thank
you especially for bringing up the perspective of law
enforcement and crash victims. I think those are two essential
voices to have when we are talking about truck crash safety and
also autonomous trucks.
So, when we consider autonomous trucks, we really need to
think about a number of factors, including the roadway
environment, the skill level of a safety driver behind the
wheel, and also the different impacts, such as weather and some
issues that have been brought up today.
I want to talk about what you just raised, which is truck
size and weight. You can't defy the law of physics. If you have
a heavier truck, then there is going to be more of an impact if
and when a crash occurs.
So, I think it is really incumbent upon our leaders to pay
attention to when special interests are asking for exceptions
from truck size and weights, that there is a very real-world
consequence when these trucks are made heavier, and also in the
realm of autonomous trucks.
Mrs. Sykes. Thank you for that answer.
And, again, staying on the topic of the human element here.
A couple of weeks ago, I introduced an amendment, a bipartisan
amendment, to ensure that there was signage, signs in new
builds to acknowledge human trafficking. And sometimes our
truckers are a first line of defense against human trafficking.
Unfortunately, in Ohio, we have seen a lot of it, probably
just because there is so much transportation going in and out
of our State. But I know that we will lose some of that if we
do not have human beings engaging in this in the same kind of
way.
But I want to pivot a little bit for the sake of time
because there is a little bit of conflicting evidence about how
this will impact people's jobs and whether or not we will see a
significant reduction in trucking employment. And I have my
thoughts, but I want to hear it from all of you.
Again, I represent Ohio's 13th Congressional District, and
hundreds of workers in Copley and Richfield were recently laid
off by Yellow when they shut down abruptly last month.
And so, my question to really anyone who is willing to
answer it is, can you truly look me in the eye and tell me with
any degree of certainty that we are not going to lose jobs,
thousands of good-paying jobs in Ohio's 13th Congressional
District in Ohio and across the country due to autonomous
vehicles?
Because we are, all of us as Members of Congress, we have
to ensure that we have the space for and an environment for
jobs. People are talking to us all the time about jobs, how
much things are costing. And if people don't have a job, they
obviously cannot pay for the goods and services, the rent, the
drugs, and the prescriptions that they need.
And it makes me uncomfortable to go back home and to look
at truckers who have just been laid off to say that we had a
hearing on autonomous vehicles knowing that they need to be
absorbed into another trucking company, but Congress, instead,
is looking to automate their jobs and they may not have
anything to go to.
So, if anyone has a response. I am sorry. I know I took up
a lot of the time here, but happy to hear any response we have
in the next 6 seconds.
Mr. Spear. I quickly will look you in the eye and tell you
that displacement is not a concern. We see zero evidence of
that. Other than baseless rhetoric and emotion, we are not
seeing any evidence of that.
And the reason is that we have a shortage of talent, and it
is a growing shortage of talent. As long as that exists,
innovation has a place to thrive in terms of supplementing our
industry's ability to meet economic demand.
I would also point to a 2021----
Mr. Van Orden [interrupting]. The gentlewoman's time has
expired.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Williams from the great State
of New York for 5 minutes.
Mr. Williams of New York. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
My discussion really is about technology. So, Mr. Urmson
and Mr. Farrah, I would focus it on you, but Ms. Chase and Mr.
Spear, please contribute as you like.
I am very concerned about that we are able to maintain
America's leadership in automated vehicles. This covers many
domains, including air and commercial vehicles like we are
talking about here, as well as cars and trucks that we drive
every day.
There are a lot of good issues that have been raised today.
It is employment, workforce readiness and availability, safety.
All of these kinds of issues are absolutely relevant to this
conversation. Certainly small businesses, mom-and-pop trucking
companies, lots of important things have been discussed.
But my focus today is really to draw attention again to
America's leadership and specifically ensuring that we have a
strong supply chain here in America to support the growth of
this industry.
Simply put, I want American workers building automated
vehicles in America, and I want them supplied with American
components that also are built right here.
And one of the key things that I would like to focus on
specifically is the amount of data that is generated by
automated vehicles. I have often heard them described as
rolling data centers. There is a quote from a former CEO of
Intel who said that automated vehicles will generate 4
terabytes of data per day, and I can say that that's 16 times
more than the storage I have on my relatively modern iPhone.
That's a lot of data, and we are seeing that actually
pervasive throughout our entire economy and throughout the
digital economy.
There are a number of kind of chips that go into these
vehicles. Some cost just a few cents. Maybe it is in our cars
today, like an oxygen sensor. But increasingly, we have very
sophisticated computer chips required to process artificial
intelligence, machine learning, very complex calculations in
realtime, certainly for safety.
But along with that, and as you may know, if I can point
again to some common standard, like our iPhones, we have a
chip, a logic chip, if you follow that kind of thing, an A7, an
A8, whatever the latest is. But then you have storage and
memory. And I really want to pay attention to not only the
amount of data that is being created, but how it gets stored
and processed.
So, can anyone really address the challenge of dealing with
this amount of data that is being generated by this innovation?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, thank you very much. Maybe I could
begin. If others want to chime in.
I think there are a few very important themes that I really
want to echo that you said. I think the first is around
American leadership. The reality is, is that we are in a
dogfight with other countries in terms of making sure that we
are the leaders in this space.
I think that what comes along with America leadership here
is making sure that we do have the leading companies here in
the United States, we have a robust supply chain that can
supply a lot of those companies, we have the right employees
that can ultimately power a lot of these going forward. And so,
that is----
Mr. Williams of New York [interrupting]. The part of that
that I am focusing on is specifically around data. So, I am
trying to drive the conversation specifically around the data
component. Just happens to be of interest to me.
Mr. Farrah. And certainly you are correct that these AVs
are ultimately gathering a lot of data, using a lot of data.
The computing power is obviously tremendous. And so, the
industry is very committed to making sure that we are
protecting that, making sure that we have the ability to deal
with things like privacy, deal with issues with law
enforcement. That is a core value of the industry.
Mr. Williams of New York. As part of this, when we get back
to safety, are you aware of any requirements or discussions
about requirements that require maintaining the integrity of
this data and the safety of this data in the event of a crash?
One of the things that is critical, like black boxes for
airlines, is that all of the lidar sensors, the motion sensors,
video, all the things that are being generated on these cars or
vehicles in realtime, is there any requirement to save that in
the event of an accident?
Mr. Urmson. I don't know if it is a requirement, but it is
absolutely in our interest to.
These vehicles--I talked earlier about an event where we
were sideswiped by another actor on the road. From that, we
were able to understand that the vehicle behaved appropriately,
or at least our vehicle behaved appropriately, exactly when the
event occurred, all the situation around it. And it allows us
to both make our system better and better understand the events
that happened.
Mr. Williams of New York. Thank you all for your time. I
know that many of you will be traveling by aircraft, and I
would just point out that those aircrafts are highly automated
and that the pilots do very little, even all the way to
approach.
So, I think if you trust your air travel with automation, I
think we can probably trust our road travel with automation in
the future.
Thank you.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Mr. Williams.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Moulton from the great State
of Massachusetts for 5 minutes.
Mr. Moulton. Just continuing my colleague's line of
questioning. How many Americans have died in major passenger
airliner crashes in the last 5 years?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, I am not aware of that----
Mr. Moulton [interrupting]. The answer is zero.
How many people have died in Tesla crashes attributed to
automation in the last 5 years?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, I am not familiar with that, but I
can tell you that----
Mr. Moulton [interrupting]. I can tell you that it is a lot
more than zero.
Mr. Farrah. I am sorry?
Mr. Moulton. I can tell you it is a lot more than zero.
Mr. Farrah. And that is a different technology than we are
talking about.
Mr. Moulton. Mr. Urmson is nodding his head there, right?
So, the idea is that we are safe traveling on automated
planes and yet, therefore, we should assume we are safe
traveling on highways with automated vehicles is just plain
wrong by the facts.
I am concerned about the fact that a lot of people get in
their Teslas assuming that they can push a button and they will
have fully autonomous driving.
I asked some questions about this at an earlier hearing.
And it was explained by the witness that there is a big
difference between the actual capabilities of a Tesla, which he
said was about level 2, versus the level of 4 or 5 automation
that, unfortunately, a lot of Tesla drivers assume they are
getting when they push that button.
How do we address this major discrepancy where people get
in a car, think they can be driven by themselves, and yet
actually they are choosing an option that is not only dangerous
for themselves but for other people on the highway?
Mr. Urmson. So, I share your concern. I thank you for the
question, and I think it is a very astute observation that a
lot of people do not understand the difference between the
technologies.
And I think there is an opportunity for the Department of
Transportation to continue their campaign in education around
the difference between driver assistance technologies, which
are what we believe is in the Tesla product, and fully
automated driving is what we are talking about developing.
At Aurora, we take that safety responsibility very
seriously. We have shared transparently our approach to
developing a safe system. It is a holistic approach that spans
from proficiency where we----
Mr. Moulton [interrupting]. I am sure you are taking--I can
tell you are taking this seriously, and I appreciate that very
much.
Look, I have some obvious concerns about people who are
dying on the road because of this technology perhaps being
deployed too soon. But another one of my concerns is that we
don't win this race and China wins this race.
And we have to balance these two concerns. We want to see
American companies develop this technology and set the
standards for the world. We want to see them do it in a way
that is safe for the American traveling and walking public.
What are some of the threats that you are concerned about
with Chinese lidar technology? I mean, I sit on the Armed
Services Committee. I sit on the Chinese Communist Party Select
Committee. I don't like the idea of very intricate mapping data
of our roads, video of our American people being transmitted
back to Beijing on an hourly basis because we have Chinese cars
that have full data links up to the PRC operating in America.
And I am delighted to hear from anyone on this subject.
Mr. Urmson. So, I can talk a little bit about what we do at
Aurora. So, we have a committed cybersecurity team. It is about
50 people that focus on that. We have done assessments of our
technology and don't see data leaking from it.
Furthermore, we have invested heavily. We acquired a
company in Bozeman, Montana, about 4\1/2\ years ago at this
point, where we are developing next-generation lidar technology
to enable our vehicles. It is actually a critical technology.
We heard earlier questions about being able to--the
challenges that come with operating a large vehicle at speed or
a heavy vehicle at speed. That means you have to see further
down the road. That is why truck cabs are so high.
This lidar, we call it FirstLight, enables us to see far
enough to actually drive safely in these conditions.
Mr. Moulton. Let me ask another question about your
vehicles.
Am I correct that a typical tractor-trailer weighs about 16
or 17 tons? Is that about right?
Mr. Spear. Well, the Federal limit is 80,000 pounds.
Mr. Moulton. Right. So, that is when it is loaded, right?
Mr. Spear. Are you talking about empty?
Mr. Moulton. Well, just the vehicle itself.
Mr. Spear. Oh, the tractor?
Mr. Moulton. Yes.
Mr. Spear. Yes.
Mr. Moulton. OK.
How much do AVs with electric vehicle technology, are they
going to weigh more or less?
Mr. Spear. Two batteries power a fully loaded tractor-
trailer, 8,000 pounds each, so, about 16,000 pounds, which, by
the way, counts against the payload.
Mr. Moulton. Counts against the payload, right. So, for a
full truck, you are going to have trucks that are about the
same weight, but they are going to be able to carry less goods.
Mr. Spear. That is correct. So, you are going to need more
trucks, more drivers. Another role for innovation.
Mr. Moulton. Do you think that they should pay higher road
fees because of the additional damage they are doing to our
highways?
Mr. Spear. Not if you are not exceeding 80,000 pounds, no.
Mr. Moulton. But if they are traveling empty and they weigh
twice as much or three times as much?
Mr. Spear. No different. They still pay their road fees. We
are paying half the taxes to the Federal Highway Trust Fund
already.
Mr. Moulton. It doesn't surprise me that you don't think
they should pay higher fees, but they are doing much more
damage.
Mr. Spear. No, we are happy to pay higher fees. We lobbied
for an increase in the gas tax. That is our shop floor. That is
where we do our business. So, we get a great return off of
having good roads and bridges. So, less damage to the vehicles,
we are all in on that. So, we are willing to pay more in
return.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman's time has expired.
The Chair now recognizes----
Mr. Moulton [interrupting]. Thank you.
Mr. Van Orden. Absolutely.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Van Drew from New Jersey.
Dr. Van Drew. Thank you, Chairman.
Thank you all for being here.
So, a couple thoughts. And I know everybody likes to
philosophize while we are up here, but you can't help it. It is
part of the job.
But, Mr. Spear, when you say that small truckers, you can
look those folks in the eye and say that their job is always
going to be there, and I say this--I don't know you, so, I
don't say this with any aspersion at all to you.
In all my years of being in Congress and being in the State
senate, I had a lot of people look me right in the eye and say
something wasn't going to happen, and it sure did.
As the years go by, it is going to be cheaper for you to do
it automated eventually, and it is going to be maybe easier, I
don't know, because we are going to have to see what the
outcome is. But I feel we are losing small businesses in this
country at every level.
Mr. Burlison talked about farms. And, yes, I know that now
people can do other jobs. But a lot of people liked having a
small family farm. They can't do it. Lots of folks have their
small trucking companies. I have 93 towns. One of them,
Vineland, has a number of small trucking companies and family-
owned through multiple generations.
That, in reality, if you look into the future, if we are
not careful, is the way this is going to go.
Do you ever envision AI taking care of all the services
that these trucks will need as far as tuneups and the basic
things that have to be done to vehicles?
Mr. Urmson. So, I can talk----
Dr. Van Drew [interrupting]. Yes. Whoever wants to answer.
Mr. Urmson [continuing]. If that is OK. Thank you for the
question.
And this is why we are actually investing in training and
accreditation programs. So, we work with the Pittsburgh
Technical College where we are working with them to develop
training for vehicle service technicians for this industry.
We are working with Gallatin College in Bozeman, Montana,
to develop sensor technician training and development.
So, we are trying to help develop the upscaling for the
workforce of the future.
Dr. Van Drew. OK.
In the future, do you ever anticipate that--I mean, after
you are gone and I am gone, I will be gone first--there will be
a time when everything will be automated, including the service
work that needs to be done and everything else?
I mean, if we can drive huge trucks on the road automated,
I don't know why we couldn't do the service automated.
I mean, literally, do you picture a time, generations in
the future, where you will be a totally automated company, and
there will only be corporate leadership that will be human?
Mr. Urmson. I don't think my imagination is that big, but
what I would reflect on is that if I think back to a time well
before me, the 15th century, the 16th century, I think the
folks looking forward to the jobs of today wouldn't even be
able to fathom them. And I would expect that there is going to
be incredible new opportunities that are afforded by innovation
and by America leading the way with that.
Dr. Van Drew. One point I would make, too. We spoke about
airplanes, and they are automated to a great degree. There are
always two pilots still in the plane.
And that is what concerns me. If we were automating but
there would still be somebody, a human being that knew how to
drive a truck in the truck, that is one thing. But the fact
that we are just going to have these trucks without any human
assistance, other than at the terminals, still concerns me.
Deadly crash--and I know it is different. And I know the
system is different. But still, Tesla, again, folks looked you
in the eye and said, ``Man, there are going to be no problems
at all.'' And their vehicles have failed. There was one
instance where they failed to see a tractor-trailer in the sun,
and an Uber car in Tempe, Arizona, struck a pedestrian after
failing to identify her, and that is only a few of the issues.
And I associate myself with some of the comments you made,
Ms. Chase.
These examples highlight the safety risks that we still do
have, and we have to go carefully, and we still have to
incorporate--and I know the words are easy in Congress, but the
reality--the truckdrivers who have made their living through
generations, and small business. I mean, small business is
going to become nonexistent if we keep going this way in
America.
American truckers deserve clarification, and that is what
we are trying to do here.
And it is funny, and other people have mentioned it, we are
in the middle of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, but
yet we are having this conversation of how--and I know you
wouldn't say that, and I know you don't think that--we can do
away with truckdrivers in reality.
Let me say this. I have a few questions, and I guess I know
one answer. Real quick, just because I know we are going to run
out of time.
Do you believe autonomous is safer than the truck-driving
human being driving the truck? Yes or no?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, I will just answer very briefly,
seeing that we are out of time here.
I think that the exciting thing is what we see now from the
data that is coming out, as our members are reaching certain
thresholds, is that we are improving against the status quo.
That is important. It is important to keeping roads safe in the
United States. It is something we are very proud out.
Dr. Van Drew. One question I am going to not ask you,
because I know our time is up, but I will send in writing.
Is this going to save the companies a great deal of money
ultimately?
So, I thank you for being here.
I yield back.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Mr. Van Drew.
The Chair now recognizes my friend, Mr. Carbajal, from the
great State of California.
Mr. Carbajal. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
First of all, from the outset, I want to say how exciting
this technology is and the innovation and the promise that it
has for society in transforming many aspects of what we do,
especially in reducing cost.
But then we have the safety issue. And, quite frankly, that
is what leads me to have concerns over how advanced driving-
assistance programs are being marketed to consumers.
Recently, a constituent of mine took me on a drive with one
of these full self-driving Teslas, and it was alarming to see
failure after failure after failure. And so, it raises lots of
concerns about safety and confidence in the technology and the
ripeness of it.
So, Mr. Urmson, can you speak to why regulating level 2 and
level 3 to 5 of driving automation together creates consumer
confusion about the capability of technology?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
And I think, again, that is a very astute observation, that
these are just fundamentally different technologies. Driver-
assistance technologies are developed with the intent of an
operator being there, a driver being there, paying attention
and getting assistance from it. And this is, to the best of my
understanding, what the Tesla system is.
In contrast, we are developing a system that is able to
take full responsibility for the driving task where we are not
dependent on a lack of confusion between the driver and the
vehicle to ensure safety and where we are developing with a
much more, I believe, robust approach to safety.
Mr. Carbajal. It sounds like you are creating the gold
standard.
How does Aurora approach interaction with local communities
you are testing in, especially local governments and first
responders?
Mr. Urmson. This is one of the areas where I am
particularly proud of the way the company is engaged. We see
that the stakeholder step that is involved in this is broad,
and from day one we have engaged at the Federal level, the
State level, the local level. We work with emergency and first
responders in the communities we operate.
We have a gentleman on staff who had, I think, 30 years of
experience, Gary, in law enforcement.
One of the shining examples of the collaboration we have
put in place is our trucks operate through an inland Border
Patrol station in Texas. We are the first company that can do
that autonomously. And together, that was us and the CBP coming
together to figure out a process to integrate this technology
safely into their existing processes.
Mr. Carbajal. Thank you.
Mr. Farrah, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, NHTSA, has issued a standing general order on
AV crash reporting, requiring manufacturers of fully and
partially automated vehicles to report crash data.
Do you support the continuation of this standing order? And
would you support its expansion to include additional
information, such as on disengagements or transfer of control
to a human driver, to help the public, the consumer, better
understand the reliability and safety of automated vehicles?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, thank you very much for that
question.
I think that I have come back a few different times during
this testimony to talk about the importance of the standing
general order, the transparency of the data. This is something
that we are very proud of the safety record that is presented.
There are certainly improvements that can be made to the SGO in
terms of what gets reported, how it is presented to the public,
so there isn't a lot of confusion out there.
And so, there may be refinements. But certainly this is
something that we understand the importance of it and expect it
to continue.
Mr. Carbajal. So, you support that?
Mr. Farrah. We support having the data presented. We think
there might be opportunities to improve how it is done.
Mr. Carbajal. Thank you very much.
Mr. Chair, I yield back.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Mr. Carbajal.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Burchett from the great State
of Tennessee.
Mr. Burchett. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Farrah, a recent report found that 84 percent of
automakers surveyed share or sell personal data. Should
Americans worry that automation of commercial vehicles will
further compromise our privacy?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, I certainly appreciate the
question.
I don't think that they should be. I think that the
companies within our organization are incredibly motivated to
safeguard that data. This is data that is important for the
performance of the vehicle. That is going to make the roadways
safer for your constituents.
And so, I think there is a very strong alignment between
what the industry is doing to improve roadway safety but also
with those that care very deeply about privacy, as you do.
Mr. Burchett. Well, I appreciate that answer, but still,
they are sharing that personal data, and some of that data has
very little, I feel like, to do with automobile or safety on
the road.
I am wondering will we be able to--and we know what they
are sharing. And some of that stuff I have seen is just not--to
me it just doesn't share any of those attributes that you said.
So, I hope--we are going to hold you to that. I hope you are
aware of that.
Let me ask you to switch gears a little bit.
Can the Federal Government improve regulations to support
private-sector innovation investment?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, they absolutely can. I think one
thing that we have noted today is that I think that there is a
very strong need for FMCSA to move forward on an autonomous
trucking-specific rulemaking. This is something there should be
bipartisan support for that.
What we have right now is a situation where our industry,
private-sector capital, wants to be put to work. It wants to
develop safer roads, ease the supply chain. There are certain
issues that we would like to see tackled by the Federal
Government, and that is a way that we can ultimately help the
domestic industry to continue to invest that capital and create
jobs.
Mr. Burchett. OK.
Mr. Urmson, sensor data is collected, shared, and used. How
is that? How are you all doing that?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
So, we gather data from our vehicles to support the
development and improving the safety of the system. That data
stays within our company. We have in place--well, we are
compliant with the required privacy policies around this,
privacy rules. And we have procedures in place to respond to
law enforcement requests as well.
Mr. Burchett. I don't trust the Federal Government getting
a lot of this information. How can I trust you all?
Mr. Urmson. I think it is in our interest to protect this
data. We are investing a significant amount of money to develop
the technology, and intellectual property is core to our
success.
Mr. Burchett. OK. Have any of these privacy concerns been
brought to your attention related to sensor data?
Mr. Urmson. I am certainly aware of the general set of
concerns around it and certainly share them.
Mr. Burchett. What steps are you all taking to protect
operational systems, software, and data cybersecurity?
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for that question.
We have a dedicated staff of cybersecurity experts. It is
about 50 people that are working to both secure our corporate
infrastructure and also secure the product. We, obviously, as I
said previously, our intellectual property is critical to our
success, and so, it is very much in our interest to protect it.
Mr. Burchett. Mr. Spear, what is the ATA doing to ensure
automated commercial motor vehicles are not vulnerable to cyber
attacks?
Mr. Spear. We have a Technology and Maintenance Council, a
Law Enforcement Advisory Board. We have worked closely with the
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to develop a program called
CyWatch, and it is built on protocols and guidance from DHS,
DOJ, DOT. And those protocols are then shared with our
membership: large, medium, and small.
So, we are setting those standards. We are sharing it.
Creating those best practices is absolutely imperative. So, as
we adopt more technology that could be subject to cyber attack,
we want those protocols put in place.
We do monthly calls with the Administrator at TSA specific
on cyber, and they are actually offering to train our staff.
So, we have a better granular understanding for our mode, and
those best practices then are, in turn, shared with our
membership.
So, that collaboration is very robust, and I am very
encouraged by that. We need to do more, but I do believe that
we are doing the right things on this front.
Mr. Burchett. Mr. Farrah, how can we improve regulations
that support the private-sector innovation investment?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, I think that the most important
thing here is that as we reach this new age where autonomous
vehicles are starting to be deployed on our roads, there are
certain clarifications that we need from the Federal Government
because a lot of the discussion that has taken place beforehand
didn't necessarily include our industry.
So, this is going to be a key piece, and that will
ultimately help to deploy more private-sector capital and
create more private-sector jobs.
Mr. Burchett. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Burchett.
The Chair now recognizes Mr. Allred from the great State of
Texas for 5 minutes.
Mr. Allred. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And thanks to our witnesses for being here.
I am glad that so many of the newly established AV
companies have chosen Texas for their headquarters or for their
pilot programs.
In addition to being a Member of Congress, I am a father of
a 4- and a 2-year-old. And so, Ms. Chase, I have appreciated
your testimony today.
To me, this conversation has to be centered around safety,
because if you drive around Dallas or any of our big cities in
Texas, you are going to get on the highway. And I have got two
car seats in the back seat of my car, and the last thing I want
is a big truck that is, for whatever reason, whether it is
human error or through technological error, going to create a
really dangerous situation.
And so, I have appreciated, I think, the kind of robust
discussion about safety that we have had today, and I think
that it is clear to me that you all are taking it very
seriously.
I am on the Aviation Subcommittee as well, and we have
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines in my area, and I can
tell you that I think your standard will not be much different
from theirs in terms of there is going to be a very low
acceptance of any kind of automated risks here, just like in
the aviation space where one accident has much more ripple
effects throughout the entire industry.
And I am also the cochair of the Supply Chain Caucus, which
we refounded, and I am glad to hear that Aurora is already
testing freight loads along the I-45 route between Dallas and
Houston. This is a vital corridor for our State, and efficiency
is something that I think is really important when we talk
about this.
And so, Mr. Urmson, I was wondering if you could just speak
about any lessons that Aurora has learned so far from this
route.
Mr. Urmson. It has certainly increased my appreciation for
the complexity of logistics.
So, I, unfortunately, have never driven a truck. My parents
didn't drive trucks. But that leads me into the place of the
humility of making sure we surround ourselves at the company
with folks who have domain expertise from various different
areas.
And it was important to me that as we hired drivers into
the company, that they were true employees, that they had
equity, they had the same kind of benefits that the rest of us
had at the company because they are so valuable to what we do.
And I think the insight we get from those drivers--I have
taken the 11-hour journey in the truck from Fort Worth to El
Paso. I have taken many times the 3-hour trip from Dallas to
Houston. And just----
Mr. Allred [interrupting]. Three hours on a good day.
Mr. Urmson. I am sorry, sir?
Mr. Allred. Three hours on a good day. It can be longer.
Mr. Urmson. It could be, depending on traffic.
But it was really incredible to see how far ahead these
drivers look. It led to that kind of insight of understanding
how far you need to look ahead. It led to the investment we
have made in lidar, in Montana, in this case, to develop that
in America and to push the capabilities there.
So, it is really impressive to see.
Mr. Allred. Yes. That is great. Well, thank you.
Well, with so many AV trucking companies in the Dallas
area, I am excited about the potential, as I said, for this
technology to improve our supply chains, but also want to make
sure that we are considering and discussing the potential
impact of the technology on jobs.
And I know that Dallas College, which has campuses in my
district, has been working with the AV industry, and I think
with Aurora in particular, to envision a new workforce
development program geared towards, sort of, the next
generation of transportation jobs.
So, Mr. Urmson, Mr. Farrah, if you could speak to the kinds
of AV trucking jobs you think this will create and how the
education system can help prepare us for the workforce of the
future in this area.
Mr. Urmson. Thank you for the question.
Yes, we are very excited to work with Dallas College. We
already work with Gallatin College in Montana, and we work with
the Pittsburgh Technical College in Pennsylvania on different
elements of this in developing the workforce.
It actually is fascinating. We have talked a lot about
displacement, and the story that comes to mind for me is what
happened with automation in the banking industry. So, everyone
was worried that as automated tellers took place, there would
be no job for tellers anymore, and, in fact, the opposite has
occurred.
Because it reduced the friction of delivering the service,
it allowed people to be in better value-added jobs, and it
created more of them.
So, in this space, we see more opportunities for service
technicians. There are going to be more things on these trucks
to fix and to maintain. We see remote support teams. Think of
them as taxi dispatchers for trucks that are helping the truck
understand how to respond to the world.
So, lots of opportunity.
Mr. Allred. Sure.
And that's OK. I will yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Van Orden. You are welcome, sir.
The Chair now recognizes my friend from the great State of
Georgia, Mr. Mike Collins.
Mr. Collins. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And it is good to see you, Mr. Spear. It is good to see all
of you. I appreciate you.
Actually, I have been kind of listening in and out. We kind
of bounce around like basketballs around here from hearing to
hearing.
But I just wanted to focus on one main thing real quick.
I started driving a truck when I was around 14, 15 years
old and learned on a two-stick transmission. There were
actually two sticks in there.
Since that time, we have had ABS braking, disc brakes,
collision mitigation. We have had rollover stability. We have
had lane departure. We have had adaptive cruise. The list goes
on. We have even got automatic transmissions now. We have gone
from two sticks down to a button that you push for R, N, or D.
The technology is always going to change. It is always
changing. And you shouldn't be afraid of change. You shouldn't
be afraid of any new technology. In most of the cases, it makes
you more productive, and we need more productivity in the
trucking industry. We have talked about weight issues here and
how we can make it more productive.
So, Mr. Spear, I guess my main question is, from a Federal
Government standpoint--and I have already heard you answer the
question once today--what can we do or what can the Federal
Government do to address the autonomous trucking vehicle as it
comes out?
Mr. Spear. Well, don't panic. Don't panic. This is a
wonderful venue to really understand where it sits and where it
is headed, not only in terms of safety, quality of life for our
workforce, what the gaps are, and where innovation can fill
them, but also our ability as a country to compete globally. We
don't want to concede this to China or anybody else around the
world.
But let's not be afraid of innovation. It is a good thing.
As you just said, it is empowerment of our drivers to be able
to operate that equipment with better awareness, better
responsiveness. These are all good additives that are going to
continue. As we integrate this equipment in, they are going to
make those skills more marketable, more portable. These are all
good things.
I am not concerned about displacement. You have heard that
answer. I didn't get a chance to answer, but the written
testimony points to a 2021 DOT study that says that earnings
are going to increase across for all long-haul truckers,
increase overall employment, increase the U.S. GDP. And they
did not find that there would be industry layoffs. That is a
2021 DOT study.
We put that in our written testimony because we are trying
to get our arms around how we take innovation and channel it in
the most productive, controlled sense.
And I think the collaboration with you in developing that
safety performance standard, that framework federally so we
don't have a patchwork of laws, that would go a long way to
helping us advance the technology properly.
Mr. Collins. And I think I heard you say earlier that--
something from the Federal Government standpoint that you all
could work with together to come up with a framework of
guardrails as this technology is developed. And I want to
really emphasize that.
This industry is not an industry where we sit inside four
walls. We don't make our living there. We make our living out
on the road with other families, your family, my family. We
want to be safe. I don't know of a trucking company out there
that doesn't want to be safe. And when they are not safe, they
are taken off the road.
But what we have in this industry, in the transportation
industry, is we have a Department of Transportation on the
Federal level that is being run by someone that is pushing a
woke, socialistic, left-wing agenda, and he has no idea what he
is doing. That is going to get somebody hurt more than
autonomous vehicles.
We will never get rid of drivers. There is always going to
be a place for a driver at some point. But there may be lanes
that you can put autonomous vehicles in. But until we get
somebody in the Department of Transportation who understands
that and quits pushing an agenda on an experiment, then you are
not going to get very far, and what you do get is going to be
dangerous.
We have already seen it in the railroad industry. We have
already seen that in the airline industry when NOTAM shut the
industry down.
So, that is my solution. ATA has been very instrumental in
even working with the Federal Government, sometimes where I
didn't agree, but they have always been giving and encouraging
and wanting to work with to make sure that this is the best
dadgum industry in the world to work in, and it is.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you.
Mr. Van Orden. Thank you, Mr. Collins. I appreciate that
tremendously.
The Chair now recognizes himself for 5 minutes.
This is a very contentious issue, and I understand that.
Two of my uncles were over-the-road truckers. One of them
didn't notice the 11-foot sign on a bridge, so, he was no
longer an over-the-road trucker. So, maybe our family wasn't
the best over-the-road truckers, but dang it, we were there.
And I appreciate this industry. These are good jobs. They
provide for families across the country. And we need to make
sure that we are growing our pool of drivers.
So, both folks are saying some things here. I just kind of
want to level the bubble to give us some perspective.
So, December is the 120th anniversary of the Wright Flyer
taking off, 120 years ago. So, if you took the Wright Flyer and
stuck it on a runway next to an F-35, you would see a
difference. So, we do have to continue growing these
technologies.
But can everybody here on that board just say yes or no?
Can you agree right now and state publicly that our AV
technology for these trucks, particularly the over-the-road
trucks, that the technologies are not there yet? Like, we
cannot completely rely on these now to move our goods around
the country? Can you agree to that? This is a yes or no.
Mr. Urmson. Today we are not ready to rely on it
completely, no.
Mr. Van Orden. Good.
Mr. Farrah?
Mr. Farrah. Congressman, industrywide, the technology is
here. It is already making the road safer. We are seeing
increased applications in things like----
Mr. Van Orden [interrupting]. Is that a yes? I am serious,
man. Is that a yes?
Mr. Farrah. Technology is here and it is being applied in
different ways across the country.
Mr. Van Orden. OK, so, I am going to give you a maybe.
Mr. Spear?
Mr. Spear. Not yet, but it will be.
Mr. Van Orden. Very well.
Ma'am? Ms. Chase?
Ms. Chase. Yes.
Mr. Van Orden. OK.
All right, check me out. Mr. Spear, I am going to hit you
again on this because I want to echo Mr. Van Drew's concerns.
Trucks transport 72.5 percent of our domestic goods. In the
future, looking down the road, what percentage of these trucks
do you think will be autonomous?
Mr. Spear. That is a really good question.
Mr. Van Orden. Yes.
Mr. Spear. I don't think we have good data yet for it in
terms of what--it would really depend on our ability to have a
Federal framework. You are going to see regional operations.
You are going to see lanes being run between Texas and
California where it is optimal. But in terms of expanding it to
all 50 States, it is going to take time.
So, it is a tough one to gauge right now. I would love to
have a Federal framework so that we could grow this nationally
and deal with those problems.
Mr. Van Orden. I would say, Mr. Spear, with that in mind, I
would caution you to say that you would look anybody in the eye
and say they are not going to lose their job, because you
cannot answer what percentage of these vehicles are going to be
autonomous. You just can't. You just said it.
So, let's kind of--that is your reputation you are talking
about, not mine.
So, let me ask you this other question. How long can the
United States of America, how long can we sustain ourselves if
a significant portion of our trucking stopped in a millisecond?
Mr. Spear. Not more than a week.
Mr. Van Orden. Not more than a week. OK, so, these are
things we cannot trifle with, Mr. Spear. JBS got hacked. That
is one-quarter of our ability to cut meat in the United States.
Do you remember that? People were wondering where their pork
chop was. It was rotting, the carcass, in a field in Iowa
because that was a cyber issue.
And, Ms. Chase, I completely appreciate what you are
saying.
And, Mr. Spear, you are getting briefed by guys on the
cyber stuff. You know what? The DoD gets hacked all the time.
The CIA got hacked. The FBI gets hacked. So, I don't trust
that. I do not.
And the difference between some servicemembers' names,
which I was one of them, and personal information after the DoD
got hacked by China, the difference between me having to get
LifeLock, or whatever the heck that is, and our entire Nation
shutting down in a week are significant.
So, until we are able to secure these systems and these
vehicles, I don't have confidence enough to get these on the
road across the board.
And I just--I want everyone to remember Wright Flyer, F-35.
So, I understand where we are at. We are in a continuum. So,
please keep that in mind.
On the hazmat issue, you know what? You are going to have
16,000 pounds worth of lithium batteries on these? Is that
right? You are going to have 16,000 pounds----
Mr. Spear [interrupting]. Up to, yes.
Mr. Van Orden. OK, lithium is a hazardous material. So, you
are talking 16,000 pounds of hazardous material in every one of
these electric tractors. So, we are already talking about
driving hazardous materials not in the cargo but under the
tractor. OK? So, let's not forget that either. And lithium is a
Class Delta fire when it catches on fire. It will burn through
other metals. So, that, we have got to work on that stuff.
And here is the other thing--you know what? My time has
expired, and I am going to hold myself to the same standard as
everybody else.
So, has everybody else on the committee been recognized?
Oh, sorry, Mr. Molinaro.
The Chair now yields back. And I recognize my stealthy
friend from the State of New York, Mr. Molinaro, for 5 minutes.
Mr. Molinaro. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That is not a
description that has ever been used for me, but I appreciate
it.
I want to thank you all for being here, and actually, I
want to continue a little bit from my colleague's comments.
Of course this week we do acknowledge truckdrivers, and I
appreciate all of you in one capacity or another. I express
both the need to acknowledge the work of America's truckdrivers
but, as each of you has alluded to, either directly or
indirectly, the need to continue to support truckdrivers in
this country.
Having served at the local level during the pandemic and
economic shutdown, two very different things but they occurred
at the same time, I can tell you that I saw firsthand the value
and the great work of America's truckdrivers but also the
weakness in our supply chain.
I will tell you that obviously automated commercial
vehicles are exciting. It is a technology that we already know
is underway and being used, as my colleague referenced.
What I want to, however, put an exclamation mark next to is
that it is critically imperative that as the technology grows
and innovation continues, that we do that in partnership with
truckdrivers, law enforcement, and emergency responders. It is
imperative that we work together with truckdrivers, law
enforcement, and emergency responders.
And to that end I would offer, as and if the Federal
Government starts to create greater guidance, there is a
seismic change in emergency response and the need to ensure
that emergency responders are able to respond to incidents that
this kind of technology certainly brings to the fore.
Mr. Farrah, I know that my colleague was asking for a yes-
or-no answer, and it was interesting to me because earlier in
your testimony you basically said yes--or you basically said
no, the technology isn't quite there yet and that we needed to
rely in partnership with truckdrivers.
And at some point you said autonomous trucking needs
truckdrivers. I understand what that means, transition, et
cetera. But I feel like you said that. And while the technology
is exciting, we certainly do have a concern for loss of jobs.
And so, I wonder what projection has been done to identify
both the pace of expansion in the technology and how that
results in and what that would result in job loss.
Mr. Farrah. Thank you, Congressman. I appreciate the
opportunity to clarify.
What I was trying to get at earlier is that when you look
at autonomous driving systems generally, whether a passenger
car, shuttles, zero-occupancy delivery vehicles, and trucks, we
are seeing these applications play out. We have situations
where there are passenger cars going in in various cities.
There are shuttles that are operating in places like senior
centers and university campuses and whatnot.
So, those are all happening today, and we see that
technology is already improving safety, is improving mobility
and accessibility for the residents in that area.
With respect to autonomous trucking, I think, as we are
seeing today, this technology continues to play out. You see
some very exciting partnerships and pilots that are being
announced. But there are companies that are needing to do
additional development to get to that space.
So, it is a little more----
Mr. Molinaro [interrupting]. That I understand. So, I serve
on the Aviation Subcommittee, and we talk a lot about advanced
air mobility, and that technology is going to fill a void.
This technology is going to create the loss of something,
and that is trucks being driven by human beings.
What is the timeline, in other words, what do we think the
build-out is, and what will that do to the loss of jobs? Not
the broad.
Mr. Farrah. Absolutely. We see this technology as
augmenting truckdrivers. We need them in partnership. The
reality is that the volume of freight----
Mr. Molinaro [interrupting]. But you will need less of
them.
Mr. Farrah. Not necessarily. This is going to fill
different parts of the market. As we know, we have a massive
truckdriver shortage. We have more volume of freight that is
going to be coming down the lane.
And so, we need to figure out a way to move this to support
manufacturers, farmers, ranchers. Those are things that are
absolutely essential. We want to be a part of that solution and
work in partnership with truckdrivers to do that.
Mr. Molinaro. So, can you--and, of course, I assume
everyone on the panel, perhaps--you will commit to working with
Congress in partnership with truckdrivers and emergency
response and law enforcement as we develop those guidelines? Is
that a commitment that the organization is making?
Mr. Farrah. Absolutely. We are already doing that. We look
forward to doing that in the future.
Mr. Molinaro. Mr. Spear wanted to say yes, too.
Mr. Spear. Absolutely. That is my job.
Mr. Molinaro. I only have a few seconds, but I wanted to
ask you, Mr. Spear, just speak to the exciting consequence of
this technology and how folks all across the country might
benefit.
Mr. Spear. I think innovation should be embraced.
I just want to be clear on what I was saying earlier, is
that I don't view--I didn't say people were going to be
guaranteed their job. I said I don't view it as being
threatened by innovation.
There is a gap. There is a gap of meeting demand and our
ability to add talent. And as long as that gap exists--and it
is going to grow--there is room for automation and technology
to play.
So, not threatened by it. We should embrace it. And we look
forward to working with this committee to really work on this
issue and put some definition around it long term.
Mr. Molinaro. Mr. Chairman, if I just might say, I
certainly support the technology. It is critically important
that we do that in partnership with the people who are sitting
at home thinking that innovation is going to take their job,
and that can't happen without them at the table.
Mr. Van Orden. The gentleman yields back.
Are there any further questions from members of the
subcommittee who have not been recognized?
Seeing none, that concludes our hearing for today.
And I would like to thank each one of the witnesses for
coming. I know it is tough. I get it.
I ask unanimous consent that the record of today's hearing
remain open until such time as our witnesses have provided the
answers to any questions that may be submitted to them in
writing. I know you are going to get a few.
Without objection, so ordered.
I also ask unanimous consent that the record remain open
for 15 days for any additional comments and information
submitted by Members or witnesses to be included in the record
of today's hearing.
Without objection, so ordered.
The subcommittee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 12:51 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
Submissions for the Record
----------
Statement of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Submitted for the
Record by Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) respectfully submits
the following comments for the record in response to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Highways and
Transit's hearing on ``The Future of Automated Commercial Motor
Vehicles: Impacts on Society, the Supply Chain, and U.S. Economic
Leadership.''
CVSA is a nonprofit organization comprised of local, state,
provincial, territorial and federal commercial motor vehicle safety
officials and industry representatives. The Alliance aims to prevent
commercial motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities and believes
that collaboration between government and industry improves road safety
and saves lives. Our mission is to improve commercial motor vehicle
safety and enforcement by providing guidance, education and advocacy
for enforcement and industry across North America.
CVSA commends the subcommittee for holding a hearing to consider
the impacts of allowing automated commercial motor vehicles to operate
on our roadways. The hearing offered a timely opportunity for Members
to engage with industry stakeholders to better understand the state of
automated driving system (ADS) technology and the potential impacts to
roadway safety and supply chain efficiency.
CVSA and its members are committed to reducing crashes, injuries
and fatalities on our nation's roadways, and have long supported
policies that encourage the deployment of safety technologies proven to
improve commercial motor vehicle safety by preventing and/or mitigating
the severity of crashes. Driver behavior is the leading cause of motor
vehicle crashes, and technology can play a large role in eliminating or
reducing the risk of human error and driver distraction, and the
crashes and loss of life associated with them. In fact, basic versions
of vehicle autonomy are already operating on our roads, preventing
crashes. Examples of such technologies include enhanced anti-lock
braking system (ABS) monitoring systems, vehicle stability systems,
lane departure warning systems and collision warning systems. These
systems all improve vehicle safety by helping keep vehicles in their
lanes and operating at a safe distance from one another. ADS-equipped
commercial motor vehicles have the potential to significantly improve
roadway safety.
Discussion in the September 13 hearing covered a wide range of
topics, including the potential safety benefits of deploying ADS-
equipped commercial motor vehicles on our roadways, impacts on and
improvements to the supply chain, possible labor impacts, the
reliability of the ADS technology and cyber security concerns. However,
one topic that was not discussed during the hearing that requires
attention is how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA) and its state partners will ensure that ADS-equipped commercial
motor vehicles comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
(FMCSR) that regulate the mechanical components of the commercial motor
vehicle and the motor carrier's safety compliance.
Approximately 4 million commercial motor vehicle inspections are
conducted every year throughout North America to ensure the large
trucks and buses driving on our roadways are operating safely.
Specially trained inspectors in each state, jurisdiction, territory and
province inspect commercial motor vehicles based on inspection
procedures and criteria created by CVSA, known as the North American
Standard Inspection Program. The North American Standard Inspection
Program exists, in part, to ensure that the commercial motor vehicles
operating in interstate commerce are mechanically fit and pose no risk
to others when operating on the roadways.
Oversight by the enforcement community is necessary to ensure ADS-
equipped commercial motor vehicles are properly maintained, however
there are challenges with applying the traditional roadside inspection
program to ADS-equipped vehicles. Currently, the driver of a commercial
motor vehicle plays a crucial role in the North American Standard
Inspection process, performing tasks like activating required lights,
applying the brakes, disconnecting/reconnecting glad hands, listening
for instructions from the inspector while under the vehicle to inspect
the braking system and opening locked/sealed trailers for inspection of
proper securement of cargo. If a vehicle is operating without a
licensed commercial driver, how will these important aspects of the
roadside inspection process be carried out? It is critical that a
process be established to ensure these vehicles and technology are well
maintained and fully functional.
To address this challenge, CVSA gathered representatives from the
enforcement community, motor carriers and the ADS developers to prepare
for deployment of ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles. In 2018, CVSA
formed an Automated CMV Working Group, tasked with assessing the latest
advances in commercial motor vehicle automation and developing
recommended approaches to incorporating those vehicles into the North
American Standard Inspection Program, in order to ensure that the
enforcement community is prepared to inspect and verify the regulatory
compliance of this next generation commercial motor vehicle technology.
After nearly two years of research and discussions, the group concluded
that ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles are not compatible with the
current roadside North American Standard Inspection Program. Without a
driver/operator on duty, several critical portions of the North
American Standard Inspection cannot be performed. Further, inspection
stations and other potential inspection locations will likely not be
part of the ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicle's operational design
domain, as those locations are unpredictable and difficult to program.
Because the current roadside inspection program is not compatible
with ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles, the working group
recommended developing an alternative inspection and enforcement
program for ensuring that these commercial motor vehicles and the
trailers they are towing are maintained and operated in compliance with
the FMCSR. In collaboration with inspectors, motor carriers, ADS
developers and FMCSA, CVSA developed the Enhanced Commercial Motor
Vehicle (CMV) Inspection Program, an inspection standard and procedure
designed to govern the inspection of ADS-equipped commercial motor
vehicles operating without a driver/operator on duty. The program
establishes a no-defect, dispatch (point-of-origin) inspection program
and includes an enhanced inspection standard and procedure for motor
carriers operating ADS-equipped vehicles, as well as a 40-hour CVSA
training course and exam (written and practical) for motor carrier
personnel who will be conducting the inspections.
Under this program, rather than the driver conducting a pre-trip
inspection (as is currently done), for ADS-equipped commercial motor
vehicles, CVSA-trained and -certified motor carrier personnel will
conduct the Enhanced CMV Inspection Procedure at the point of origin
before dispatch, as well as in-transit inspections at a dictated
interval throughout the trip. Any truck or trailer or commercial motor
vehicle combination that fails the Enhanced CMV Inspection at the point
of dispatch must be repaired prior to being dispatched--the vehicle
must be defect free before being dispatched. Once on the road, the ADS-
equipped commercial motor vehicle operating without a driver/operator
on duty would be required to communicate to law enforcement while in-
motion that it passed the Enhanced CMV Inspection prior to dispatch,
its ADS are functioning, and it is operating within its operational
design domain. ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles operating without
a driver/operator on duty that meet those parameters would be eligible
to bypass inspection sites. Roadside inspections of qualifying ADS-
equipped commercial motor vehicles in transit by law enforcement
officials would be limited to situations where an imminent hazard is
observed or during a post-crash investigation. In addition, all ADS-
equipped commercial motor vehicles must be able to respond to law
enforcement should an officer attempt to pull over a vehicle.
As noted above, because the current roadside inspection model
simply is not compatible with ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles
operating without a driver/operator on duty, this proposed alternative
approach is necessary to ensure the mechanical fitness and regulatory
compliance of ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles and the trailers
they are towing. To that end, in the fall of 2022, CVSA filed comments
in response to FMCSA's supplemental advance notice of proposed
rulemaking encouraging the agency to require motor carriers operating
ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce without a
driver/operator on duty to comply with the CVSA Enhanced CMV Inspection
Program. CVSA's Enhanced CMV Inspection Program ensures that motor
carriers operating ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles without a
driver/operator on duty are held to rigorous safety standards, while
avoiding the many challenges presented by inspecting these vehicles
under the current roadside North American Standard Inspection Program.
As Congress considers legislation regarding the use of ADS-equipped
commercial motor vehicles, it is important that any policies look
beyond the ADS technology itself and address how overall safety and
compliance with the FMCSR will be established and maintained. ADS-
equipped commercial motor vehicles have the potential to dramatically
improve safety on our nation's roads. But that safety benefit is
contingent on ensuring that all vehicle components, and not just the
ADS, are operational and being maintained. The Enhanced CMV Inspection
Program, developed collaboratively with the ADS developers and the
motor carrier industry will provide that assurance.
Letter of September 12, 2023, to Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford,
Chairman, and Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking Member, Subcommittee
on Highways and Transit, and Hon. Sam Graves, Chairman, and Hon. Rick
Larsen, Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
from Gary Shapiro, President and Chief Executive Officer, and India
Herdman, Manager of Policy Affairs, Consumer Technology Association,
Submitted for the Record by Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford
September 12, 2023.
The Honorable Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit,
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.
The Honorable Sam Graves,
Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton,
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit,
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.
The Honorable Rick Larsen,
Ranking Member, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.
Dear Chairman Crawford, Ranking Member Holmes Norton, Chairman
Graves, and Ranking Member Larsen,
Ahead of the September 13, 2023 Highways and Transit Subcommittee
hearing, ``The Future of Automated Commercial Motor Vehicles: Impacts
on Society, the Supply Chain, and U.S. Economic Leadership,'' we
highlight here how autonomous trucking technology is improving American
lives and advancing American competitiveness.
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) represents the $505
billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 18
million U.S. jobs. CTA's membership is over 1200 American companies--
80% of which are small businesses and startups. CTA also owns and
produces CES, the world's most powerful technology event. CTA
represents over 100 companies in the transportation ecosystem,
including those developing autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies.
Autonomous commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) have the potential to
substantially improve overall road safety for drivers and roadway
users. Autonomous CMVs cannot become distracted, fatigued or impaired,
have a 360-degree view around the vehicle, and use technologies to
identify roadway risks easily missed by human drivers. Nearly 43,000
people died on U.S. roads in 2022--more than 115 per day--and most
accidents are caused by human error.\1\ Every family who has lost a
loved one to a crash caused by speeding or impaired or distracted
driving cares deeply about this issue. The status quo is unacceptable
and can no longer be tolerated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ NHTSA, Traffic Death Estimate
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autonomous CMVs can also make the transport of goods more efficient
and affordable. Consumers recognize this benefit. CTA consumer research
shows that 75% of U.S. adults view autonomous CMVs for the transport of
goods as favorable or very favorable.\2\ Autonomous CMVs could help
relieve labor shortages in the freight sector and create new jobs such
as technicians, remote operators and data analysts. The pandemic
exacerbated supply chain challenges and companies are struggling to
recruit and retain experienced drivers. More, AVs will broaden access
to the job market for seniors and people with disabilities. AV
technology is expected to contribute $7 trillion to the global economy
annually by 2050--a substantial portion of which will be generated in
the United States.\3\ A policy framework that supports
commercialization is critical to realizing the industry's economic
potential.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION, SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES:
CONSUMER SENTIMENT 2021
\3\ CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION, ECONOMIC IMPACT: SELF-DRIVING
VEHICLES 2017
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To lead in the AV industry, government must remain engaged to help
American companies compete globally. The U.S. is now in the lead, but
adversaries and allies alike know where the U.S. is struggling to keep
pace and are gunning to seize U.S. market share. China has emerged as a
formidable player in the sector, with huge state support and funding
driving technology advances and adoption.\4\ The Chinese government
seeks to expand its influence and overtake the United States as the
world leader in this sector. To counter the huge financial support and
avoid reliance on foreign-made systems, the U.S. must be smarter. We
must set national goals and ensure the development and deployment of
autonomous CMVs aligned with our broader national interests of creating
jobs, boosting economic growth, and strengthening America's position in
the global market.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Dentons, Global Guide to Autonomous Vehicles
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Realizing the rewards of autonomous CMVs will require thoughtful,
forward-thinking and targeted policies. However, even as the technology
advances, American national testing and deployment are thwarted by a
maze of conflicting state rules, legacy testing restrictions and
federal limitations. The expanding patchwork of local rules across the
country will only delay autonomous CMV deployment and hinder America's
global technological leadership. American companies need a clear and
predictable regulatory framework to bring AV benefits to the public at
scale.
CTA offers its resources and expertise in this effort and looks
forward to working with the Subcommittee to develop a pro-innovation
framework for autonomous commercial motor vehicle deployment.
Sincerely,
Gary Shapiro,
President and CEO, Consumer Technology Association.
India Herdman,
Manager, Policy Affairs, Consumer Technology Association.
Letter of September 11, 2023, to Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford,
Chairman, and Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking Member, Subcommittee
on Highways and Transit, from Gautam Narang, Chief Executive Officer
and Cofounder, Gatik, Submitted for the Record by Hon. Eric A. ``Rick''
Crawford
September 11, 2023.
The Honorable Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit,
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton,
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit,
House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC 20515.
Dear Chairman Crawford and Ranking Member Holmes Norton,
In advance of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit hearing
``The Future of Automated Commercial Motor Vehicles: Impacts on
Society, the Supply Chain, and U.S. Economic Leadership'' on September
13, 2023, I am writing to highlight the economic, societal and safety
benefits of Gatik's autonomous trucking solution, and emphasize the
importance of maintaining and continuing to advance American leadership
in the autonomous trucking sector.
Gatik is the market leader in autonomous middle mile
transportation. Our company focuses exclusively on short-haul, B2B
logistics for customers including Walmart \1\, Kroger \2\, Pitney Bowes
\3\ and Georgia-Pacific \4\. In a consumer-driven logistics landscape
that's now entirely dependent on the ability to increase speed,
facilitate greater choice and consistently lower prices, the middle
mile is a segment of the supply chain that is fundamental to ensuring
Americans have access to essential goods where, and when, they need
them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Frank Holland, Walmart is using fully driverless trucks to ramp
up its online grocery business, CNBC (November 8, 2021, 5:00am EDT):
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/08/walmart-is-using-fully-driverless-
trucks-to-ramp-up-its-online-grocery-business.html
\2\ Chris Morris, Your groceries will get stocked by robots and
delivered by self-driving trucks (if you shop with Kroger), Fortune
(March 15, 2023, 10:51am EDT): https://fortune.com/2023/03/15/your-
groceries-will-get-stocked-by-robots-and-delivered-by-self-driving-
trucks-if-you-shop-with-kroger/
\3\ Jack Stebbins, Autonomous delivery company Gatik wins new pilot
program with Pitney Bowes in Dallas, CNBC (August 31, 2022, 7:00am
EDT): https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/31/autonomous-delivery-company-
gatik-wins-new-pilot-program-with-pitney-bowes-in-dallas.html
\4\ Kirsten Korosec, Gatik's self-driving trucks to haul Georgia-
Pacific goods to Sam's Club stores, TechCrunch (June 7, 2022, 7:00am
EDT): https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/07/gatik-georgia-pacific-kbx-sams-
club-partnership/
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As Gatik's CEO, I have overseen our relentless growth and success
since founding the company in 2017. Following the launch of our first
commercial deployment with America's largest employer, Walmart, in
2019, we have signed long-term contracts with over 10 Fortune 500
customers, expanded our commercial operations to multiple markets
including Arkansas and Texas, and today operate a fleet of
approximately 60 trucks, completing hundreds of delivery runs every
week. With demand for our solution from the nation's largest grocers,
retailers, e-commerce platforms, and consumer packaged goods companies
constantly increasing, we plan to have over 300 vehicles operating by
the end of 2024. Since commencing commercial operations we've proudly
delivered well over half a million customer orders, contributing to a
higher-functioning, more responsive US supply chain--and this is just
the beginning. It's an incredibly exciting time for Gatik, and the
autonomous trucking sector, as we enable goods to be moved more safely,
reliably and efficiently than ever before.
However, we are now at a critical juncture in our evolution as an
industry. The US is leading the way, but other nations, including
China, have emerged as powerful threats to US leadership and
competitiveness. It's therefore vital that the federal government
strengthens its commitment to the growth of the autonomous vehicle (AV)
sector to ensure we not only retain, but advance our leadership
position, and make certain that the benefits of autonomous trucking can
be felt in every community across the nation. The implementation of a
national AV policy framework--one that provides the necessary
regulatory certainty to enable the safe commercialization of AVs at
scale--is vital to ensure that the vast economic, safety and societal
benefits of AVs can be realized by Americans for generations to come.
The current status quo for safety on our roads and highways is
tragic and unacceptable. According to The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 43,000 traffic deaths occurred in
2022 \5\ which amounts to approximately 100 fatalities per day. In the
same year, 5,887 people died in crashes involving large trucks,
representing a 2% increase in fatalities from 2021 \6\. These figures
are staggering, especially when considered in the context of the
promise of autonomous trucks to dramatically increase road safety. To
highlight this opportunity, Gatik's autonomous trucks have never been
involved in an incident with our automated driving system (ADS)
engaged. Our approach to safety, in the development and deployment of
Gatik's SAE Level 4 autonomous fleet, is built upon ``structured
autonomy''. By this we mean transporting goods exclusively on
predictable, known, repeated routes. We purposefully avoid schools,
hospitals, fire stations, heavily pedestrianized areas and other zones
with historically elevated collision potential. This operating
environment substantially reduces the extent of unknowns or ``edge
cases'' and enables us to heavily optimize our technology for safety
and efficiency per route. With every delivery, our technology offers
the potential to increase safety on America's roads for every road
user, and contribute to a more responsible and reliable national
logistics ecosystem.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT HS 813 428,
Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2022, 1 (2023):
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813428.
\6\ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT HS 813 448,
Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate by
Sub-Categories in 2022, 1 (2023): https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/
Public/ViewPublication/813448.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to increasing safety, Gatik's autonomous solution is
helping to ensure that the supply chain, upon which we all depend daily
for the things we need, is more reliable, more responsive and more
efficient than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the supply
chain into crystal clear focus for the entire nation, as well as
fundamentally and irreversibly changing the way our customers design
their logistics networks. In order to facilitate the rapid movement of
goods between distribution centers, microfulfilment centers, warehouses
and customer-pick up points, America's retail and e-commerce giants
have been forced to turn to a different kind of regional distribution
architecture--one that requires more trucks, more trips and more
drivers. However, due to a national driver shortage of close to 80,000
positions that's anticipated to double by the beginning of the next
decade \7\, our customers are necessarily turning to autonomous
trucking to help complement their existing fleets and ensure they're
able to keep up with the relentless demand that human-driven fleets
alone are unable to manage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Driver Shortage Update 2022, American Trucking Association
(October 25, 2022): https://ata.msgfocus.com/files/
amf_highroad_solution/project_2358/ATA_Driver_Shortage_
Report_2022_Executive_Summary.October22.pdf.
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Gatik's solution is an innovative and safe way to add resources to
our customers' operations without taking jobs away; our customers
employ Gatik's solution to supplement existing operations where the
gaps are most pronounced, and enable strategic realignment of
transportation-related roles as we scale our operations together. Gatik
is also creating innovative, high-paying jobs, and bringing new
investment and revenue streams to states across the country including
Texas and Arkansas, where most recently we have densified our
commercial presence via a long-term partnership with Tyson Foods \8\.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Worth Sparkman, Tyson Foods readies for driverless roads, Axios
(September 6, 2023, 7:00am EDT) https://www.axios.com/local/nw-
arkansas/2023/09/06/tyson-foods-driverless-car-truck
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To ensure America continues to strengthen its global leadership
position in the AV sector, and make certain other nations do not take
up the mantle, a federal policy framework that is focused on the safe
and rapid deployment of AVs is needed. Gatik is very grateful to the
Highways and Transit Subcommittee for its leadership on this critical
issue, and looks forward to continuing to serve as a resource to your
members and staff so that together we can continue to harness the
advantages of AVs to the significant benefit of the nation's economy,
supply chain and road safety.
Yours sincerely,
Gautam Narang,
CEO and co-founder, Gatik.
Letter of September 13, 2023, to Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford,
Chairman, and Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking Member, Subcommittee
on Highways and Transit, from Kathryn Branson, Executive Director,
Partnership for Transportation Innovation and Opportunity, Submitted
for the Record by Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford
September 13, 2023.
The Honorable Rick Crawford,
Chair,
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, DC 20515.
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton,
Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, DC 20515.
Dear Chair Crawford, Ranking Member Holmes Norton, and Members of
the Subcommittee:
On behalf of the Partnership for Transportation Innovation and
Opportunity (PTIO), thank you for holding today's hearing, ``The Future
of Automated Commercial Motor Vehicles: Impacts on Society, the Supply
Chain, and U.S. Economic Leadership.''
PTIO and its members \1\ are focused on preparing workers for AV
technology and understanding the interplay between AVs and the
workforce. We are committed to pursuing policies that connect workers
with AV-driven economic benefits and prepare them for new jobs and
career pathways. At the same time, PTIO acknowledges that AVs will
bring occupational shifts and is likewise committed to facilitating a
smooth transition for those whose job may evolve alongside the
technology.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ PTIO Members include the American Trucking Associations,
Daimler Truck, FedEx, Ford, Toyota Motor North America, UPS, Waymo,
Amazon, and May Mobility
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. AVs Will Deliver Societal Benefits and Economic Gains
PTIO supports pro-innovation policies that advance AV deployment in
the United States given the technology's potential to grow the economy
and deliver a host of societal benefits.
Economic growth and job creation: Numerous studies project that
widespread AV adoption will bring tremendous growth across the
economy.\2\ A 2021 Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
economic analysis found that Level 4 and Level 5 automation in the
long-haul trucking industry would raise annual earnings for all U.S.
workers by between $203 and $267 per worker, per year. The study
additionally found that trucking automation would increase total U.S.
employment by 26,400 to 35,100 jobs per year on average over 30
years.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ A 2018 study found that widespread adoption of AVs could result
in nearly $800 billion in annual social and economic benefits
attributable to the technology's ability to improve roadway safety,
increase access to mobility, and deliver environmental benefits. See
Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE), ``America's Workforce and the
Self-Driving Future'' (hereinafter ``SAFE 2018'') (June 2018).
Available at: https://avworkforce.secureenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/
2018/06/SAFE_AV_Policy_Brief.pdf
\3\ See U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe National
Transportation Systems Center and Centre of Policy Studies,
``Macroeconomic Impacts of Automated Driving Systems in Long-Haul
Trucking'' (January 2021) (Hereinafter ``2021 Volpe Study.'' Available
at: https://ouravfuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/dot_54596_DS1-
1.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Safety: As the U.S. Department of Transportation notes, human
behavior is a contributing factor to the overwhelming majority of
serious and fatal crashes.\4\ Simply put, AV technology poses
significant potential for radically improving traffic safety and
addressing the public health and safety crisis playing out on our
roads.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ See U.S. Department of Transportation, National Roadway Safety
Strategy (January 2022). Available at: https://www.transportation.gov/
sites/dot.gov/files/2022-02/USDOT-National-Roadway-Safety-Strategy.pdf
\5\ There were over 40,000 roadway deaths and 2.5 million injuries
in 2021 alone. See National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2021 (April 2023).
Available at: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/
ViewPublication/813435#
: :text=1.37%20in%202021.-
,The%20estimated%20number%20of%20people%20injured%20on
%20our%20roadways%20increased,2020%20to%2080%20in%202021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strengthening the supply chain: According to the American Trucking
Associations, the trucking industry faces a shortage of more than
78,000 drivers and rising freight demand will require the addition of
1.2 million new drivers over the next decade.\6\ Additional projections
show that long-distance truckload miles are expected to grow by 68% in
2050, while employment over the same period will grow only by 30%.\7\
AV adoption represents an opportunity to fill unmet demand and
alleviate supply chain challenges.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ American Trucking Associations, ``Driver Shortage Update 2022''
(October 25, 2022). Available at: https://ata.msgfocus.com/files/
amf_highroad_solution/project_2358/ATA_Driver_
Shortage_Report_2022_Executive_Summary.October22.pdf
\7\ Uber Freight, ``The future of self-driving technology in
trucking'' (August 2022). Available at: https://www.uberfreight.com/
blog/the-future-of-autonomous-trucking-report/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Access to mobility and job opportunities: Communities without
adequate transportation access can encounter barriers to securing jobs
and/or face a limited pool of work opportunities. Transit agencies
report that the existing transit workforce shortage is impacting their
ability to provide service,\8\ and recent research estimates that 197
million Americans in urban communities lack accessible and affordable
transportation options. As that report notes, ``shared autonomous
vehicles (SAVs)--minivans, low-speed shuttles, and new purpose-built,
light-duty vehicles equipped with Automated Driving Systems (ADS)--have
the potential to be a more cost-effective alternative to conventional
transportation options in underserved communities.'' \9\ Additionally,
AV adoption could result in 4.4 million direct jobs for people with
disabilities through providing this community with additional means of
personal mobility.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ A 2023 report from the American Public Transportation
Association (APTA) found that ``the transit workforce shortage is
widespread and severe . . . ninety-six percent of agencies surveyed
reported experiencing a workforce shortage, 84 percent of which said
the shortage affects their ability to provide service.'' See American
Public Transportation Association, ``Transit Workforce Shortage
Synthesis Report'' (March 2023). Available at: https://www.apta.com/wp-
content/uploads/APTA-Workforce-Shortage-Synthesis-Report-03.2023.pdf
\9\ See Securing America's Future Energy, ``Increasing Mobility and
Access with Autonomous Vehicles'' (April 2023). Available at: https://
safe2020.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/
CATT_Brief_2_v04.pdf
\10\ See National Disability Institute, ``Economic Impacts of
Removing Transportation Barriers to Employment for Individuals with
Disabilities Through Autonomous Vehicle Adoption'' (December 30, 2022).
Available at: https://www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org/wp-content/
uploads/2023/02/ndi-economicimpactsofremovingtransportationbarriers.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. Pro-Innovation Policies That Support AV Advancement Are Critical
for Global Competitiveness and Workforce Opportunity
America's ability to maintain and cement global leadership on AVs
is central in securing the aforementioned societal and economic
benefits the technology will bring, as well as advancing workforce
opportunity. A recent case study found that a policy framework
favorable to deployment--coupled with effective partnerships between
the public sector and industry, educational institutions, and
communities--will boost development and inject economic activity in the
traditional manufacturing and industrial economies across the
country.\11\ It is critical that we ensure the technology's resulting
supply chains emerge in the United States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ See Center for Strategic & International Studies, Caporal,
Jack; O'Neil, William; Arrieta-Kenna, Sean, ``Bridging the Divide:
Autonomous Vehicles and the Automobile Industry,'' (April 2021).
Available at: https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/
publication/
210414_Caporal_Bridging_Divide_AVs.pdf?VersionId=FPD0WGpKizesSoGJZ9.gfUE
AnKq
UvV.W
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moreover, the U.S. is already home to a dynamic AV industry. This
sector supports over 6,000 jobs in the Pittsburgh region alone,\12\ and
studies estimate continued growth across the country in the coming
years.\13\ PTIO therefore supports policies that are favorable to
continued AV deployment in the U.S. to ensure growth of this industry
and the domestic jobs it supports.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ See TEConomy Partners, LLC for Regional Industrial Development
Corporation and the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce,
``Forefront: Securing Pittsburgh's Break-out Position in Autonomous
Mobile Systems'' (August 2021). Available at: https://ridc.org/wp-
content/uploads/2021/10/PGH-Autonomy-Report-Executive-Summary.pdf
\13\ An economic analysis conducted by Steer projects that near-
term deployment of AV delivery services, for example, will create 24
million direct jobs among technicians and supervisors, operational
staff, and software engineers, as well as 10 million indirect and
induced jobs due to economic gains between 2025-2035. See Steer,
``Economic Impacts of Autonomous Delivery Services in the US''
(September 2020). Available at: https://ouravfuture.org/wp-content/
uploads/2021/02/200910_-Nuro_Final_Report_Public.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
III. Building the AV Workforce Pipeline Alongside Continued Deployment
AV adoption will not occur overnight, and the transition to an AV
future will be gradual in nature. Likewise, research suggests that most
AV-related labor impacts will not be seen until after 2040 even when
using aggressive assumptions about adoption rates,\14\ and that
significant displacement in the trucking and public transit sectors is
not likely. U.S. Department of Transportation analysis finds that AV
deployment will not cause mass layoffs in the trucking industry as
natural occupational turnover will offset any observed reductions in
hiring.\15\ With respect to transit, the Department projects that ``any
driver displacement would take place slowly and partly via routine
attrition'' given the high distribution of bus drivers who are in older
age categories, as well as the time it will take for commercially
available automation to diffuse across the nation's bus fleets.\16\
Indeed, workforce demographics is another factor contributing to the
labor shortages discussed earlier.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ See Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE), ``America's
Workforce and the Self-Driving Future'' (June 2018). Available at:
https://avworkforce.secureenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/
SAFE_AV_Policy_Brief.pdf
\15\ 2021 Volpe Study
\16\ See U.S. Department of Transportation, ``Driving Automation
Systems in Long-Haul Trucking and Bus Transit'' (January 2021).
Available at: https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/
files/2021-01/
Driving%20Automation%20Systems%20in%20Long%20Haul%20Trucking%20and
%20Bus%20Transit%20Preliminary%20Analysis%20of%20Potential%20Workforce
%20Impacts.pdf
\17\ According to the APTA report cited above, the transit shortage
is largely attributable to an aging workforce: ``Forty-three percent of
transit workers are over 55, nearly double the percentage of the
broader transportation sector. Agencies report that 24 percent of
quitting workers are retirements; this is 34 percent at rural agencies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
That said, PTIO acknowledges that AVs will bring occupational
shifts and changes to the way certain work is performed. As this will
not occur overnight, the opportunity exists today to pursue the safe
deployment of AVs concurrently with policies that build capacity in our
workforce development systems and position Americans to succeed
alongside the technology. Existing evidence shows that ongoing AV
advancement and real-world deployments are in service of efforts to
prepare the workforce for an AV future, as well as to build the
programs and knowledge base that will facilitate transitions to new
jobs in an AV economy.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ AV companies like Nuro and Aurora have created partnerships
with local community colleges that provide training pathways and
certificates that prepare individuals for roles in the AV industry. See
Nuro, ``Nuro Launches Upskilling Initiative'' (December 2, 2021).
Available at: https://medium.com/nuro/nuro-launches-upskilling-
initiative-ec216f635164 See Aurora, What do self-driving vehicles mean
for jobs and the economy? (hereinafter ``Aurora 2023'') (May 18, 2023).
Available at: https://blog.aurora.tech/progress/what-do-self-driving-
vehicles-mean-for-jobs-and-the-economy Real world deployments serve as
the basis for advancing our understanding around new jobs and
transitioning roles, and support development of programs and strategies
to connect workers with the skills they need to work alongside AV
technology.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
PTIO is pleased to share our Workforce Policy Agenda \19\ with the
Subcommittee, which represents our organization's first set of policy
recommendations based on what is known about AVs and where deployment
exists today. The agenda includes proposals designed to connect workers
with AV-induced economic gains and maximize benefits for Americans.
These include: (1) labor market information reforms to further our
understanding about the impact of AVs on the workforce; (2) policies
that build capacity across our workforce system to support new AV
career pathways while enabling providers to innovate and meet the needs
of their local economies; and (3) proposals that invest in the worker
and empower individuals to exercise choice in their career trajectory.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\19\ PTIO, ``PTIO Workforce Policy Agenda for the 117th U.S.
Congress'' (March 2022). Available at: https://ouravfuture.org/wp-
content/uploads/2022/03/finalPTIO_WorkforcePolicyAgenda_
220330_lo.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. Conclusion
Thank you for your leadership on this important issue and for
holding today's hearing. PTIO is committed to working with lawmakers to
prepare Americans for the opportunities and changes that AV technology
will catalyze. The chance to advance this objective exists alongside
the opportunity to facilitate the safe deployment of AVs and unlock the
technology's benefits for communities across the country.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Branson,
Executive Director, Partnership for Transportation Innovation and
Opportunity.
Letter of September 12, 2023, to Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford,
Chairman, and Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking Member, Subcommittee
on Highways and Transit, from John Samuelsen, International President,
Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, Submitted for the Record
by Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford
September 12, 2023.
The Honorable Rick Crawford,
Chair,
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives.
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton,
Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives.
Dear Chair Crawford and Ranking Member Norton,
On behalf of more than 155,000 members of the Transport Workers
Union of America (TWU), I am writing to share our views as part of the
record for your subcommittee's hearing on The Future of Automated
Commercial Motor Vehicles: Impacts on Society, the Supply Chain, and
U.S. Economic Leadership. We appreciate your subcommittee's efforts to
highlight the effects this technology could have on our workforce and
our economy.
As the TWU testified before your subcommittee in February 2022, our
members strongly support the integration of pro-worker, pro-safety
technology into our transportation systems--including proven autonomous
features like automatic emergency braking which assists operators to
more safely conduct their work. The TWU has publicly joined with other
unions and the broader transportation community to call on Congress to
take the necessary steps to oversee and regulate autonomous vehicles at
the federal level. We believe that comprehensive legislation to
establish a federal framework for these vehicles--one that prioritizes
safety and the high-quality jobs in our transportation systems--is past
due.
It is not possible to create good public policy on autonomous
vehicles (AVs) without directly addressing the issues this technology
poses in the commercial sector--including trucking, hazardous materials
movement, and public transportation. In July 2023, in a letter to the
Energy & Commerce Committee, the TWU strongly argued for more involved
from the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee to ensure that any
legislation on this topic include commercial motor vehicles and
directly address workforce and public safety issues that are being
created by increasingly automated vehicles. Absent a comprehensive
framework to govern the development, testing, and deployment of AVs, we
run the risk of undermining the existing level safety on our roads, as
well as hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs operating and
maintaining the existing commercial motor vehicle fleet.
TWU members in San Francisco, CA are seeing first hand the
disruption unregulated, untested AVs can create for public
transportation and public safety workers. Across that city, our members
have seen accidents, injuries, traffic jams, emergency services
delayed, law enforcement confusion, blocking access to crime scenes,
recalls, and the death of one pet as these companies treat our streets
and our people as their personal testing range. Scaling up this
lackadaisical model of oversight to include commercial vehicles would
not only upscale these problems, but would also threaten good jobs for
the workers currently operating public transportation and other
commercial vehicles.
It is our hope that Congress can pass bipartisan AV legislation in
near future that establishes meaningful safety and worker protections
for the industry. This legislation should recognize that humans are an
essential, non-optional piece of vehicle safety; require that operators
have the ability to take control of vehicles when automation fails;
prioritize pro-worker, pro-safety technologies that advance jobs and
safety over untested ones which threaten to undermine these goals;
demand robust safety performance data collection and review for all AV
manufacturers and operators; and ensure that workers have a strong
voice in implementing these new technologies, both in public policy and
on-the-ground decision-making.
The TWU appreciates your work to advance serious AV legislation
which puts workers first in this technological transition.
Sincerely,
John Samuelsen,
International President, Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-
CIO.
Statement of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Submitted for
the Record by Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton
On behalf of our 1.2 million members, the International Brotherhood
of Teamsters submits the following statement regarding the
Subcommittee's hearing entitled ``The Future of Automated Commercial
Motor Vehicles: Impacts on Society, the Supply Chain, and U.S. Economic
Leadership''.
The Teamsters Union is proud to represent hundreds of thousands of
members in every corner of the nation who drive for a living, including
trucks, transit vehicles, and other specialized commercial motor
vehicles. The testing and deployment of autonomous or partially
autonomous trucks presents critical questions and challenges for both
our membership, as well as this Committee and federal regulators.
As the Committee hears testimony today on the state of autonomous
trucking, the Teamsters Union calls on members to consider not just the
status of automated trucking technology as advertised by manufacturers,
but the totality of salient and essential issues related to its use and
the Committee's role in the future of the technology.
To date, both Congress and regulators have yet to enact a
meaningful federal framework to assess, regulate and oversee automated
vehicles of any stripe. The implications of a lack of federal oversight
have made itself readily apparent as AV testing and deployment of
certain vehicles has expanded. In recent weeks, technology failure of
Cruise's automated robotaxis in San Francisco has resulted in
preventing first responders from quickly transporting a critically
injured pedestrian, who later died, to a hospital. The San Francisco
Fire Department reported that the interference ``contributed to a poor
patient outcome, delaying the definitive care required in severe trauma
cases''.\1\ Teamsters Local 350 members, representing sanitation
workers in the city, have reported numerous incidents involving
malfunctioning Cruise vehicles, including a recycling truck driver who
was unable to move his vehicle after it was pinned in by immobilized
robotaxis.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/cruise-cars-reportedly-
block-first-responders-18343475.php
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While no developing technology is perfect, the stakes are
immeasurably higher for automated 80,000 pound trucks, wherein the
severity of a crash poses risks of several orders higher magnitude than
a light duty passenger car. Congress must appreciate these risks, and
its role in mitigating them going forward. Importantly, the Teamsters
do not oppose the responsible testing of new technologies, particularly
technologies used in conjunction with human operators to improve
safety, and we have long been on the forefront of the adoption of such
development. However, it is critical that legislators and regulators do
not continue to permit a ``Wild West'' testing and deployment
environment in which states and local jurisdictions bear all
responsibility for the safety of these operations.
In the House, Congressional jurisdiction as it relates to
autonomous trucking is substantially bifurcated. Recently, the House
Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and
Commerce held a hearing on legislation under its purview. These bills
largely deal with issue concerning manufacturing standards and
regulations relating to vehicle equipment. While we remain engaged with
those important efforts, the work of this Committee will be of no less
importance, particularly as it relates to the trucking industry. Issues
surrounding the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's issuance
and revocation of operating authorities, vehicle inspections, safety
ratings and operator licensing for autonomous trucking are all worthy
of legislative consideration.
Further, this Committee's jurisdiction also extends to
considerations of workforce impacts, if and when automated trucking
technologies change or otherwise impact existing professions in the
industry. It is our strong belief that any Congressional activity on
vehicle automation that does not also consider these issues will be
inherently deficient.
To this end, for the first time in the history of the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, this week we have put forth our ``Autonomous
Vehicle Federal Policy Principles''. This attached document offers a
pro-safety, pro-worker path forward as automated trucks are tested and
deployed. We look forward to working with this Committee to implement
these recommendations into future efforts as the need for a robust
federal framework becomes increasingly apparent.
Attachment
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Autonomous Vehicle Federal Policy Principles
For the first time in our history, the International Brotherhood of
Teamsters is releasing an ``Autonomous Vehicle Federal Policy
Principles'' framework, a guiding document for federal policymakers as
they continue to address issues surrounding autonomous vehicles (AVs).
As a union that represents hundreds of thousands of workers who turn a
key for a living, and the only union substantially representing
commercial truck drivers, the Teamsters have a deep interest in the
outcome of federal AV regulation and legislation. This includes
consideration of safety and workforce impacts to our members, the
millions of other Americans who operate a vehicle for their
livelihoods, and the public, who are increasingly asked to share the
road with AVs.
Federal laws and regulations that do not meaningfully address the
operations and effects of AVs will result in catastrophic impacts on
American workers and risk increasing preventable roadside fatalities.
The Teamsters are committed to working with Congress and federal
regulators on a path forward that prioritizes both workers and safety.
On behalf of our members and the American people, we strongly urge the
adoption of the proposals contained within the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters' ``Autonomous Vehicle Federal Policy
Principles.''
__________
Regulating the Vehicle
The federal government has authority over vehicle manufacturing and
performance standards and must apply these authorities to AVs.
Legislation should mandate:
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) address
the design, construction, and performance of highly-automated vehicles
and automated driving systems (instead of regulating by waiver).
This must include object and event detection and
response, how a vehicle responds when its tech fails, how a vehicle
interacts with an operator, and what a vehicle does post-accident
(including interaction with law enforcement).
New FMVSS should differentiate between types of AVs--a
one size fits all approach for automated light duty passenger vehicles,
transit buses, and 26,000 lb. trucks is not appropriate.
FMVSS for commercial motor vehicles must preserve the
traditional operating equipment for a human driver.
A new FMVSS must standardize components of Heads-Up-
Display modules.
Standards for AV testing, and prohibitions on AVs from
being sold until safety requirements are satisfied.
Including public disclosure of approval for testing and
sale.
Requirements for the Operational Design Domain (ODD) of
an automated vehicle, prohibiting an autonomous system from operating
in an ODD for which it has not been approved.
Installation of data recorders on all autonomous vehicles
that records performance information that could be made available to
DOT and/or National Transportation Safety Board, with attendant
protections against using data to discipline a human operator.
Required reporting on incidents involving AVs, as per
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Standing General Order
2021-01.
Reporting should also include any incidents of re-
engagement by the human operator, and data must also be made publicly
available.
The requirement of manufacturers to inform consumers of
the capabilities and limitations of highly-automated vehicles and
partially-automated vehicles, including any changes to such
capabilities and limitations that may result from software updates to
such vehicles, as well as clear information on when over-the-air
updates occur.
Rulemaking on cybersecurity, including protections
against unlicensed/unauthorized access to wireless technology.
New standards applicable to AVs for the vehicle
inspections required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA), including roadside and pre-trip inspections.
Prohibition on the procurement of transit bus models that
have not been approved by DOT via the Bus Testing Program.
Regulating the Operator
FMCSA regulates the driver of commercial vehicles, and the
circumstances and safety conditions in which they operate. In this
regard, Congress should require that:
A human operator must remain in all AVs, regardless of
the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) automation level.
A human operator of an AV must remain subject to DOT
Commercial Driver's License (CDL) requirements, hours of service
limitations, and all other protections that affix to non-autonomous CDL
drivers.
Regulating Operations
The DOT and FMCSA possess numerous regulatory authorities related
to both the safe operations of vehicles and the ability of carriers to
receive authority to begin and continue operations. Existing regulation
does not differentiate between traditional and autonomous vehicles in
this regard, and must therefore be amended to provide meaningful
insight into the safety of new autonomous operations, including
requiring that:
Safety and Fitness Electronic Records listings include
the amount of SAE Level Four and Five vehicles in use at any particular
carrier; Compliance, Safety, Accountability Safety Ratings specifically
and explicitly rate the safety performance of any AVs in a fleet.
FMCSA have the ability to revoke operating authority for
the use of AVs by any operator at its discretion due to safety issues.
Incident data involving an AV be separately categorized
within Motor Carrier Management Information System reporting.
FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint database explicitly
solicits complaints concerning AVs.
Carriers wishing to deploy AVs report where they are in
use, and in what function.
Any application for operating authority using an AV be
made available for public review.
Fully automated driver-out operations are not permissible
for the carriage of hazardous materials.
Interaction With Other Laws
Congress must consider issues that may arise from the relationship
between existing law and the efforts to legislate and regulate AVs.
Any state or local laws, regulations or other
requirements that conflict with or provide lesser protections than the
provisions and requirements in these principles shall yield to these
provisions and shall be superseded by the provisions herein. However,
state or local regulations requiring greater protections such as (but
not limited to) requiring a) additional human operators and monitors b)
greater licensing standards; c) greater insurance requirements; d)
greater restrictions on locations and times for the use of autonomous
vehicles shall not be preempted provided they are not inconsistent with
the purpose of maximizing public safety and protecting and preserving
human control and supervision over autonomous vehicles.
Liability for accidents involving AVs should be properly
assigned to liable parties--such as the vehicle manufacturer or
automated system manufacturer where appropriate.
Workforce Impacts
Congress cannot entertain any legislative package dealing with AVs
that does not directly and forcefully address issues related to the
workforce, and any changing operational or economic conditions that
occur as the result of AV commercialization. This should include:
Creating a wage replacement program for workers who are
displaced, modeled on Trade Adjustment Assistance.
Creating grant programs for impacted workers, including
training on new technologies for individuals whose job functions may
change (such as mechanics) as well as reskilling for workers who are
displaced.
Requiring any recipient of federal funding or holder of
FMCSA operating authority, or recipient of federal transit funding to
publicly disclose the planned use of AVs and its expected workforce
impacts, and that this information must separately be delivered to any
impacted collective bargaining unit.
The conditioning of DOT grants on responsibilities to
employees impacted by automation include the creation of 13(c)-like
protections that preserve collective bargaining rights, where such
protections do not currently exist.
That the DOT, Dept. of Labor, and other relevant agencies
study the economic impacts of vehicle automation on issues beyond
driver displacement, including impacts of lost tax revenue and impacts
to supply chain-connected businesses like rest stops.
Letter of September 13, 2023, to Hon. Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford,
Chairman, and Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ranking Member, Subcommittee
on Highways and Transit, from Nathaniel F. Wienecke, Senior Vice
President, American Property Casualty Insurance Association, Submitted
for the Record by Hon. Rudy Yakym III
September 13, 2023.
The Honorable Rick Crawford,
Chair,
House Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Highways and
Transit, Washington, DC 20515.
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton,
Ranking Member,
House Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Highways and
Transit, Washington, DC 20515.
Re: House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Hearing: The Future of
Automated Commercial Motor Vehicles: Impacts on Society, the Supply
Chain, and U.S. Economic Leadership, September 13, 2023
Dear Chairman Crawford and Ranking Member Norton,
Automated vehicles hold great promise to save lives by reducing the
number of deaths and accidents on our nation's roads. Nonetheless,
vehicle accidents and damage to vehicles will continue to happen. On
behalf of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA)
and our nearly 1200 member companies, I write to highlight that to
protect people and property, vehicle liability insurance must remain an
indispensable part of vehicle risk management. As it has been for over
a century, insurance remains the most effective means to fairly and
efficiently compensate crash victims.
As your committee discusses the ``The Future of Automated
Commercial Motor Vehicles'' in today's hearing, APCIA continues to urge
policymakers to maintain a focus on roadway safety; support the
continued primacy of state regulation of insurance and liability
issues; and ensure that vehicle owners control and can grant access to
vehicle-generated data.
Data Access and Innovation
To support data access, vehicle owners must be able to
control and grant access to vehicle-generated data on a real-time and
secure basis.
To support innovation in motor vehicle technology,
insurers will need to have reasonable access to information to identify
a vehicle equipped with advanced technology systems, including common
terminology addressing the type of technology on board a vehicle.
Insurers need access to this information to develop
products and underwriting methods to meet the needs presented by the
changing nature of the risk and to obtain regulatory approval to bring
those products to market as well as efficiently handling claims.
Accident data, as well as pictures and video from an
automated driving system should be available to federal and state
transportation regulators, law enforcement, the parties to an accident,
insurers and authorized representatives of parties to an accident. The
data should be available on reasonable terms to allow for prompt
accident investigation and resolution of claims for damage and injury
arising from the accident.
Safety
The increased automation of driving functions will mean
that, over time, some motor vehicle laws and regulations may need to be
changed. Nonetheless, all vehicles must continue to meet all federal
and state safety requirements and be capable of complying with all
state motor vehicle laws.
Any exceptions to existing auto safety laws and motor
vehicle safety standards should be exceedingly rare and limited to only
the highest levels of automated driving and should clearly define the
levels of automation to which the modification applies. Exceptions
should not be made for collision protection standards or, indeed, any
human safety features.
Automated and connected vehicle systems must be hardened
against cyber-attack.
Primacy of State Regulation on Insurance and Liability Issues
Insurance will continue to be regulated on a state-by-
state basis. This regulatory framework should be maintained.
Liability apportionment should remain with the states.
State legal systems should be allowed to adapt to ensure
accident victims are appropriately compensated. The U.S. legal system
has proven to be very adaptable to new technology.
APCIA looks forward to continuing our work with you and your
colleagues on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Nathaniel F. Wienecke,
Senior Vice President, American Property Casualty Insurance
Association.
Appendix
----------
Question from Hon. Rick Larsen to Chris Urmson, Cofounder and Chief
Executive Officer, Aurora Innovation, Inc.
Question 1. Mr. Urmson, during your testimony you discussed the
difference between an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS)
technology and Automated Driving System (ADS). There remains a lot of
confusion between these different technologies and the level of
assistance they provide drivers. This confusion can hamper the
advancement and adoption of autonomous vehicles, as well as lead to
unsafe conditions for every road user.
How would greater transparency on the actual capabilities of ADAS
and ADS technology educate the public, support innovation, and mitigate
safety concerns?
Answer. Ranking Member Larsen, thank you for the question. Aurora
agrees that conflation between levels of driving automation systems has
caused public confusion that has the potential to hinder the deployment
and adoption of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on U.S. roads. We believe
greater understanding regarding the capabilities of distinct driving
automation technologies can lessen this confusion and that industry and
all levels of government can support this endeavor. At its most basic
level, this can be achieved by Congress, or the appropriate Federal
agency, explicitly prohibiting the use of the terms ``self-driving
vehicle/truck/car'' and ``autonomous vehicle/truck/car'' from being
used by those entities marketing SAE Level 1 or Level 2 systems.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See SAE J3016, Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to
Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles (April 2021).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is critical to distinguish the Aurora Driver, which is being
developed as an SAE Level 4 automated driving system (ADS), from SAE
Levels 1 and 2 driver support features and advanced driver assistance
systems (ADAS).
SAE International developed the six Levels of Driving Automation to
clarify the role of a human driver, if any, when the driving automation
technology is engaged. This taxonomy has also been endorsed by the U.S.
Department of Transportation (USDOT) in its repeated guidance to
companies developing, testing, and operating ADS-equipped vehicles on
public roads. We encourage Congress and the Administration to
communicate clearly to the American public a basic distinction about
the differences in these systems: the need for a human in any portion
of the driving task. If a human driver seated in the vehicle must
supervise the system or complete any portion of the driving task at any
time while the driving automation system is engaged, then the system
should be branded as a ``driver assistance technology,'' not
``autonomous'' or ``self-driving''.
To illustrate, technologies classified as Levels 1 and 2 driving
automation systems, including ADAS, are driver support features and are
widely available in vehicles sold in the U.S. market today. These
technologies, including automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping
assistance systems, require constant supervision by the human driver in
order to maintain safety at all times. Technologies classified as Level
3 ADS are conditional driving automation, meaning that while the human
driver does not need to supervise the driving automation system while
it is engaged, they are still expected to intervene and respond
appropriately when the system requests so or a performance-relevant
system failure occurs. On the other hand, AVs operate with a Level 4 or
5 ADS, meaning when the ADS is engaged, a human seated in the vehicle
is a passenger and will not be required to take over the driving task
in any situation.
The language and definitions USDOT uses in regulations, orders, and
guidance will drive the public discourse and need to be clear for all
stakeholders. Consistent definitions for driving automation technology
are incredibly important to ensure neither regulations nor the public
conflate vehicles using Levels 1, 2, and 3 technology with those using
Levels 4 and 5. In addition, industry must support educating the public
on these distinct technologies and the extent of their capabilities.
For its part, Aurora will continue investing in an elevated public
discourse on these topics. For example, Aurora is a founding member of
PAVE, the Partnership for Automated Vehicle Education, a coalition of
industry, nonprofits, and academics aimed at educating the public and
policymakers on autonomous technologies, because we believe engagement
and education regarding levels of driving automation is so important
for all stakeholders. We are also members of the Autonomous Vehicle
Industry Association, American Trucking Associations, Consumer
Technology Association, TechNet, and other trade associations in order
to engage on these matters across industries.
Thank you again for the opportunity. We look forward to continued
work with the Subcommittee as it addresses these important issues and
supports safety, innovation, and jobs across the United States.
Questions from Hon. Rick Larsen to Chris Spear, President and Chief
Executive Officer, American Trucking Associations
Question 1. As we consider the development of autonomous trucks and
potential federal legislation, we must ensure that any framework does
not interfere with the movement of goods across our borders.
Have your member organizations begun working with regulators or AV
companies in Canada or Mexico? How should federal regulations deal with
autonomous trucks that may be following different national standards?
Answer. ATA's membership includes AV trucking developers based in
Canada, and ATA's members have been working with the Commercial Vehicle
Safety Alliance (CVSA) on law enforcement inspection standards for
automated trucks that could be applied consistently within the U.S.,
Canada, or Mexico. However, more work is needed to coordinate with
Canadian and Mexican regulators to establish a framework for crossing
jurisdictions. Several ATA members are engaging with the U.S. Border
Patrol due to their automated truck operations near the U.S.-Mexico
border, and this may help the AV industry learn if/how regulations
impact what is feasible.
Questions from Hon. Rick Larsen to Catherine Chase, President,
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
Question 1. Currently, autonomous vehicle manufacturers are only
required to disclose to the Department of Transportation when their
``driver'' is engaged and involved in a crash. NHTSA and FMCSA have
launched several voluntary information sharing efforts. Greater
transparency improves public confidence and helps identify problematic
trends earlier.
Question 1.a. What information should autonomous vehicle
manufacturers be required to disclose to the government and make
available to the public?
Answer. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) has been
at the forefront of furthering proven and lifesaving technologies to
prevent crashes and reduce the motor vehicle crash fatality and injury
toll since our founding over three decades ago. Automated, or
autonomous, vehicles (AVs) and automated commercial motor vehicles
(ACMVs) may be able to contribute to this goal in the future. However,
this outcome will not be achieved in the absence of effective
regulations setting minimum performance standards, as well as thorough
transparency, strong government oversight, and AV and ACMV industry
accountability.
Advocates supports the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) obtaining valuable data involving vehicles
equipped with Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and
automated driving systems (ADS) through Standing General Order 2021-01
(SGO). The agency indicates that it believes the frequency of crashes
equipped with these systems will increase. This unique information can
help the agency identify common problems or systemic issues with
certain vehicles and/or equipment. According to data collected by the
SGO (as of October 13, 2023), there have been approximately 382 crashes
involving ADS and 1,076 with ADAS. These include 28 crashes resulting
in a fatality. While it is important that NHTSA continues to collect
this data, Advocates supports enhancing the SGO as outlined by several
Members of Congress in the two attached letters sent to the agency on
February 28, 2023, and September 19, 2023.
Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) must
establish a database for ACMVs that includes such information as the
vehicle's identification number; manufacturer, make, and the level of
automation of each automated driving system with which the vehicle is
equipped; the operational design domain (ODD) of each automated driving
system; and, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS), if any,
from which the vehicle has been exempted.
The fact remains that there is scant independently verifiable data
that ACMVs can operate safely on any road or help to address any of the
Nation's longstanding supply chain issues. Furthermore, we already know
from real world experience the limitations, mistakes, defects,
failings, and faults of self-driving technologies currently in
passenger vehicles. It would be irresponsible and an abrogation of
safety to allow self-driving trucks, weighing 80,000 pounds and
traveling at high speeds to operate on streets and highways with cars,
motorcycles, and other road users without U.S. DOT first collecting the
requisite data and meeting basic minimum performance requirements
established with federal government standards.
Attachments
Congress of the United States,
Washington, DC 20515,
February 28, 2023.
Ann Carlson,
Acting Administrator,
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue,
SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Dear Acting Administrator Carlson:
Congratulations on the announcement that President Biden intends to
nominate you as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) Administrator. We share your commitment to keeping people safe
on our nation's roads and highways. We appreciate the work of NHTSA to
protect consumer safety as new vehicle technologies and innovations
emerge. The Standing General Order (SGO) 2021-01 issued in June 2021 is
a good first step, and we urge you to take further action at a time
when far too many lives are lost on America's roads each year.
Data obtained through the SGO from July 2021 to January 2023 have
revealed at least 18 crashes resulting in a fatality involving
Automated Driving Systems (ADS) or Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
(ADAS). It is essential that NHTSA continues to collect and evaluate
data involving these technologies to keep the public safe. Furthermore,
stakeholders, including the public, must have the opportunity to review
this data without unnecessary opaqueness which can significantly hamper
its usefulness. As such, we encourage NHTSA to take the following
actions to strengthen the effectiveness of the SGO:
The SGO expires in 2024 and a change in leadership at
NHTSA could result in the SGO being rescinded. Therefore, the agency
should eliminate the expiration date of the SGO.
Data Integrity
Many of the crash reports provided to the public include
numerous missing or ``unknown'' data points. This information is
important to fully understand and evaluate an incident, because it
includes, for example, roadway surface condition, lighting, crash
partner description, and highest injury severity. Manufacturers must be
required to review independent resources such as police accident
reports to obtain this missing information and submit it to NHTSA. In
addition, all available visual evidence involving these crashes
including photographs and videos must be included in the reports. In
gathering such additional data necessary for NHTSA to comply with its
motor vehicle safety mandate, NHTSA must ensure that appropriate
privacy safeguards are in place to protect personal information from
misuse.
NHTSA should require manufacturers to record (and make
available to NHTSA in a standardized format) privacy-preserving,
anonymized data that characterizes driver and vehicle performance
before and during an ADS- or Level 2 ADAS-involved crash that must be
reported pursuant to the SGO. Such data should enable automatic
notification of these crashes to the manufacturer, which should be
immediately reported to NHTSA.
NHTSA should establish performance standards for, and
require all new vehicles to include, driver monitoring systems that
will minimize driver disengagement, prevent automation complacency, and
account for foreseeable misuse of L2+ automation systems. Vehicles
equipped with L2+ automation systems should record data related to the
performance of driver monitoring systems to enable research on and
improvement of L2+ systems.\1\ Such data recording should protect
personal information from misuse.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ These suggestions are in line with recommendations from the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the report on the March
23, 2018 Mountain View, California crash.
NHTSA should combine records for each crash enabling more
ready access to and processing of the data. Currently, crashes in the
database can have multiple records as more information is obtained
about the incident. While it is important that NHTSA provide as much
information as possible about each crash, these multiple records can
lead to confusion.
Transparency
The crash narratives provided to the public are heavily
redacted and it appears that the redactions may not be limited to
information that is confidential business information (CBI). Other
variables in the dataset are also heavily redacted including whether
the ADAS/ADS was operating within its operational design domain (ODD),
the ADAS version, and crash location specific information. Information
which is essential to evaluating the performance of Level 2 ADAS / ADS
equipped vehicles should not be withheld from the public because
industry alleges it is CBI. NHTSA needs to reevaluate its process for
determining what information should be redacted from crash narratives
and other publicly available information, including its process for
determining whether information is CBI. The agency should establish
objective criteria that increase transparency and should create clear
timelines for CBI determinations. These determinations musts be timely,
and the public should be provided transparent updates on the status of
the determinations as well as explanations of the results. The agency
should appoint a lead expert, separate from the Chief Counsel, to be in
charge of the process who is responsible for the careful review and
analysis of all data elements including narratives.
The SGO data as presented are not comparable to any other
crash data sets available from the agency. This lack of context not
only impedes the ability for the public to contextualize the
information being provided but also can and already has led to
misleading reporting. The agency must work with other agencies (such as
the Federal Highway Administration) or organizations (such as the
Transportation Research Board), and manufacturers to collect some form
of exposure data (such as vehicle miles traveled or ODD) to complete
the picture for the public.
Additionally, with the proliferation of unregulated ADAS
systems into the vehicle fleet and increasing testing of ADS, it will
benefit safety research for the existing crash data collection systems
utilized by NHTSA to better identify ADAS and ADS vehicles involved in
crashes to enable the analysis of the performance and/or failures of
such systems.
Compliance
The SGO should include and identify all companies
employing remote drivers during any point in the operation.
NHTSA must regularly review and update the list of
companies subject to the SGO. The agency must ensure compliance with
the SGO by all subjected companies.
If companies are not complying with the SGO, NHTSA must
use its statutory authority to rectify this issue. Mandatory compliance
by companies should also include any follow-up information requested by
the agency.
Thank for your attention to this important matter. We respectfully
request that you provide a response within 30 days detailing actions
the agency will take to strengthen the SGO.
Sincerely,
Jan Schakowsky,
Ranking Member, House Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and
Commerce, House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Kathy Castor,
Member, House Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce,
House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Lori Trahan,
Member, House Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce,
House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
__________
Congress of the United States,
Washington, DC 20515,
September 19, 2023.
The Honorable Ann Carlson,
Acting Administrator,
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue,
SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Dear Administrator Carlson,
We write to you today because we have serious safety concerns about
the lack of data being collected by the Federal government with respect
to autonomous vehicles (AVs) now operating freely on the streets of San
Francisco, California, and elsewhere around the country. We
respectfully ask the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) to improve its data collection requirements on automobile
manufacturers so that policymakers and regulators have the information
they need to keep our constituents safe and minimize disruptions to
their daily lives, and so that the American people can feel confident
in this exciting and important new technology.
Over the past several years, technology companies and automobile
manufacturers have made tremendous strides toward a future where safe
and reliable AVs are a reality. But we are not there yet. As
sophisticated as such software is becoming, AVs on the streets of San
Francisco, which we both represent, have been having challenges in
addressing complex real-world situations, such as navigating road work
zones and reacting to the temporary outage of signals. When AVs
malfunction, they frequently shut down in place, which has resulted in
the vehicles obstructing public transit routes, blocking intersections
and the normal flow of traffic, and preventing first responders from
reaching people in need.
On August 10, 2023, the California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC) voted to allow Cruise and Waymo to operate and charge for on-
demand paid rides in driverless vehicles (dubbed ``robotaxis'') at all
times in San Francisco,\1\ thereby expanding their use dramatically
throughout the city. Even before then, almost 600 incidents had been
reported to San Francisco officials since the launch of robotaxis, but
the city and county believes this is a fraction of actual incidents. In
the months before the CPUC decision, such incidents had skyrocketed
from no more than about 30 per month to more than 120 in June 2023
alone (the last month for which data is available).\2\ AV car companies
do not fully disclose the location, number of, or duration of these
incidents, but San Francisco reports, and independent reporting has
verified, that they can last up to several hours and have occurred not
only throughout the city but also in San Mateo County and in other
counties in the Bay Area.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``CPUC Approves Permits for Cruise and Waymo To Charge Fares
for Passenger Service in San Francisco,'' California Public Utilities
Commission, August 10, 2023, https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/news-and-updates/
all-news/cpuc-approves-permits-for-cruise-and-waymo-to-charge-fares-
for-passenger-service-in-sf-2023.
\2\ ``CPUC Status Conference: Safety Issues Regarding Driverless AV
Interactions with First Responders,'' City and County of San Francisco,
August 7, 2023, https://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/reports-and-
documents/2023/08/2023.08.07_cpuc_status_conference_8.7.2023_
final.pdf.
\3\ Harsha Devulapalli, ``Map shows every crash involving
driverless cars in San Francisco,'' San Francisco Chronicle, August 29,
2023, https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2023/self-driving-car-
crashes/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
AV incidents are not merely an inconvenience; they endanger the
lives of passengers, other drivers, pedestrians, and even individuals
with no proximity to the vehicles who require emergency services. Just
eight days after the CPUC-approved expansion, on August 18, the
California Department of Motor Vehicles ordered Cruise to cut its fleet
in half following a crash involving a fire truck that resulted in the
hospitalization of a Cruise passenger. The San Francisco Fire
Department (SFFD) has also logged about 50 incidents in 2023 alone
where AVs were obstructing fire station ingress and egress, came in
contact with or nearly missed personnel or equipment, or were intruding
on or exhibiting unpredictable operations near an SFFD response zone.
SFMTA has also reported incidents of Muni vehicles being unable to pass
obstructing AVs, which hinders the normal functioning of the transit
system and disrupts the schedules of countless riders in the process.
Neither CPUC nor any other state or Federal agency has the data it
needs to evaluate the safety of AVs overall, between manufacturers, or
as compared to manually operated motor vehicles. We are pleased that
NHTSA issued a General Standing Order (SGO) on this issue in June 2021,
and most recently amended it on April 5, 2023, requiring manufacturers
of Levels 3 through 5 Automated Driving Systems to report crash
information to the agency.\4\ However, there are several limitations to
this data. Incidents that did not end in a ``crash'' but did involve
downstream individuals are not accounted for in the current SGO. So,
for example, a vehicle that shuts down in the middle of a street,
blocking first responders from being able to reach an individual whose
life is threatened need not be reported, despite likely resulting in
``deaths and injuries resulting from traffic accidents.'' \5\ Moreover,
NHTSA has not asked for sufficient information from manufacturers to be
able to do data normalization to compare systems, so it is currently
impossible to accurately evaluate the relative safety of different
manufacturers. They are not required to submit how many of their
vehicles are on the road, the number of vehicles operating, or the
miles traveled.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Standing General Order 2021-01, Second Amended, April 5, 2023.
\5\ 49 U.S.C. Sec. 30101.
\6\ ``Summary Report: Standing General Order on Crash Reporting for
Automated Driving Systems,'' National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, Department of Transportation, June 2022, https://
www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2022-06/ADS-SGO-Report-June-
2022.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHTSA has statutory authority to proactively require motor vehicle
manufacturers to hand over data to prevent personal injury, death, and
property damage.\7\ Meanwhile, AVs already collect detailed information
about every moment they operate and, for the most part, that data is
sent to manufacturers' computer systems for analysis and aggregation.
We believe NHTSA should require companies to report incident
information on a detailed and standardized basis so that the safety
record of these vehicles is fully understood and so that companies may
be evaluated relative to each other and held accountable. For example,
NHTSA could require manufacturers to submit reports on vehicle
retrieval events, emergency response interference events, and lane
obstruction events that affect public roads but also bike lanes and
lanes designated for transit vehicles. The agency should also collect
information on the response of vehicles to events that are infrequent
but likely to occur at least several times over the course of a
vehicle's operational lifetime, such as traffic signal outages,
cellular network outages, and disaster situations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ 49 U.S.C. Sec. 30166(g)(l)(A); 49 U.S.C. Sec. 30166(e), (g);
49 C.F.R. Part 510.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHTSA has acknowledged in briefings that the data the agency is
currently requiring from manufacturers is insufficient to determine the
broader safety of AV technology or to evaluate the safety of specific
AV models as compared to manually operated motor vehicles. We urge you
to go further than your most recent SGO amendment to enable the
comparison of companies' safety records, and to ask for information
that would allow for regulators and the public to draw broader safety
conclusions.
If you do have new plans to issue an updated standing order, please
share them with us and the public so we can be confident that NHTSA is
taking action. We believe you have the authority you need, but if for
some reason you do not feel you have the authority to act, please share
with us what changes in the law you would need to take appropriate
action.
The improved collection of safety data would provide regulators at
all levels of government with the clearer picture needed to further
implement safeguards--and it could provide the public with more
confidence in the safety of this new and important technology. We
believe AVs will one day provide safe transportation to millions of
people and dramatically reduce traffic and pedestrian deaths, both of
which are needlessly high. In the meantime, we need to bring more
transparency to this groundbreaking sector.
On behalf of our constituents, thank you for your attention to this
matter of concern.
Best regards,
Kevin Mullin,
Member of Congress.
Nancy Pelosi,
Member of Congress.
[End attachments]
Question 1.b. Your organization has conducted several public
opinion polls on autonomous vehicles. How would greater transparency
improve public confidence and understanding of this technology?
Answer. Advocates has commissioned opinion polls over the last
several years in 2018, 2022 and earlier this year. These polls have
consistently revealed that Americans are concerned with driverless cars
and trucks on our roadways. The most recent poll results clearly
illustrate that people care deeply about road safety and the growing
effects of AVs on public roads, and they are highly supportive of rules
and protections for this developing technology. While there is
widespread concern about the use and deployment of driverless vehicles,
64 percent of Americans feel that their concerns could be adequately
addressed by minimum government safety requirements.
Advocates spearheaded the compilation of the ``AV Tenets,'' a
people-and-safety-first approach to AV development and deployment that
identifies policy positions which should be a foundational part of any
AV policy. This comprehensive approach is based on expert analysis,
real world experience, and public opinion and is supported by 65
stakeholders representing safety, consumer, public health, labor,
bicyclists, pedestrians, disability rights, smart growth, and others.
It has four main, commonsense categories including: 1) prioritizing
safety of all road users; 2) guaranteeing accessibility and equity for
all individuals including those with disabilities; 3) preserving
consumer and worker rights; and, 4) ensuring local control and
sustainable transportation.
One of the provisions of the AV Tenets is that consumers must be
provided with accurate information on AVs. This type of transparency
can boost consumer confidence in the ability of the technology to
perform safely, if it is, in fact, doing so. Consumer information
regarding AVs should be available at the point of sale, in the owner's
manual including publicly accessible electronic owner's manuals, and in
any over-the-air (OTA) updates.
Question 2. To date, autonomous trucks have not traveled enough
miles to give us a representative data sample proving their safety, and
the decision on when to launch fully autonomous service is largely left
to each individual company.
How can we ensure commercial AVs are safe, and should there be
independent or governmental approval prior to these vehicles operating
in full self-driving mode on public roadways?
Answer. The emergence of experimental ACMVs and their interactions
with conventional motor vehicles, trucks, buses and all road users for
the foreseeable future demand an enhanced level of federal and state
oversight to ensure public safety. It is imperative that CMVs,
including those with ADS, be regulated by U.S. DOT with enforceable
safety standards and subject to adequate oversight.
The potential of an 80,000 pound truck equipped with unregulated
and inadequately tested technology on public roads is a very real and
dangerous scenario if these vehicles are only subject to voluntary
guidelines. In addition, automated passenger carrying CMVs which have
the potential to carry as many as 53 passengers will need additional
comprehensive federal rules specific to this mode of travel.
At a minimum, ACMVs must be subject to the following essential
provisions:
In the near term, rulemakings must be promulgated for
elements of ACMVs that require performance standards including but not
limited to the ADS, human machine interface, sensors, privacy, software
and cybersecurity. ACMVs must also be subject to a ``vision test'' to
guarantee they properly detect and respond to other vehicles, all
people and objects in the operating environment. Also, a standard to
ensure ACMVs do not go outside of their operational design domain (ODD)
should be issued.
Drivers operating an ACMV must have an additional
endorsement or equivalent certification on their commercial driver's
license (CDL) to ensure they have been properly trained to monitor and
understand the ODD of the vehicle and, if need be, to operate an ACMV.
This training must include a minimum number of hours of behind-the-
wheel training.
Each manufacturer of an ACMV must be required to submit a
safety assessment report that details the safety performance of
automated driving systems and automated vehicles. Manufacturers must be
required to promptly report to NHTSA all crashes involving ACMVs
causing fatalities, injuries and property damage.
ACMVs that do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS) must not be introduced into commerce nor be
subject to large-scale exemptions from such.
Any safety defect involving the ACMV must be remedied
before the ACMV is permitted to return to operation. The potential for
defects to infect an entire fleet of vehicles is heightened because of
the connected nature of AV technology. Therefore, manufacturers must be
required to promptly determine if a defect affects an entire fleet.
Those defects which are fleet-wide must result in notice to all such
owners and an immediate suspension of operation of the entire fleet
until the defect is remedied.
The DOT Secretary must establish a database for ACMVs
that includes such information as the vehicle's identification number;
manufacturer, make, and the level of automation of each automated
driving system with which the vehicle is equipped; the ODD of each
automated driving system; and the FMVSS, if any, from which the vehicle
has been exempted. Also, when ACMVs move beyond testing into
deployment, they should be required to comply with the SGO.
For the foreseeable future, regardless of their level of
automation, ACMVs must have an operator with a valid CDL in the vehicle
at all times. Drivers will need to be alert to oversee not only the
standard operations of the truck but also the ADS. Therefore, the
Secretary must issue a mandatory safety standard for driver engagement.
In addition, critical safety regulations administered by Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) such as those that apply to
driver hours-of-service rules, licensing requirements, entry level
training and medical qualifications must not be weakened.
Motor carriers using ACMVs must be required to apply for
additional operating authority.
FMCSA must consider the additional measures that will be
needed to ensure that ACMVs respond to state and local law enforcement
authorities and requirements, and what measures must be taken to
properly evaluate an ACMV during roadside inspections. In particular,
the safety impacts on passenger vehicle traffic of several large ACMVs
platooning on bridges, roads and highways must be assessed.
NHTSA must be given imminent hazard authority to protect
against potentially widespread catastrophic defects with ACMVs, and
criminal penalties to ensure manufacturers do not willfully and
knowingly put defective ACMVs into the marketplace.
NHTSA and FMCSA must be given additional resources,
funding, and personnel, in order to meet demands being placed on the
agencies due to the advent of AV technology.
Without these necessary safety protections, commercial drivers and
those sharing the road with them are at unacceptable risk. Allowing
technology to be deployed without rigorous testing, vigilant oversight,
and comprehensive safety standards is a direct and unacceptable threat
to the motoring public which is exacerbated by the sheer size and
weights of large ACMVs.
Question from Hon. Greg Stanton to Catherine Chase, President,
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
Question 1. Ms. Chase, you note in your testimony that new advanced
driver assistance systems like automatic emergency braking can save
lives. New technology like autonomous vehicles generally requires new
training and potentially new skill sets for workers operating and
maintaining this equipment. As new equipment is being introduced to our
commercial fleet, how much of the benefit of that technology is
dependent on investments in workforce training to properly repair and
maintain those new systems?
Answer. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) has
always supported investing in workforce training. For decades,
Advocates supported a federal regulation establishing minimum training
requirements for entry-level commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. In
2015, Advocates was a member of the Entry-Level Driver Training
Advisory Committee (ELDTAC) of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA). The ELDTAC was established to conduct a
negotiated rulemaking on entry-level driver training for drivers of
CMVs. Advocates continues to urge policy makers to include a minimum
number of hours of behind-the-wheel training as part of the standards
established by FMCSA in 2016.
Advocates supports workforce training to ensure that CMVs equipped
with autonomous driving technology (ACMVs) are properly maintained. In
fact, such training is essential to ensuring ACMVs can safely operate
on our Nation's roads. As outlined in my written testimony to the
Committee, drivers operating an ACMV must have an additional
endorsement or equivalent certification on their commercial driver's
license (CDL) to ensure they have been properly trained to monitor and
understand the operational design domain (ODD) of the vehicle and, if
need be, to operate an ACMV. This training must include a minimum
number of hours of behind-the-wheel training.
Motor carriers using ACMVs must be required to apply for additional
operating authority to ensure the carrier and its employees are
qualified to operate ACMVs. In 2022, 22.5 percent of trucks were placed
out-of-service (OOS) for maintenance issues. ACMVs will likely require
additional inspections in order to ensure proper maintenance. In
addition, these vehicles will need to be repaired by trained personnel
to ensure they operate safely.
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