Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI have received California permits to test self-driving heavy-duty trucks on public roads, with Kodiak already beginning limited trials near its Mountain View office. The development marks the first regulatory route for autonomous lorries to operate on California highways after the state lifted its previous restriction, though the move is facing opposition over potential safety and employment effects.

The permits follow rules approved by the California Department of Motor Vehicles on 28 April, ending a ban on testing driverless vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds. Tests must include a human safety operator and generally cannot use roads with speed limits of 25mph or lower; the companies also had to meet requirements on safety, insurance, registration and operator qualifications. Teamsters California has sued the DMV, while Aurora and Kodiak have previously concentrated activity in Texas, where Aurora launched a Dallas–Houston service in May 2025 and Kodiak began commercial operations in West Texas in January 2025.