Safety

Navistar’s president and CEO told a Senate panel last week that autonomous vehicle technology likely won’t eliminate the need for truck drivers, but drivers may need to gain new skills as they’re asked to manage several trucks at once.

The country’s top transportation official will update trucking executives about the Trump administration’s policies and objectives at the Management Conference & Exhibition hosted by American Trucking Associations next month in Orlando, Fla.

WASHINGTON — As autonomous technology evolves, drivers will remain integral to the movement of goods and services for the foreseeable future, top trucking executives told senators concerned about potential disruptions in the labor force.

A U.S. Senate committee is considering whether legislation dealing with the future of self-driving cars should also pave the way to self-driving trucks, considering the impact such technology could have on millions of workers.

Tesla Inc.’s design of its Autopilot system contributed to a 2016 fatal crash in Florida, accident investigators concluded as they recommended all automakers prevent autonomous driving systems from being used on roads for which they are not designed.

While a recent public meeting hosted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration gave motor carriers a chance to vent on a possible plan that could modify the way the agency assesses the safety of the nation’s truckers, the meeting seemed to leave some of them uneasy over what the plan could portend for the future.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Sept. 12 unveiled updated federal guidance for automated driving systems for industry and states that want to deploy self-driving vehicles.

The top driver at this year’s National Truck Driving Championships will be honored at the Management Conference & Exhibition hosted by American Trucking Associations in October.