Autonomous Truck Inspection Program Unveiled

Driverless trucks will soon have their own unique type of inspection with standards better suited to their technology. 

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) board approved the launch of the program Sept. 22 after years of development and testing, according to an Oct. 4 announcement. 

Under the new program, CVSA-trained personnel will conduct an inspection on selected autonomous vehicles before departure, along with in-transit inspections throughout the trip. 

Each of these inspectors will be required to take a 40-hour CVSA training course and exam. 

While on the road, these vehicles would be required to communicate to law enforcement that they passed their origin inspection, that all systems are functioning and that they are operating within “operational design domain.” 

While autonomous vehicles would skip fixed inspection sites, law enforcement could still pull the vehicle over in the event of an emergency. 

These inspections “will raise the bar for road safety while giving law enforcement increased transparency into autonomous truck operations,” stated Ariel Wolf, general counsel for the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association. “We’re thankful to CVSA for developing this new standard in close collaboration with industry, and we look forward to continuing this partnership as we prepare for the program’s implementation in states nationwide.”