Legislation could stall company’s effort to get autonomous trucks on California highways

Self-driving technology company Aurora Innovation has plans to commercialize autonomous trucks by the end of next year. So far, the company seems to be on that path in Texas. Here in California, where the company is partly headquartered and has long incubated much of its technology, it’s a different story. The company’s home state may push back on its innovations with California State Assembly Bill 316, which would prohibit any self-driving trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds from hitting the road without a trained human operator behind the wheel. The legislation’s got the support of labor unions including the Teamsters, who argue it will save jobs and keep California’s roads safe. The bill could be headed to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk in the near future. Marketplace’s Lily Jamali made a visit to Aurora’s headquarters in the Bay Area and sat down with its CEO, Chris Urmson, and asked him how this bill could halt the company’s advances here in the Golden State.