Autonomous Trucks Stir Debate
Humble Robotics plans driverless freight trucks for California, sparking concerns from drivers
A Bay Area startup called Humble Robotics has raised $24 million to build a freight truck with no steering wheel, no gas pedal, and no driver's seat. The vehicle, called the Humble Hauler, could begin hauling cargo on California roads within a year — if regulators allow it, according to The State.
The company emerged from stealth in April 2024 with seed funding from Eclipse Capital and Energy Impact Partners. But as Humble moves toward customer pilots, truck drivers and labor unions are pushing back hard, calling the vehicle a safety risk and a threat to hundreds of thousands of jobs.
A Cabless Truck Designed to Upend Freight Entirely
The Humble Hauler is a Class 8 heavy-duty truck — the biggest category on the road, with a maximum weight of 80,000 lbs. By stripping out the cab entirely, Humble claims it cuts drag by 20% compared to other electric trucks. That extra space allows for more batteries, giving the Hauler a projected range of 300 to 500 miles on a single charge, according to company materials cited by FreightWaves.
CEO Alex Anderson calls it "the logical conclusion of freight evolution." The design removes what he says is the biggest source of accidents: human error. Earlier autonomous trucking companies like Embark and TuSimple kept the traditional cab and tried to retrofit it with AI. Both eventually shut down or changed course. Humble is starting from scratch, according to MIT Technology Review.
California Regulations Open a Door — But It's Not Open Yet
California's DMV began drafting new rules in early 2025 that could allow heavy autonomous trucks on public roads. Humble is trying to time its California push to match that regulatory window. But as of now, the company has not applied for a DMV permit and originally planned its testing operations in Texas, where rules are more relaxed, according to Bloomberg.
The political landscape in California is split. Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a 2023 bill — Assembly Bill 316 — that would have required a human driver in every autonomous truck. He said it would stifle innovation. But Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry is still pushing legislation to mandate human operators, arguing that "innovation should not come at the cost of public safety or thousands of good-paying jobs," according to Sacramento Bee.
Teamsters Call It a 'Mobile Hazard' as Jobs Hang in the Balance
There are roughly 200,000 heavy-truck drivers in California. Driver wages and benefits make up about 40% of long-haul trucking costs — and eliminating those costs is central to Humble's business model, according to FreightWaves. Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien calls the Hauler a "mobile hazard," saying, "You cannot replace the intuition and emergency-response capability of a professional driver with a sensor suite," according to Labor Notes.
Teamsters Local 853 launched a "Safety First" campaign in May 2025 targeting Humble and the DMV's proposed rules. Humble says it will create "remote operator" jobs to monitor the trucks. Critics argue those roles will be fewer in number and pay less than union driving jobs. Local mayors in the Central Valley — where trucking is a primary employer — have also expressed alarm over the potential economic impact, according to Politico California.
If It Works, Freight Costs Could Drop by 40%
Because the Humble Hauler has no driver, it could run up to 20 hours a day — stopping only to charge. Freight analysts at Morgan Stanley say this model is more sustainable than earlier AV truck startups because it targets the "middle mile": short, repeated highway routes that are simpler for AI to handle. If it scales, freight costs could fall by 30 to 40%, according to Business Insider.
The next major flashpoint will be Humble's first formal permit application to the California DMV, expected in late 2026. If the DMV approves a cabless vehicle for the I-5 corridor, it would set a national precedent. Insurance companies remain skeptical, raising questions about liability in a crash involving a truck with no one on board, according to Insurance Journal.
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