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Senate backs study and permit framework for truck platooning, Department of Transportation to lead feasibility work
Summary
The Montana Senate concurred in House Bill 97 on second reading after extended debate, directing the Department of Transportation to study whether platooning of partially or fully autonomous trucks is safe on Montana roads and to develop permit rules if appropriate. The measure passed the committee 34–16.
The Montana Senate on second reading voted to concur in House Bill 97, advancing a proposal to require the Department of Transportation to study and, if warranted, set permit rules and fees for truck ‘‘platooning’’ — closely coordinated operation of two or more trucks using vehicle-to-vehicle technology.
The bill, carried on the floor by Senator Fern, would direct the department to complete a feasibility study addressing Montana terrain, weather extremes and safety considerations, and to develop rulemaking and a permitting process that could include a $200 term permit and a $20 per-trip fee. The committee recommended concurrence by a recorded vote of 34 senators in favor and 16 opposed.
Supporters said the measure moves carefully by requiring study and rulemaking before wide deployment. Senator Fern told colleagues the bill ‘‘sets up some of the guidelines’’ and noted the department would perform the analysis and work with stakeholders. He also noted the bill passed the House by a wide margin, saying it ‘‘passed 98 to 1 in the House.’’
Opponents raised questions about liability, costs and where platooning would be allowed. Several senators pressed the sponsor over whether platooning would be limited to interstates and how the permitting system would work for vehicles entering Montana. Senator Dunmore told the chamber that ‘‘platooning is already happening now illegally’’ and argued the bill should introduce regulations to protect other motorists. Other senators asked who would bear insurance and legal responsibility if an autonomous or partially autonomous platoon caused a crash; those concerns were not resolved on the floor and were described as matters for later rulemaking.
Senators also discussed technical details the bill leaves to the Department of Transportation’s study and future rules: whether platoons must include human drivers in lead or trailing vehicles; whether multi-lane, multi-truck configurations would be permitted; and how conditions such as wind, steep mountain passes and animal collisions would affect safe operation. Senator Fern said the permitting system would use the department’s existing carrier-permit infrastructure and that fees could help defray costs, but he said the fiscal note for the bill was $0 because permit volume and staffing needs are uncertain.
The bill requires the department to evaluate safety, infrastructure and stakeholder concerns and to propose rulemaking if the study supports limited use. The Senate committee vote to concur advances HB97 to later floor action.
