Sponsor seeks moratorium on humanless commercial trucks; unions and safety groups back required human safety operators and data reporting

Delegate Von Stewart told the committee House Bill 4 39 would, in its current form, prohibit humanless commercial tractor‑trailers from operating on Maryland roads, require human safety operators for heavier autonomous vehicles and mandate reporting of crashes and disengagements to state agencies. The bill also directs MDOT's connected and automated vehicle working group to study and report on autonomous truck safety and deployment.

"Maryland should not be the testing ground for unproven technology," Delegate Stewart said, citing high‑profile incidents in Arizona and the collapse of some autonomous trucking companies after crashes and investor suits. He said the prohibition is not intended to be permanent; the bill creates a structure for data collection and periodic review so lawmakers can revisit the policy when the technology has sufficient, verifiable safety evidence.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, several Teamsters locals and individual drivers testified in support, describing the safety work that professional drivers do—evacuation, on‑scene assistance, and tire changes—and warned against rapid deployment that could put motorists and road workers at risk. Union witnesses said humanless trucks threaten jobs and public safety; Teamsters representatives emphasized that testing without transparency and data sharing posed hazards.

Opponents including representatives of AV industry groups (Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association and Chamber of Progress), vehicle and technology companies, and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation argued the bill was too broad, would chill innovation and economic development, and would make Maryland an outlier. Industry witnesses said vehicle safety data is already reportable to federal regulators and defended testing with human operators. Some industry witnesses said the bill’s 10,001‑pound threshold would sweep in many non‑commercial vehicles and urged careful drafting.

Several safety and advocacy organizations, a national truck safety coalition and transit unions also testified in favor, citing recent increases in truck‑involved fatalities and urging caution before permitting driverless commercial operations.

Ending: The record shows a strongly contested hearing with labor and safety coalitions urging a favorable report and industry witnesses urging narrower, data‑focused regulation rather than a broad prohibition. The sponsor offered a study/reporting framework to revisit policy as more data becomes available.