Sen. John Fetterman sided with the Teamsters in arguing that autonomous trucks should be supervised by human operators after Aurora Innovation rejected the union's demand. Aurora has reported 20 automated-driving collisions to NHTSA since 2021 with no human injuries; the most serious involved a deer strike in October 2024. The Teamsters, representing about 3.6 million freight drivers, secured contract language (2023–2028) that blocks ABF Freight (≈7,000 drivers) from using driverless freight vehicles and preserves bargaining-unit jobs — foregoing an estimated 42% per-mile cost saving cited by McKinsey.
Teamsters vs. Driverless Trucks: Safety Claims, Job Fears, and a Costly Trade-Off
The Teamsters Want To Keep Transportation Costs Higher
Sen. John Fetterman (D–Pa.) joined the Teamsters this week in urging that autonomous long-haul trucks be supervised by human operators, framing the issue as one of public safety. Aurora Innovation, a self-driving truck developer, recently rejected the Teamsters' demand for mandatory human operators on every vehicle — a dispute that has reignited the debate over safety, jobs, and regulation in the freight industry.
Safety Data and Industry Claims
Aurora has reported 20 automated-driving-system collisions to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) since 2021; none of those incidents produced human injuries. The most serious reported incident was a collision with a deer at 3:29 a.m. in October 2024. These figures are consistent with broader evidence that well-designed autonomous systems can reduce certain types of crashes — for example, Waymo reports 127 million rider-only miles with an 81% lower rate of injury-causing crashes compared with human drivers in its service areas.
Why the Teamsters Object
The Teamsters union, which represents roughly 3.6 million freight drivers in the U.S., says its primary concern is protecting members' jobs and wages as automation advances. The union negotiated protections in the National Master Freight 2023–2028 Agreement: ABF Freight, which employs about 7,000 drivers, agreed not to deploy robots, autonomous vehicles, or vehicles that transport freight without a bargaining-unit driver. If such technology is introduced later, the contract requires the company not to reduce the overall number of bargaining-unit positions.
Economic Trade-Offs
Proponents of automation point to large efficiency gains: McKinsey & Company has estimated up to a 42% reduction in operating costs per mile from increased automation in trucking. Opponents argue those savings may come at the expense of widespread job losses and downward pressure on wages unless accompanied by negotiated protections, retraining, or other transition measures.
Where This Leaves Policy and Public Debate
The dispute highlights a familiar tension: autonomous vehicle developers emphasize measured safety improvements and cost savings, while labor organizations emphasize worker displacement and community impacts. Policymakers face a choice between encouraging rapid adoption of potentially safer, more efficient technology and imposing rules to protect jobs and livelihoods. The outcome will shape freight economics, road safety standards, and the future of work in transportation.
Bottom line: Aurora's reported collision record so far shows no human injuries, but the Teamsters' contractual protections reflect deep concern about automation's impact on drivers' jobs and wages. The debate is as much about economics and politics as it is about safety.
