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Blake, Wm. Beatrice Addressing Dante from the Car. 1824.

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Three startup firms are preparing to launch driverless trucks on Texas highways, aiming to operate without safety drivers.

They’ve been conducting tests for years, and their vehicles are equipped with advanced sensors like cameras, radar, and lidar to navigate roads safely. The companies aren’t new to the scene, either: they’ve already transported goods for major corporations such as Walmart, Kroger, FedEx, and Tyson Foods.

For now, it’s mostly southern states, from Arizona to Florida, that allow self-driving trucks.

Critics argue the push for driverless trucks is driven more by financial incentives than safety, suggesting the tech might be hitting the roads too soon.

“At the end of the year, we anticipate getting to the point where we begin operating those trucks without drivers on board,” Chris Urmson, co-founder and chief executive officer of Pittsburgh-based Aurora, said in an interview. 

“We are concerned about the lack of regulation, the lack of transparency, the lack of comprehensive data collection,” said Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

“They can’t just say we’re better than humans,” said Brian Ossenbeck, a transportation industry analyst with JPMorgan Chase. “They have to reach that superhuman level, at least initially, until there’s broader acceptance. And who knows how long that would take.”