Teamsters Sue California Over Autonomous Truck Regulations

The union argues that the DMV irresponsibly and unlawfully implemented these regulations without conducting the required economic study on their potential effects. The Teamsters contend that the agency used an abbreviated rulemaking process, typically for minor updates with costs under $50 million, and underestimated the financial implications and job losses associated with autonomous heavy vehicles.

According to the lawsuit, the regulations could eventually eliminate the jobs of more than 200,000 employee semi-truck drivers in California, as well as a similar number of self-employed drivers. The Teamsters are seeking a court order to prevent the DMV from enforcing the regulations and to declare them enacted in error, citing an "existential threat" to hundreds of thousands of union jobs.

The lawsuit also names the state transportation and finance agencies, along with the administrative law office, as respondents. The DMV declined to comment on the pending litigation, and the Department of Finance stated it had not yet been served.