🚛 America Drives Act: Driverless Trucks Want Your Job Without Taking Your Tests

by TRUCKERS VA
(UNITED STATES)

Title: “No Sleep, No Drug Test, No Driver?! The Push to Let Robots Haul Freight”

Introduction: What If You Got Pulled Over and the Driver Was a Ghost?

Picture this: You’re in your cab on I-70, hammer down, sipping bad coffee, when a 53-footer passes you… and there’s nobody behind the wheel. No eyes on the road, no hands on the wheel. Just sensors, cameras, and a bunch of code.

Sounds like a sci-fi movie, right? Nah — it’s closer than you think. The America Drives Act is a new piece of legislation racing through Congress that wants to make this ghost-truck world the new normal. And if it passes, these autonomous big rigs won’t need to follow the same rules as flesh-and-blood drivers.

That’s right — no drug tests, no sleep requirements, and no CDL drama. The robot revolution in trucking is shifting gears.

Key Points (What This Bill Is Really Sayin’):

No human rules apply – This bill would remove regulations designed for humans — things like Hours of Service rules, drug and alcohol testing, and rest breaks. Why? Because computers don’t sleep (and apparently can’t get high — yet).

Over 10,000 pounds? Game on – Most of the AV (autonomous vehicle) laws so far have dealt with cars. This new bill opens the door for Class 8 trucks, meaning the same rig you’re driving today could be rolling tomorrow with no one in the seat.

One rule to rule them all – Right now, states like California and New York have tried to pump the brakes on autonomous trucks. This bill would override state laws and replace them with a national standard. If passed, AV companies would have a green light across the whole U.S.

Big Tech’s dream – Companies like Aurora, Kodiak, and Waymo are all in on AV trucking. They say it's safer, more efficient, and eliminates driver shortages. But most drivers know the truth — it’s not about safety. It’s about control… and cutting labor costs.

Trucker groups push back – Labor unions and independent driver associations are screaming foul. They say taking human safety standards away is a recipe for disaster. And they’re not wrong — the road is still unpredictable, and bots ain’t great at reading eye contact or sketchy weather.

Multiple Perspectives: Not Everyone's on the Same Lane

Pro-Tech Side:

No distractions, no fatigue — robots don’t fall asleep or check TikTok.

AVs could eventually reduce crashes, if the tech gets good enough.

“Driver shortages” could be solved (although that’s a myth we’ll break down in another post).

More efficient routing, fewer stops, and potentially cheaper shipping.

Driver/Blue-Collar Side:

When robots crash, who’s accountable? They’re not taking roadside tests.

AVs don’t have instincts — they can’t read when four-wheelers are acting dumb.

Letting trucks run without oversight removes a human safety net.

Most importantly, what happens to the millions of trucking jobs if this scales up?

Industry Response: Who's Hittin’ the Gas and Who's Slammin’ the Brakes

The push for autonomous trucks is backed by Silicon Valley giants and Wall Street investors. These folks ain’t sitting around waiting for permission — they’re testing on public roads now. And the industry is quietly cheering them on.

Logistics companies love the idea of running trucks 24/7 without worrying about sleep schedules, paychecks, or benefits. It's all about profit margins.

On the flip side, drivers, safety advocates, and some state lawmakers are waving red flags. They argue that this is deregulation on steroids — stripping out guardrails that were put in place after hard-learned lessons.

Let’s be honest — technology ain’t evil. But rolling it out without safety nets? That’s asking for disaster. Especially when we’ve seen tech fail spectacularly before (remember when Teslas couldn’t see parked fire trucks?).

The Bottom Line: This Isn’t Just About Trucks — It’s About the Future of Work

Look, we all know trucking is changing. But this ain’t just another “E-Log Mandate” or hours-of-service tweak. This is foundational change. We’re talkin’ about taking the human element completely out of the cab — and fast-tracking it with zero accountability.

You can’t blame companies for wanting to automate. That’s the game. But you can blame lawmakers for letting it happen without putting real protections in place — for both drivers and the motoring public.

And here’s the scary truth: once these AV rigs are everywhere, there ain’t no going back.

So What Should You Do?

If you’re a driver, don’t wait for the “robot wave” to hit. Start building your Plan B now. That might mean:

Learning how to use AI tools to create income on the side

Starting a content channel to grow a brand

Exploring affiliate marketing, dispatching, or trucking business coaching

No matter what — don’t get caught flat-footed. Just like old-school drivers had to adapt from paper logs to ELDs, this is the next shift.

👉 For trucking truths and real talk, check out LifeAsATrucker.com
👉 For tools to help you make money outside the cab, visit RetireFromTrucking.com