The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has declined a request by autonomous trucking companies for a rule exemption regarding reflective triangles for stopped commercial motor vehicles, announced December 26, 2024.

What went down: Waymo and Aurora, two big players in driverless trucking, sought permission to replace traditional warning devices with Cab-Mounted Warning Beacons for vehicles operating without a human driver.

• The companies argued that using current warning devices isn't practical for autonomous trucks lacking human operators.
• They proposed an alternative solution using beacons mounted on the cab.

FMCSA's take: The agency refused the exemption, citing insufficient evidence from the companies proving these beacons could match the safety level of existing gear according to their report.

Bottom line: This decision reiterates FMCSA's careful stance toward broad exemptions, especially in the growing realm of autonomous trucking. No such approval has been granted as of now.