FMCSA Lets Driverless Trucks Use Cab Beacons Instead of Warning Triangles
The agency granted a five-year exemption: Level 4 autonomous trucks may switch on cab-mounted beacons after a stop instead of a driver placing triangles.
Key facts
FMCSA approved the five-year exemption requested by Aurora: Level 4 autonomous trucks may use cab-mounted beacons instead of the triangles a driver normally places. The notice ran in the Federal Register on Oct. 9.
The exemption runs from Oct. 7, 2026 to Oct. 7, 2031. Other Level 4 carriers can use it by notifying FMCSA before they start.
Beacons must be amber, mounted at least 100 inches off the ground, and switched on within 5 minutes of a stop. Drivers of conventional trucks get 10 minutes to place triangles.
Any crash while the beacons are on must be reported to FMCSA within five calendar days. The agency reviewed 402 public comments.
OOIDA opposed it. President Todd Spencer said: “This corporate carve-out sets a troubling precedent.”