Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Waymo and Aurora (AUR) hit speed bump as union opposes safety exemption for driverless trucks

Alphabet's (NASDAQ: GOOGL) self-driving unit Waymo hit a speed bump on Tuesday after major transport union, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), voiced its opposition to a petition put forward by the tech company.

Waymo, alongside autonomous driving company Aurora (NASDAQ: AUR) are seeking an exemption from rules on warning devices for large semi-trucks.

FMCSA said last month it received a joint application from Waymo and Aurora seeking a five-year exemption from rules that require drivers to place reflective triangles or a flare around a stopped truck to alert other drivers and help prevent a crash.

Aurora and Waymo instead want to use warning beacons mounted on the truck cab to avoid the need for human drivers.

The transport union said the petition is "inappropriate, represents an overreach and a misuse of the waiver and exemption process, and would significantly diminish the safety of our roads. It should be rejected in the strongest possible terms."

The union urged the safety board to ensure "rigorous oversight and standards" before widespread deployment of such new technologies.

Waymo and Aurora say that without an exemption driverless trucks would need to have a human on board, which would "undermine the efficiency potential of autonomous CMVs."

Legislation to speed the deployment of self-driving vehicles and ease hurdles has been stalled for more than five years in Congress. A bill to advance self-driving cars approved by the U.S. House in 2017 applied to vehicles under 10,000 pounds -- but not large commercial trucks.

Shares of GOOGL and GOOG are down 0.71% and 0.45% respectively in afternoon trading on Tuesday.

Shares of AUR are up 4.54%.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]

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