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Autonomous trucking, once regarded as the stuff of science fiction, is gradually moving closer to viability in real-world freight operations after years of investment, development and on-road testing.

Driverless trucks with no humans on board will soon cruise Texas highways if three firms have their way despite objections from critics who say finances, not safety, is behind the timetable.

Autonomous trucks could unlock ­safety improvements and greater freight efficiency in the coming years, but they won't be a one-size-fits-all solution for the entire trucking industry.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 22 vetoed a bill that for five years would have banned autonomous trucks from being tested on public roads in the state without drivers in the cab.

If California's Assembly Bill 316 becomes law, driverless trucks won’t be able to drive down state highways without a human driver present until at least 2031.

Ohio and Indiana have agreed to test partially automated trucks on a 166-mile stretch of Interstate 70 between Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis beginning as early as October.

Waymo, the self-driving unit owned by Alphabet Inc., is slowing the development of autonomous trucking that’s being done by its Via subsidiary.

TuSimple is exploring strategic alternatives for its U.S. operations, including a sale, which would see the self-driving truck technology provider focus on Asia-Pacific activities.

A number of autonomous truck developers like Aurora have set up operations in Texas, allowing them to run test drivers and preview routes with their self-driving technology.

Kodiak Robotics Inc. is set to equip 800 trucks with self-driving technology for Loadsmith, a third-party Capacity-as-a-Service logistics provider, the companies said.