Attorneys general speak out against self-driving trucks hauling hazmat
A coalition of attorneys general asked the federal government to halt proposed rule changes that would allow the transportation of hazardous materials (hazmat) by “highly automated transportation systems.”
On March 4, 2026, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul led attorneys general from several other states in asking the Trump administration to “halt its plan to propose regulations for the highly automated transportation of hazardous materials, often referred to as unmanned or “self-driving” vehicles.”
In December 2025, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) asking for comment on the transportation of hazardous materials in highly automated transportation systems, including automated heavy-duty trucks, drones, railways, and water vessels.
In a comment letter on the ANPRM, the attorneys general urged federal officials to “respect state authority over public safety,” arguing that “states maintain authority over highway route designations by which hazardous materials may or may not be transported by motor vehicle, and states and local jurisdictions are responsible for responding to hazardous materials accidents.”
Raoul and the attorneys general also pointed to the ” unique risks and logistical complications” of using highly automated transport for hazmat and “urged the PHMSA not to create regulations that would allow for the transportation of hazardous materials by unmanned vehicles until the technology and infrastructure are developed, tested and safely implemented for non-hazardous uses.”
“Raoul and the attorneys general warn that allowing the transportation of hazardous materials by automated means before this technology has been proven safe would expose first responders, public safety and the environment to increased, grave risks,” the coalition said.
“It is premature to develop regulations to transport hazardous materials by any automated transportation system before a baseline level of reliability and safety has been achieved for everyday automated transportation,” Raoul said. “Accidents involving hazardous materials frequently have catastrophic effects and harm entire communities. I join my fellow attorneys general in strongly urging the Trump administration not to gamble the safety of the public on technology that has yet to be proven.”
Other members of the coalition include the attorneys general of California, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.