How Many Self-Driving Trucks Are on the Road? See the Stats

As of the latest available data, there are over 1000 self-driving trucks operating globally, with approximately 400 of them active in the United States. This marks a significant step forward in the integration of autonomous technology within the freight and logistics sector.

Leading the deployment are companies like Einride, Pony.ai, and Gatik, with fleets numbering in the hundreds. These innovators are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in driverless transport, setting the stage for broader commercial adoption across the country.

The global autonomous truck market size was valued at $35.51 billion in 2024 and $33 billion in 2023, reflecting a 7.6% year-over-year increase.

This growth is projected to reach $76 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 10% during the forecast period.

Company Name	Autonomous Truck Operating
Waymo	48
Aurora	38
Embark Technology	24
Kodiak Robotics	02
Pony	190
TuSimple	35
Einride	200
Gatik	65
Inceptio Technology	400

For further statistics about the autonomous trucking industry, read on.

Autonomous Trucking Stats (Top Picks)

• Over 1,000 self-driving trucks are operating globally, with 400+ in the U.S. as of early 2025.
• Inceptio Technology leads globally with 400 autonomous trucks.
• Einride and Pony.ai operate 200 and 190 trucks, respectively.
• The global autonomous truck market was valued at $35.51 billion in 2024, up from $33 billion in 2023.
• Projected to reach $76 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 10%.
• 24 U.S. states explicitly allow autonomous trucks to operate.
• 11 states have adopted the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Rule, boosting zero-emission truck adoption.
• A Level 2/3 autonomous truck costs $214,000 in the U.S.
• Level 4 electric autonomous trucks cost up to $450,000 in the U.S., and $250,000 in China.
• Autonomous driving tech adds $4,000–$7,000 per autonomy level.
• Operating cost of autonomous trucks: 30–50 cents per mile, vs. 66–84 cents for traditional trucks.
• Up to 500,000 U.S. truckers could be displaced by autonomous trucking by 2035.
• AVs could reduce traffic accidents by 90%, saving 21,700 lives annually in the U.S. by 2050.
• Globally, autonomous vehicles could save up to 50 million lives over the next 50 years.
• Walmart has been using driverless trucks since 2021 in Arkansas through a partnership with Gatik.

Adoption, Availability & Regulations

The freight industry is evolving, and companies are focusing on reducing labor costs by leveraging self-driving trucks. Understanding the market, investors are heavily funding companies producing self-driving trucks. Additionally, continuously changing environmental conditions are pushing us to move from diesel to electric trucks.

These are the reasons different governments and states in the USA are allowing autonomous trucks and have adopted the advanced clean trucks rules.

How many states allow autonomous trucks?

As of early 2025, roughly 24 U.S. states explicitly allow self-driving trucks to operate, including notable states such as Arizona, Florida, and Texas. 

Additionally, more than half of all states have some form of rules or legislation related to autonomous trucks, though the specifics and restrictiveness vary widely.

How soon will autonomous trucks be available?

Autonomous trucks are already available in limited, real-world use cases as of 2025, particularly in China, the US, and parts of Europe.

However, widespread commercial availability and large-scale deployment are expected to become more common over the next 3 to 5 years. It depends on regulatory progress, technological refinement, and public infrastructure readiness.

How many states have adopted the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule?

As of early 2025, a total of 11 states have formally adopted the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Rule. These states are:

• California
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• New York
• Oregon
• Washington
• Vermont
• Colorado
• New Mexico
• Rhode Island
• Maryland

The rule is increasing sales percentages of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Several other states, including Connecticut and Illinois, are in the process of reviewing or working toward adopting the ACT Rule.

Source: Electric Trucks Now

What are the Advanced Clean Truck requirements?

The Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation requires manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty on-road vehicles to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).

These vehicles range from Class 2b to Class 8 and over 8,500 pounds GVWR. Each model year starts from 2024, with a rapid increase in 2035.

Cost, Investment & Economic Impact

With the increasing trend of self-driving trucks, it is also important to know how much it will cost to own an autonomous truck, what the cost will be for driving per mile, the way of investing, and the increasing rate of unemployment among drivers.

How much will autonomous trucks cost?

A level 2/3 autonomous truck costs $214,000 in the United States, while the cost is approximately half that in China. While level 4 autonomous electric trucks cost $450,000 in the USA and $250,000 in China. 

Additionally, the upfront cost of adding autonomous driving technology (software and hardware) to trucks is estimated to add between $4,000 and $7,000 per autonomy level.

Sources: Edge AI, Fleetowner

How much does autonomous driving cost per mile?

The cost of operating autonomous trucks per mile is generally estimated to be between 30 and 50 cents per mile as the technology matures over the next decade. 

This represents a significant reduction compared to current conventional truck operating costs, which range from about 66 to 84 cents per mile.

Source: ITS

How to invest in self-driving trucks?

You can invest in self-driving trucks through several key strategies, each offering different risk and exposure levels:

1. Publicly Traded Companies like Tesla, Waymo, Aurora, Volvo, and Daimler.

2. Venture Capital and Private Equity, such as Waabi, Gatik, or Plus.ai.

3. Thematic ETFs: Consider Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) focused on autonomous vehicles, robotics, or AI, which may include a basket of companies involved in self-driving truck technology.

4. Supply Chain and Infrastructure: Invest in companies providing supporting technologies like lidar/radar sensors, high-precision mapping, or charging infrastructure for electric autonomous trucks.

How many truckers would be affected by driverless trucks?

Approximately 500,000 truck driver jobs in the United States could be affected or displaced by the widespread adoption of autonomous trucks, particularly in long-haul highway trucking by 2035, as reported by Goldman Sachs.

The U.S. currently has about 3.5 million truck drivers, with long-haul drivers making up a significant portion of 2 million. Autonomous trucks are expected to replace more than 25% of highway trucking in the long term, impacting roughly half a million long-haul truckers.

Manufacturers, Companies & Industry Benefits

Autonomous trucking is a cutting-edge advancement, especially with the involvement of artificial intelligence, though it comes with many challenges. Although some companies have developed self-driving trucks, most are still in pilot or testing phases.

Large autonomous vehicles like semi-trucks take considerable time to develop, require separate factories, and face equipment shortages, as seen in the case of Tesla semis. Let’s discuss what companies are working on production of autonomous trucks.

Who makes self-driving trucks?

Here is a list of companies developing and deploying autonomous trucks globally (not just in the USA):

• Aurora Innovation
• Kodiak Robotics
• Einride (Sweden)
• Waymo Via (Alphabet)
• TuSimple (US & China)
• Embark Trucks
• Daimler Truck AG (Germany, global)
• Volvo Autonomous Solutions (Sweden, global)
• Plus.ai (US, China, global)
• Torc Robotics (subsidiary of Daimler, US & Germany)
• Inceptio Technology (China)
• MAN Truck & Bus SE (Germany)
• Iveco S.p.A. (Netherlands)
• Pony.ai (China)
• FAW (China)

Does Walmart have driverless trucks?

Walmart does have driverless trucks in operation. Since 2021, Walmart has been running fully autonomous box trucks without safety drivers on delivery routes in Bentonville, Arkansas, in partnership with the autonomous vehicle company Gatik. 

How many lives will autonomous vehicles save?

Estimates suggest that AVs could reduce traffic accidents by up to 90%, primarily by eliminating human errors such as distracted, impaired, or reckless driving

Key projections include:

• In the U.S., AVs could prevent tens of thousands of deaths annually. For example, one estimate suggests self-driving cars could save nearly 21,700 lives per year in the U.S. alone by 2050
• Globally, AVs are projected to save millions of lives over the coming decades. Some analyses suggest that driverless cars could save 10 million lives per decade, or as many as 50 million lives worldwide over 50 years if widely adopted.
• Even limited deployment can have a significant impact. For instance, a study found that if AVs made up just 1.3% of cars in New York over five years, they could have saved over 50 lives and prevented over 8,000 injuries.

Sources: UMICH, Issues, Chamber of Progress

Conclusion

Here you have all the stats related to the self-driving trucks and autonomous vehicles market. There are over one thousand self-driving trucks globally that are operational. Autonomous truck manufacturing companies have contracted to deliver thousands of trucks within the next few years, but legal laws are also being implemented to save the citizens from any potential issues.