Former Texas governor urges US to accelerate autonomous trucking to address driver shortage and global competition

Former Texas governor Rick Perry wrote in a Fox News opinion piece that accelerating deployment of autonomous long-haul trucks is necessary to address a national driver shortage, lower logistics costs and keep the United States competitive with China.

Perry cited industry and association figures to argue for the economic case. He noted the American Trucking Associations estimates the U.S. is short about 80,000 drivers and said that shortfall could double by 2030. He also pointed to a rise in logistics spending from 7.5% of U.S. gross domestic product in 2020 to 8.7% in 2023 as pressure on families and businesses.

Perry wrote that proponents expect partial autonomy to change freight economics. He cited estimates projecting that by 2035, about 13% of U.S. trucks could be autonomous, representing a U.S. market of roughly $178 billion and contributing to an estimated $616 billion global autonomous trucking sector. The op-ed attributed broader market-share estimates to industry analyses that split the global opportunity into about $327 billion for China, $178 billion for the U.S. and $112 billion for Europe.

Safety and productivity were central themes of Perry's argument. He wrote that human error is responsible for about 90% of truck accidents and that full autonomy could reduce accident-related costs by roughly $36 billion a year. He added that autonomous rigs can operate with far less downtime than human drivers, who typically work about 11 hours a day under current rules, allowing long-haul trucks to run closer to continuous schedules and reserve human drivers for local routes.

Perry drew on Texas as an example of regulatory choices that, he said, have encouraged testing and commercial runs. He wrote that driverless rigs are operating between Dallas and Houston and that one fleet had logged more than 20,000 driverless miles since May, citing reporting by The Wall Street Journal. The op-ed credited state-level regulatory clarity and lower barriers to entry with attracting companies and jobs to Texas, and said Arizona and New Mexico have adopted similar approaches while California remains more restrictive.

The piece also framed the issue in geopolitical terms, asserting that China is investing aggressively in freight automation. Perry wrote that autonomous freight systems now operate across about 85% of Chinese highways, a claim he used to argue that the U.S. risks losing leadership in a strategically important technology if it lags on regulation and deployment.

Noting labor-market shifts, Perry said autonomy is not primarily about eliminating jobs but changing them. He wrote that automation historically altered roles rather than eliminating them, citing the introduction of automated teller machines as an example. He predicted growth in positions such as fleet monitoring, remote operation supervision, maintenance and logistics coordination as autonomous trucks scale.

Perry urged federal policymakers to follow state examples that he says have reduced regulatory friction, arguing Washington should adopt consistent national policies to accelerate deployment and keep freight "Made in the USA." The op-ed framed such policy choices as measures to secure economic advantages and reduce costs for consumers.

Industry stakeholders, safety advocates and some labor groups have emphasized the need for regulation, oversight and workforce transition plans as autonomous trucking technology moves into broader commercial use. Federal agencies, state regulators and industry participants have been engaged in rulemaking, pilot programs and certification efforts, but differing state approaches and unresolved safety and liability questions continue to shape deployment timelines.

Rick Perry, a former U.S. secretary of energy and governor of Texas, authored the Fox News opinion piece. His proposals reflect one perspective in an ongoing national debate over how quickly to adopt autonomous vehicle technology, how to regulate it, and how to balance innovation with safety and employment concerns.