Teamsters representatives recently testified before Nevada lawmakers, advocating for legislation that would require a trained human operator to remain behind the wheel of autonomous commercial vehicles over 26,000 pounds.
Senate Bill 395 (SB 395), introduced by State Sen. James Ohrenschall (D–Las Vegas), aims to address both safety and employment concerns posed by the rapid advancement of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology in the trucking industry. The bill is currently under consideration by the Nevada Senate’s Growth and Infrastructure Committee.
“For Big Tech companies to think they can come into any state and replace the jobs of hardworking union members with this dangerous and inferior technology is an insult to professional drivers everywhere,” said Peter Finn, president of Teamsters Joint Council 7. “SB 395 is critical to protecting the middle class.”
Teamsters representatives argued the deployment of driverless trucks without onboard human supervision endangers public safety and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of union drivers.
“Whenever AV regulations are introduced, the arguments that we hear from Big Tech are the same,” said Tommy Blitsch, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 631 in Las Vegas. “The people pushing for this technology falsely claim their vehicles are safe and will improve our quality of life. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Blitsch pointed to recent issues with autonomous vehicle rollouts in major cities, citing incidents of gridlock, stalled vehicles and accidents as evidence that the technology is not yet road-ready. Public skepticism toward AVs has also grown, with polling data indicating increased distrust, following several high-profile robotaxi accidents and product recalls nationwide.
“This technology is dangerous, and it puts the life of every professional driver we represent at risk,” said Chris Griswold, president of Teamsters Joint Council 42. “The Teamsters fully support SB 395 and call on all of Nevada’s leaders to pass this bill into law.”
The Teamsters have been active in advocating for AV regulations in multiple states, including California, Delaware and Texas, pushing for legislation that ensures human oversight and protects union jobs.
Teamsters Joint Councils 7 and 42 collectively represent more than 30,000 workers throughout Nevada.
