AI Resilience Report forMotor Vehicle Operators, All Other

Right now, most of the AI in this field is helping drivers rather than replacing them. In school buses, for example, First Student and other fleets are rolling out AI dashcams that act like a "co-pilot," ^[1] spotting drowsiness, phone use, or harsh braking in real time and coaching the driver before an accident happens. In trucking, AI is showing up in routing, predictive maintenance, safety systems, and back-office tasks like billing and scheduling ^[2] — freeing drivers from paperwork rather than taking the wheel.

Full self-driving is advancing too: Aurora hopes to grow its driverless fleet from about 100 trucks to 200 by the end of 2026, and into the thousands within five years, ^[3] and PepsiCo just signed what's described as the largest commercial autonomous freight deal to date. Still, NPR reports that most experts see driver-assist tech, not full replacement, as the near-term reality ^[4].

The biggest push toward AI is money: a 2026 industry analysis notes the driver is the largest single operating cost for a fleet — even higher than fuel ^[5], so companies have a strong incentive to automate. But adoption is slowed by real hurdles. OOIDA has publicly warned Congress against letting driverless-truck companies "self-certify" their safety ^[6], and unions like the Teamsters are pressing lawmakers on job-loss risks.

School districts have been especially cautious because they're moving children. The good news: judgment, customer service, handling weird weather, and dealing with unexpected situations are still very human skills — and new roles in remote monitoring, fleet tech, and safety coaching are already appearing alongside the trucks.