Buck up

It's a brave new truck, drivin' unmanned (almost);

First Licensed Autonomous Freight Truck Hits the Road in U.S.

That's the Daimler Freightliner Inspiration Truck, which, says Insurance Journal, is the first licensed autonomous commercial truck to operate on an open public highway in the U.S.

Not yet driverless, but its technology links together cameras and radar with lane stability, collision avoidance, speed control, braking, steering and other monitoring systems. This combination creates what is called a Level 3 autonomous vehicle operating system that enables the driver to cede full control of all safety-critical functions under certain traffic or environmental conditions.