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Key takeaways

• Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI received California DMV permits for testing.

• The testing involves autonomous heavy-duty trucks on public roads.

• Kodiak has already started with a small number of test trucks near Mountain View.

• The permits require a human safety operator.

• The source does not mention Morocco.

What the report says

TechCrunch reported on August 14, 2026 that Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI received California DMV permits to test autonomous heavy-duty trucks on public roads. The report says Kodiak has already started testing with a small number of trucks near Mountain View. It also says the permits follow April 28 rules that opened a testing path for vehicles over 10,000 pounds.

The source is narrow and specific. It focuses on testing, not commercial deployment. It also does not describe performance results, timelines, or broader rollout plans.

Why the permits matter

The report shows that the testing path is regulated. The permits require a human safety operator. That detail matters because it shows the vehicles are not operating without human oversight.

The April 28 rules are part of the same setup. They created a testing path for heavier vehicles. In this case, the path applies to autonomous heavy-duty trucks over 10,000 pounds.

This is a staged approach. It allows testing under defined conditions before any wider use. The source does not say whether the companies will expand beyond this phase.

What is known about the testing

The report names two companies: Aurora Innovation and Kodiak AI. It says both received permits. It also says Kodiak has already started with a small number of test trucks near Mountain View.

That is the full operational detail provided. The source does not explain the route, the distance, the cargo, or the safety record. It also does not compare the two companies' testing programs.

Because the source is limited, the safest reading is simple. The companies are testing under permission. The testing is early and controlled.

Operational and governance considerations

The main governance point in the source is the human safety operator requirement. That suggests oversight remains part of the testing model. It also suggests regulators are allowing experimentation while keeping a human in the loop.

The report also implies that vehicle weight matters in regulation. The April 28 rules specifically opened a path for vehicles over 10,000 pounds. That means the testing framework is not generic. It is tied to a defined vehicle class.

For readers, the practical lesson is to separate testing from deployment. A permit to test does not mean a system is ready for broad use. It only means the system can be evaluated under the stated conditions.

Morocco relevance

The source reports no Morocco-specific fact. The conditional global lesson is that autonomous freight needs staged safety checks and clear regulatory oversight before wider use.

Bottom line

Aurora and Kodiak have entered a permitted testing phase for autonomous heavy-duty trucks in California. Kodiak has already begun limited testing near Mountain View. The report points to a cautious, regulated path rather than a finished commercial system.