Otto, a startup company, has tested commercial trucks retrofitted with autonomous equipment, on roads in California.

These trucks can operate at a defined speed, slow down, and stop as per traffic conditions. However, they cannot change lanes.

Otto was founded by Anthony Levandowski and Lior Ron, former Google employees, along with a team of others who worked at companies including Apple, Google and Logitech, reported Traffictechnologytoday.com.

"Trucks cause 9.5% of road accidents, and of that 10% to 20% are caused by driver fatigue."

Otto has invited 1,000 truck drivers to volunteer so that the company can retrofit their trucks with autonomous kits.

As the testing is still underway, human intervention will be required to take control of the truck if the technology fails.

Trucks cause 9.5% of road accidents, and of that 10% to 20% are caused by driver fatigue.

The company is currently testing its drivers Volvo truck on highways, and expects that in future all trucks will be able to operate without drivers on the 222,000 miles in the US.

Further, Otto’s plans is likely to cut down shortage of truck drivers in the country.

According to the American Trucking Association, the country has a shortage of nearly 50,000 drivers.

This figure is estimated to touch almost 150,000 in another four years.