A six-month trial of driverless trucks on public Victorian roads has been put on hold just hours before it was meant to begin after the transport union labelled it “shambolic” and “sneaky”.

Toll road operator Transurban had planned to deploy two driverless trucks on Melbourne freeways from Thursday night as part of a six-month trial of the technology.

The Iveco S-Way AS550 trucks were set to be tested on the M1 freeway, from the West Gate Freeway down Citylink through the Burnley Tunnel and the Monash Freeway to Dandenong, and then back again.

The trials would have taken place at nighttime from 10pm to 5am in order to avoid as much traffic as possible, and a supervising driver and engineer would have been on board at all times.

The trucks would have also operated in their own dedicated lane.

The self-driving trucks have been fitted with sensors and cameras and can drive at Level 4 autonomy, meaning its automated driving system is in total control.

The trucks can navigate motorways, change lanes, drive inside tunnels, observe traffic lights and respond to any unexpected traffic conditions they encounter along the way.

But on Wednesday – the day the test was to begin – the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) issued a scathing statement, labelling the planning of the pilot as “shambolic” and calling for it to be put on hold while further discussions were had with the government and relevant stakeholders.

“Due to a lack of consultation with necessary stakeholders, this trial will result in major delays to the critical distribution of freight,” the TWU said.

“The recent sneaky strategy of notifying the public through mere lane closure alerts via Linkt is highly alarming and indicates gross mismanagement and lack of transparency.

“The TWU believes that no automated heavy vehicle should be placed on public roads until there is unanimous agreement from government officials, the industry, and the community that these vehicles are safe.

“The TWU criticises the current trials for not adequately demonstrating the ability of these technologies to interact safely with human drivers, pedestrians and other road users.”

Hitting the pause button

Soon after this statement was issued, Transurban announced the trial would be put on hold, just hours before it was set to begin.

The organisation will now have discussions with the TWU about the issues raised.

Transurban said the trial had been months in the making and it had consulted with relevant stakeholders and customers about how it would work.

It also said there has been months of testing at the Australian Automotive Research Centre of the trucks, and that they have been approved by the Department of Transport and Planning and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator to drive on public roads.

The TWU also criticised the Victorian government for not addressing the issues it has raised with the trial.

“This trial seems to be a rushed bureaucratic pipe dream that will inconvenience Victorians, undermine road safety, and could lead to delays to freight including vital supplies,” TWU Victoria brand secretary Mem Suleyman said.

“The community’s safety and the futures of our truck drivers are jeopardised due to this poorly executed plan.

“It’s unacceptable that these trials are being pushed by corporations that continue to disadvantage our hard-working mums and dads that work day in, day out to carry Victorians.”

Transurban announced a partnership with autonomous driving software firm Plus in August 2023, following its first self-driving truck trial, which took place on CityLink in 2022.

That trial was the first time that an automated driverless truck was tested in live conditions on a public road.