Manufacturers say there is still years of testing before commercial roll-out

Teamsters said today that nothing could ever replace real drivers

Raises specter of fully driverless vehicles - though current rules require a trained trucker to be in the cab at all times

Truck scans road with cameras and radar and can drive itself on highways

German carmaker Daimler is planning to test self-driving trucks as early as this year, it has been revealed.

First tests of semi-autonomous trucks will take place in Daimler's home state Baden-Wuerttemberg while the start of production is 2-3 years away, executive board member Wolfgang Bernhard, who is in charge of Daimler's trucks business, told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

The world's first self-driving truck has already been licensed for use on American roads, and the Freightliner Inspiration Truck received its official 'autonomous vehicle' license plate in Nevada earlier this year.

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Future of trucking? Freightlinger, part of Daimler, unveiled their 'Inspiration Truck' in Nevada on Tuesday, where the autonomous vehicle has just been licensed for the first time

'We are positive that we will get approval for tests on German motorways within the next weeks,' Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung quoted him as saying.

'Then we will start immediately.'

'We are leaders in this technology and will stand up for ourselves,' Bernhard said, acknowledging that Apple, Google and other companies were trying to position themselves in the promising business of autonomous driving.

He said that Daimler was unfazed by moves of companies like Apple to poach Daimler employees.

'That is a clear sign of recognition if Apple decides that your business - cars - are so important to them that they want to be part of it.'

Google earlier this month began testing its self-driving cars in Austin, Texas, expanding efforts to gather information on how the prototypes interact with traffic, road conditions and people.

The bigrig uses camera and radar to scan the road in front for other vehicles, and can read and process road signs in real time.

Back-seat driving: While the truck still requires a driver, they will be able to sit back use other devices, such as the iPad above, rather than being glued to the wheel. The technology raises the specter of doing away with drivers altogether

On-board computers and wireless technology can also allow the trucks to 'platoon' in a long convoy where a long row of vehicles all follow the same instructions in lock-step.

Its technology could hypothetically eliminate the need for a driver completely, though current designs and regulations call for a qualified driver to be in the cab at all times.

Nonetheless, the specter of fully automated vehicles in the future could lessen the negotiating power of major drivers' unions, including the truck-driving branch of Teamsters.

That union told DailyMail.com that they 'question the autonomous truck idea' and feel that a human driver will always be essential to guarantee safety on the roads.

According to a piece on the new Freightliner published by Wired magazine, automating many of the drivers' tasks could lessen the requirements for professional qualification, and push down wages.

Future tech: The truck will be able to steer, accelerate and react to highway conditions with no help from humans

Promotional photographs of Inspiration Truck in action show a trucker sitting at the driver's seat, but focused on an iPad in his hands rather than on the road.

The vehicle will be able to handle highway driving by itself, though it will stay in lane and not try to overtake slower vehicles, Wired reported.

Freightliner says the freedom of not having to operate the vehicle moment-to-moment will free drivers up to do other things while on the road, such as paperwork and managing their cargo.

Current versions of the driving system are also only designed for open highways, with regular drivers required for navigating suburban and city driving environments.

Driving systems on board will also send out warning signals and prompt a human to take over in situations like bad weather where the automated cameras wouldn't be able to see properly.

Inside: The driver will be given an array of feeds and information while the truck is steering itself

The real back seat: This image shows the back side of the cab, where drivers will be able to spend more time

At the event in Hoover Dam last night, officials from Freightliner, which is owned by Daimler, revealed that a driver had his hands on the wheel at all times in the test truck, as the corners were too tight for the automated systems to handle.

A major drivers' union today questioned whether fully autonomous technology could be viable, or safe.

A spokesman for teamsters, which represents 800,000 commercial drivers, told DailyMail.com: 'We strongly believe that nothing is going to replace the skill, exp and judgement of professional truck drivers.

'Our union feels very strongly the human element is very important when it comes to public safety. Our drivers are very good at their jobs - we question the autonomous truck idea.'

An actual roll-out of the vehicles for carrying everyday freight is still years away.

The preliminary licensing saw the truck adorned with a new breed of license plate - marked AU 010 for 'autonomous vehicle' - by Nevada's governor, Brian Sandoval.

He said: 'Nevada is proud to be making transportation history today by hosting the first U.S. public highway drive for a licensed autonomous commercial truck. The application of this innovative technology to one of America's most important industries will have a lasting impact on our state and help shape the New Nevada economy.

New rules: Nevada is the first state to license the truck under its rules for so-called autonomous vehicles

'The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has been closely monitoring the advancements being made in autonomous vehicle development and reviewed[Daimler]'s safety, testing and training plans before granting permission for this demonstration of the Freightliner Inspiration Truck.'

Wolfgang Bernhard, a member of Daimler's board, also spoke at the event, saying the new breed of truck would help make roads safer.

He said: 'The autonomous vehicle technology we are showcasing in the Freightliner Inspiration Truck will help reduce accidents, improve fuel consumption, cut highway congestion, and safeguard the environment.'

Freightliner itself downplayed the extent to which its vehicles would lessen the roles of professional truck drivers, of whom there are some 3million in the United States.

A company statement on the subject said: 'From a pragmatic standpoint, we believe that regulatory, public and trucking company perceptions will for the foreseeable future require a driver at behind the wheel of all commercial trucks on public highways.

'From a practical standpoint, a skilled driver is still an essential part of the equation throughout the operation of the vehicle.'