Self-driving trucks will be the first autonomous vehicles to hit US highways later this year.According to a report in the Guardian, the self-driving construction vehicles are designed to improve the safety of road workers.https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=25&v=s1QHSWWdwyEThey use GPS waypoints and follow a lead car, mimicking its path, braking and speed.The specialised crash trucks are fitted with large signs to warn road users of the presence of workers and are used to protect construction crews resurfacing roads, painting lines, inspecting bridges or installing traffic signals.Robert Roy, president of Royal Truck & Equipment, maker of the autonomous trucks, said: 'Any time a driver can be removed from these vehicles in a very dangerous situation, and if the vehicle's struck, there's nobody inside of it to receive the damage or the injuries, that's measuring success.'The vehicles will be debuted by the end of this year at highway construction sites in Florida under a state department of transportation demonstration program.