Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for a monitoring system for autonomous vehicle operation. In some embodiments, a vehicle may perform self-tests, generate a report based on the results, and transmit it to a remote monitor center over one or both of a high-speed channel for regular data transfers or a reliable channel for emergency situations. In other embodiments, the remote monitor center may determine that immediate intervention is required, and may transmit a control command with high priority, which when received by the vehicle, is implemented and overrides any local commands being processed. In yet other embodiments, the control command with high priority is selected from a small group of predetermined control commands the remote monitor center may issue.