Will Technology Make Truck Drivers Obsolete In 10 Years?

I do not like this idea honestly. I personally love my job day in an day out. I do not want it to go to the robots. Can they make our job easier sure. But don't make it obsolete. Millions upon millions will be out of work.

 

Yeah its great that humans are so smart to invent autonomous robot cars and trucks, but what about the human element? I mean people still have to feed themselves and their families so what exactly are they supposed to do? We don't live in some kind of socialist utopia where food, water, and shelter is provided to everyone for free, so if more and more jobs are being taken over by robots what are humans suppose to do? Progress at the expense of our fellow man serves only the inventors and not mankind.

 

And when they do that, I guess they will put robots in the DOT cars, machine vs. machine.

 

I have so many questions

how will tandems slide? (even though I have a theory behind that)
what if DOT wants to pull you over?
who fuels the truck?
how can DOT write tickets?
if in event of an accident where the truck is at fault, who do they punish?

those are just a few things I wonder

I don't think the trucks will be chugging along at 50MPH, I think they'll be going 55. which isnt' any good because what if they are in an area where they can't go 55?

 

the problem with socialism is you eventually run out of other peoples money

 

When trucks are robots they can run when traffic is lowest. Imagine a long line of trucks chugging down the highway all night long with a operator in the first truck. 4 wheelers will also be forced to operate on autopilot so they wont be cutting in between trucks. If they do the car identifying data will be taken and when safe the vehicle will be locked down.
It will be a long time before local delivery can be done this way. Many people will not be able to afford the self driving cars so there will be less of them on the highways where it is required.

 

I imagine it will probably be programmed to operate like a "professional" driver. Velocity will be maintained low enough to preclude the need to lift off the throttle every time another vehicle intrudes upon its following distance, which is virtually impossible for the typical human.

 

Umm...trains, anybody? IF they were operated correctly, trains could be much more efficient that long haul trucks, much more simply that developing all this new technology. But that's a big "if", and I don't see that happening. When I was a kid in the 1980s, there were railroad tracks running to every little town in the state. Now, many of those track have been pulled up, due simply to mismanagement and inefficiencies caused by deferred maintenance.
Will the new system work where trains failed? Maybe. I just don't see the long haul driver being replace in any serious way anytime soon.

 

I will ride a mule before I buy a self driving car. Heck, the newest vehicle I have now is a 1987. If it is mechanical, it breaks and you fix it. If it is electronic you swap parts until it works again. Anyone have a buckboard for sale.... Gotta have my flatbed.... A couple of percherons and a pintle hitch and I could pull doubles!

 

Is that you Margaret Thatcher?