Driverless truck startup companies appear to be winning the battle to remove CDL professionals from big rigs hauling freight on Texas highways despite concerns about potentially fatal wrecks.
Following several years of testing, Aurora Innovation, Kodiak Robotics, and Gatik AI anticipate removing human oversight from rigs hauling upwards of 80,000 pounds traveling at high rates of speed on Lone Star highways. The seeming cost-effectiveness of eliminating commercial driver pay and hours of service limits has already piqued the interest of major companies, such as Walmart, Kroeger, FedEx, and Tyson Foods. Taking the place of experienced truckers will be a variety of cameras, sensors, and radar technology, powered by software.
“At the end of the year, we anticipate getting to the point where we begin operating those trucks without drivers on board,” Aurora CEO Chris Urmson reportedly said.
The AI organizations have reportedly indicated they may be prepared to pull drivers from cabs by year’s end. Conceding there will be almost zero margin for error, they argue that autonomous tractor-trailers will likely improve highway safety. Opponents of autonomous semis beg to differ. The lengthy list of outfits against taking human decision-making out of Class 8 commercial vehicle operation includes the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and numerous safety organizations.
“We are concerned about the lack of regulation, the lack of transparency [and] the lack of comprehensive data collection,” Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, reportedly said.
News of the startups readying their trucks to go completely driverless comes on the heels of concerning developments. Tesla issued yet another recall of its Chinese-built vehicles due to 2 million EVs requiring improved autopilot safeguards.
Tesla has been at the forefront of electric car and truck manufacturing as well as driverless technologies. The California Department of Motor Vehicles reportedly shut down the use of Tesla’s autopilot due to an “unreasonable risk to the public.”
In Georgia, attorney Amy Witherite recently issued a statement regarding the Texas-to-Georgia autonomous truck corridor. Her law firm focuses on automobile and truck accidents. She expressed concerns stemming from the Peach State not enacting laws that would prevent driverless trucks.
“Anyone who has ever experienced the so-called blue screen of death on their computer understands that computers, which control autonomous vehicles, can fail,” Witherite reportedly said. “Even something as simple as placing a sticker on a sign can confuse sensors, and there has been a high-profile case where a Tesla did not recognize a giant tractor-trailer truck crossing a highway, leading to a fatality.”
Sources:
https://www.ttnews.com/articles/driverless-truck-ditch-copilots
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