The harbinger of so-called “self-driving” vehicles has had a chilling effect on the truck driving industry. Freight companies and big-box retailers are champing at the bit to get autonomous rigs on the road. The possibility of closing the 61,000 and growing trucker shortage and eliminating salaries have some corporate entities overly optimistic. That’s largely because a growing body of evidence indicates the men and women who deliver the country’s products and materials aren’t going anywhere.
A tragic Texas accident highlights precisely why human beings and not robots need to operate 80,000-pound tractor-trailers moving at high rates of speed. A Tesla, suspected of operating in self-driving mode, went off the road and claimed the lives of two people. Although the car manufacturer denied the vehicle was in self-driving mode, boots on the ground reports indicate no one was behind the wheel. Following the crash, Regional International tractor-trailer dealer Jim Carello highlighted why fully autonomous 18-wheelers have no future.
“After hearing what just happened to those two guys in the Tesla,” Carello reportedly said. “Do you think somebody is going to want two 53-footers or a 53 and a 48-foot tandem running down the thruway mid-February in a snowstorm with no driver in it?”
The answer is clearly: No. Trucking outfits are already pivoting away from autonomous vehicles delivering local products and making long-hauls. The conventional wisdom points to a fallback position in which real-life CDL professionals oversee convoys.
Organizations such as Locomation are veering away from driverless trucks and working to develop a viable convoy system. The strategy involves a pair of trucks traveling in close proximity, with an experienced truck driver in charge. A driver would typically navigate congested traffic areas, road construction, and densely populated areas. The autonomous element would kick in once on an open interstate or low-traffic state highway. Drivers may have the option of releasing control and even sleeping for periods.
According to reports, the Locomation technology allows two trucks to haul for 20 consecutive hours, rather than one at the mandated 11 hours. This concept could, theoretically, allow freight operations to reduce hours-of-service restrictions and speed up delivery times. From a corporate and logistics perspective, hybrid convoys could offer a solution to the growing workforce shortage crisis without reducing the ranks of hard-working truck drivers.
Other technologies that are coming to market involve hands-free driving, such as Blue Cruise. Many anticipate the product will be available for passenger trucks by year’s end. Its usage could bleed over into the freight-hauling game at some point. Again, the conventional wisdom is that truckers will be able to make longer on-duty runs.
It appears the constant running through these and other models designed to move forward with autonomous trucking is that truck driving jobs are unlikely to be eliminated. In fact, won’t freight companies have to pay drivers for the increased shifts?
Sources: ehstoday.com, forbes.com, ccjdigital.com
Truckers are now going to have to be IT Professionals as well as Commercial drivers….. Someone is going to have oversee all the computerization and deal with any glitches in the system….. hope they know how much that will cost them…. unless they outsource it to India or issue more H1B visas…
The biggest concern and I am glad the industries are starting to finally see it too. Stop experimenting in open uncontrolled environments, where you are causing human lives to be engaged in your experiments. How many tragedies to we have to read about, due to someone wanting to make a dollar. In my opinion; the current society is no where near ready for fully autonomous trucks or automobiles
We’re a long way from driverless trucks. I don’t think any driver needs to worry about his or her job. I don’t even trust driverless CARS (note how stories about Teslas killing people keep popping up). Nope, if you’re a driver and you love your job (like I did before I retired), I don’t think you have a THING to worry about.
Naturally it’s about eliminating paying the working man. The so called driver shortage is a symptom of exactly that; low rates leads to fewer workers in any enterprise. Pay well and workers will line up for a job. But nooo, just bring in foreign slave classes to displace American workers. The autonomous trucks motivate the same way. However good technology still meeds to be used despite the motivation to save at the cost of workers.
First time an autonomous truck kills a family there will be no more autonomous trucks
On a very bad weather day, I don’t see driverless trucks doing well in heavy traffic or close backing in a major city.
Large companies love listening to high tech types who have more hype than hat.Saving a buck at all costs.
Lets replace CEOs with a computer!
FMCSA is behind.They still have not
punished companies for on line driver training being mandatory and company related.In this case the time spent is to be applied to on duty hos on log just like a trucker working a part time job not even in trucking but must account for the hours as on duty.Reason for hos rules to prevent fatigue.Many companies are guilty.
FMSCA is slow enforcing through state DOTs.Truckers getting screwed.Now companies trying to get over with driver less trucks too.
Insurance companies have final say.
Companies trying to get over.