Did someone say automted trucks?

No they'll work just fine, you just hate technology, that's the general response I seem to get anyway.

 

I welcome every "autonomous vehicle" crash as good news. I would have said great news, but I don't want to appear insensitive.
My opposition to these things has zero percent to do with any worries about job security either. Even if the few baby steps taken so far towards "automated trucking" were going flawlessly I would be not merely retired but dead before the fantasy becomes reality.

 

May seem kinda dark, but this is how they learn and improve the autopilot functions.

 

That seems to be related to a 'safety feature' that was standard equipment and then made an option.
Some airlines decided not to pay the extra 3 bucks, or however much it cost.

A case of everyone cutting every cost and/or trying to make that extra buck.
Just like truck drivers that push themselves too hard, or the company that tries to push the driver - to make that 1 more load each week.

And this is one instance where I can honestly bash my own company, Swift.
Many of you know I like it here and don't bash them, but...

They call it Plus1. It was implemented several years ago and it is not really spoken of these days, but the remnants still remain.
Optimizing your hours so you can run 1 more load each week to make more money.

The actual effect is to run as hard as you can with only the mandated breaks.
You get up and do the pre-trip, then drive for 8 hours and take the mandated 30. Then you run until you are out of hours and shut down for exactly 10. All this at about 60 MPH average.

I don't know how many times I have been told "The computer says you have the hours to do this on time".
And anyone that falls for that line is simply dumb, because we are responsible for the safe operation of our truck - not some stupid computer program or planner.
WE decide what is safe for us to do, and no one else!

 

Death by lawsuit. That is a interesting concept.

The mirror image would be giving up a variety of freedoms when I put a wheel onto a public road with a vehicle that continues to evolve in this state.

 

That one is easy.

A closed course will never duplicate the real world.
It would cost too much to add that many paid drivers in the mix to act so stupidly.

I could just see it...
OK. You are going to drive around on this road as close together as possible.
When you come up on the truck you all will pass (p a s s is NOT a swear word!!!!!) it and then cut in front, then slow down. Ditto for the next driver, and so on.
Sometimes wait to slow down to let the next car in there behind you, then really slam it on.
In other words, just drive like you normally do.
And hey, 15 bucks an hour is good money to just drive around. Not to mention, we provide life insurance.

Don't worry about your safety though. This truck has been equipped with state of the art technology and will safely work around you, whatever you do. It can respond to any situation within microseconds. And we want this to be a real test, so don't hold back.



Heck, I would take that job any day.

 

I dont know how that works, a truck hits somebody and you've got every slip and fall lawyer for 3 states around running to the money, a driverless vehicle runs over a pedestrian and crickets.

 

There have been a total of 5 fatalities involving automated vehicles. Only 1 of which involving the more advanced sort, and all were with the kind that required human input, so take that as you will. There have been none with the two classes that can supposedly drive with 0 human interaction, though they are a lot more rarely out there too, so we'll see.

Deep pockets or not, that really isn't a lot of destruction caused by them, especially compared to just about any vehicle company that exists.

It is definitely the future, though I think we're at least 1 generation away from them really being trusted.