Impact of automated driving on Trucking industry

Wow your information so is wrong.

Al Gore, a politician, could be best described as a promoter of the commercialization of the internet.

The internet started out by the military linking there computes and grew over the decades to allow the military and academic communities to share information more productively. There were thousands of engineers and programmers that did all the work to develop the programming that has become what we call the Internet.

 

hey, stop trolling the interwebs...


oh, wait:

If yer gonna do a callout, at least have the balls to do it in open forum, instead of trying to sneak it thru PM like a threat.

 

In regards to the topic, I don't see the concept of automated trucks dominating are nations highways in the not so distant future as too far fetched. The self driving car has already made strong headway in Japan, driving through a limited stretch of the nation's highway with no assistance whatsoever. Here is a video of the Japanese prime minister taking a automated Nissan Leaf out for ride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEPdvl3OFk0. In Australia, automated trucks are already in use in mines, using computer sensors and tracking devices to guide the massive vehicles around, performing the job that once required dozens of workers to perform.

Many people reject use the argument that the cost of equipping a truck to become automated is simply too great for carriers to replace drivers with such technology. While true in regards to the steep cost, many people ignore the financial savings carriers would experience due in large part to not having to pay wages to drivers and the reduction of administrative personnel who works closely with drivers, recruiters, dispatch, etc. The turnover rate would be at 0% as companies no longer have to spend money to recruit and retain drivers. Carriers would no longer have to worry about pesky HOS rules as automated trucks can run 24/7 without a mandatory 10 hour break, restarts, or home time; thus bringing in more revenue. Such vehicles would no longer have to idle in cold weather, and operates in the most fuel efficient manner every time, which translates into huge savings in fuel cost.

Many people also claim that automated trucks will never be a viable alternative because the technology is still reliant on human intervention and, under the wrong hands can be used for harmful purposes (terrorism). Granted, while automated trucks is a concept that is not even fully explored in the present moment, history has shown us how rapidly technology can develop, and the power of human ingenuity. 20 years ago, the only way we would be able to have such a discussion is in person or through a land line phone. Technology, in a short period of time, has now enable us to do the same thing through a mobile phone in a remote location. In addition People seem to take for granted that the passenger airplanes they board on trips, the traffic signals they follow, and the credit cards they use are all either fully or partially automated and prone to hacking, yet we don't reject it due to a fear of hacking.

As the American economy becomes more knowledge based, automated technology has fulfilled the roles that was once occupied by humans. The manufacturing sector is a great example of this. All in all I won't be surprised if the technology for automated trucks is available in 20 years. It will be met by stiff resistance by unions, politicians, and the general public. But over time, it may become something that is fully embraced. Whatever the outcome, I will be the first in line to purchase stock in the company that is working on the prototype for the first otr self driving truck.

 

Welp, that's more people out of work... I guess the mega corps will be rolling in the dough now---wait, there won't BE any money to be had!! Everyone will be out of work, and the computer controlled trucks will set out and start running us all down... hello, Skynet??