Driverless trucks, game over?

Just like how Teslas can basically drive themselves. Without a driver they are prone to accidents especially trailers with the way people drive out here.

 

I am sure the driverless thing will happen, and eventually to trucks too. It is just many more years before its widespread use will be acceptable.

 

Every so often you come on here and tell us we'll be out of a job soon. I think you need to go to the science fiction groups where your story might be creditable. Don't worry, I will not argue will you on your time machine. After all I do believe it having imaginations but foreseeing the future I'll leave it to the gypsies.

 

It's like everything else, it will start slow and steadily mature to the point of being ubiquitous and accepted just like auto transmissions. Some operations will invest and believe in it and some won't. Either way the truck driving career will morph along with it. Those who are willing to adapt will do just fine while those who can't will have to find another way of making a living.
There's nothing new here, it's called progress, it's been going on for thousands of years.

 

Tr

Trucking will morph with it. Look at airplanes, they have automatic take off and landing systems, and will fly themselves, but they still have 2 pilots up front. The challenge in the future will be finding someone who will go through the training, then be willing to sit in a seat for hours on end hoping nothing happens, but paying enough attention to their surroundings they are prepared when it does, and it will happen.

 

Things will change over the years. If you stick with pulling reefer or dry van I can see that sector of trucking being more susceptible to being taken over by automated trucks. If you pull flatbed or specialized it will be a LONG time until they would come close to being able to secure loads.

 

But won't we have flying trucks in 20 years?

 

I think brokers already think trucks fly. Talked to a broker a couple of months ago about a load from Denver to Oklahoma City, she said it was only 500 miles.

 

We're probably about 5 to 7 years from driverless cars becoming a thing. The technology has definitely started to mature the past few years, but it'll be a while yet before it's perfected.

Trucks, on the other hand, are that much more complex than cars. Especially when you consider things like driving in a city and on mostly flat terrain vs. mountain driving and inclement/severe weather. Also like somebody else said, breakdowns, hitting deer, the driving system itself developing a fault, and so on. So as far as trucks go I'd take those 5 to 7 years and multiply them by two or three. That's when I think driverless trucks might start to become a thing.

Also, like somebody else said, drivers won't be phased out right away. In the beginning they'll probably be kept on to babysit the self-driving system, but their pay and working conditions will get worse.

 

Let me see a driverless truck make it thru the 5 boros.