Self Driving Tech vs Job Security

Just a little information I’ve gathered along the way I try to stay in front of this issue.

There’s much chatter about self driving trucks, and how they will revolutionize the industry. There’s also much concern about the number of drivers that will essentially be replaced by technology.

#1 Your job is VERY secure. At least for another 15-20 years. At that point, the local drivers will be the first to go. In major cities.

#2 Self driving vehicles require ground based GPS systems. Satellite is not sufficient.

#3 California just recently denied an application for 50,000 additional cell towers. I’m guessing that hurt some feelings.

#4 Self driving tech will need 5G to be effective. Verizon is just starting to install in a few major cities. JUST starting. And the Federal government is going to lead the installation on a national level. So, it may take 50 years once the environmental nuts get involved.

#5 Environmentalists - We can not have this tech without their support. The required 5G signals are on par with Military grade non lethal crowd control weapons. Bandwidth wise. Tree huggers nationwide will not go peacefully into the night on this issue.

In summary: This is a non issue for the majority of drivers. It is coming. But not in my lifetime. And definitely not within the next 10-15 years.

 

Yes it could.

It can do a lot of things we do, many of them too well. If you’ve followed any of the tech reports. You’ll see instances of Google self driving cars becoming stuck at 4 way stop signs. Not because they were broken. But because traffic from the left or right, creeped into what Google considered an unsafe position. And their cars are programmed to yield in that case. Instant roadblock.

The tech is there. It will eventually be here. But not so soon to worry us.

 

Nope. Self driving trucks will most likely be electric. What company in their right mind wouldn’t jump at the chance to profit off of 50 cent a mile loads?

And once the tech evolves far enough. Trucks will quickly become highway based trains. 4,5, even 6 trailers behind one smart tractor is not out of reach at that point.

 

They’re highly advanced now. It would be simple for them to share tracking data with regard to RR crossings. Would they do it? Maybe not until after the 3rd or 4th crash. But it would eventually happen.