60 Minutes: Driverless Trucks Report

Based on the quality of doorslammers lately, I think the oversize segment is pretty much safe.

 

Yea we have oversize and super weights come through. They test one bridge over US67 (Future I-57 several times a month with a 150-200 ton transformer. They always stop short of that one and stay a minute or 5 going over what they need to before putting a wheel on it. Its a good bridge, just been redecked like three times in my life time.

 

If autonomous vehicles, not just trucks become reality, the first application will be on dedicated roadways, similar to the tolled fast lanes(Lexus lanes) now in use. The infrastructure requirements and costs, combined with the costs of the vehicles themselves will severely limit the roll out.
The American driving public has for many years put a stop to the holy grail of ATA dreams, larger trucks, more LCV's etc because they are not willing to share the road with that perceived danger. How do you think they are going to accept this behemoth, knowing that their silly smart phone(a hand held computer) frequently doesn't work as intended. Not to mention the hacking possibilities of instructions via a giant wi-fi network.
If I were a 747 freighter pilot I would more afraid of my job. No reason to have him in the ####pit with drone technology flying stuff from half a world away. But for the same reason, is the general public going to tolerate that monster flying overhead with no one at the controls? I don't think so.
Nah, I like the hype associated with the investment angle. Google has plenty of cash to burn, let them burn it.

 

The average person's an idiot. They'll trust a computer over a human any day.

I enjoy driving. I don't want to just be along for the ride. May as well take the bus lmfao.

 

Driverless trucks.
A lawyers wet dream.
They'll set up staged accidents and sue them
Into oblivion.

 

that’s not happening right now?

 

New technology is always full of security holes. They just push it out to make money.

I'm waiting to hear about crackers that took controll of trucks and had them deliver the load to where they wanted it...

 

Nah, the first to go will be ports and yard switchers. 2-3 longshoremen with their $30/hr. Off at 4, Home regularly, no weekends work.

And boy will they complain when it happens.

But they'll be right. And they'll either have to go OTR or retire.

 

For all the talk about driverless trucks, the first jobs to go will be the warehouse jobs. I picked up a beer load in St. Louis (?) four years ago where the entire plant was automated with tiny computerized forklifts moving under the beer pallets. THAT is the low hanging fruit in automation.

 

Amazon wants to hire 100,000 more souls to throw boxes in ever increasingly empty warehouses to keep up with a bunkered down USA intent on ordering everything online.