Self Driving Tech vs Job Security

When self driving trucks can do this I'll start to worry. Until then probably not.

 

Your information is not entirely true

Nope, first will come long haul, with the exception of OS/OD, trucks will be platooned, in most cases, there will still be a driver to act in the event of situations where the computer systems fail, or in certain weather conditions to override the computer if needed, as well as entering and exiting the highway.

Next will come linehaul, and we'll probably see the beginning of "road trains" here in the US at that point

Last will be local, R2D2 is not going to be doing P&D or drop/hook work, the need to directly communicate with a human shipper/receiver will still be needed.

They will require both, in addition to lane sensors. It was mentioned elsewhere about Caltrans using MAG sensors to help plow in white out conditions, other states use this as well, but they also require GPS and Sat. based systems for comms and tracking.

Cali screams about the environement, demand solar, then denies a permit for the largest solar farm in the country because some tortoise might be endangered. I put very little stock in California, even though Colorado is turning into California light.

None of the cell carriers have a stable, reliable 4G network, in some parts of the country, it's still 1X even along major interstates.

Sure they will, lets go back to #1, want to know who will help push some of this, railroads. Both the UPRR and BNSF have tested and in some areas, use trains as long as 3 miles, as that technology improves, they will be able to push that they are even better than trucks, which will make the tree huggers happy as pigs in mud. The tree huggers will then go peacefully along with it.

The impact on OTR drivers will probably be seen in 10 yrs, maybe less, but, it could also depend on technology and companies like Tesla, Nikolai and others, as electric trucks eventually (5 to 8 yrs minimum) come on line, the platooning idea will become more viable. They are in limited capacity testing it in Europe, California, Texas and Nevada.

 

5G is nothing more than several boxes radiating in very high frequencies. If taken to extreme the range of frequency is used by the Military (USA) to burn by boiling water 1/64th of a inch below your skin from a vehicle mounted control weapon to make sure the riot, crowd or whatever is gone. They cannot physically take the pain and have to leave.

Once you have many 5G boxes everyone will have it. You can now at that point pretty much dispose of the old modems etc because those boxes ARE the modems. Taken to a further generation, the original internet itself might be disposed of. You will become the internet yourself. If you don't know how to bake cake, you say ok Google bake cake. And you will now know. (That pretty much takes home ec out of schools lol)

 

It will be hundreds and hundreds of years before self driving trucks can do most jobs. I want to see a self driving truck run the roads i do, then set up, load a piece of heavy equipment and chain it down, then drive it out through mud holes, over ice, up and down 24% grades, around switch backs etc. Will be interesting to see it pretrip and stop and check its own load as well. Wipe off its own camers so it can see in a blizzard. Throw on its own 8 sets of triples in a blizzard. I'll let the people in the year 2800 worry about self driving trucks taking over.

 

I doubt local first. Why? millennials. Long haul will go first. Millennials don’t want to go away from their moms basement playing fortnite and getting high to be long haul. In years to come they will be the workforce in trucking.
All of them will be pushing for being home daily. An autonomous truck can handle long driving before it can handle city streets and docks. There’s a driver shortage cause OTR doesn’t appeal to young people like it used to. A good way to fix it is automonus trucks. The last job to go will be Foodservice lol.

 

A few thoughts seeing I am on the front line with this ... where most of you are just driving.

I think that we are our own enemy, as mentioned if we act like professionals, act as a group without the bs greed and selfishness, a lot of these things won't be issues.

I also think that there is NO job security in this business, tomorrow a company may go under with losses that wouldn't amaze those who are in the know.

OF course very few companies/employers will back a driver, so most are one accident away from being unemployed, and before you doubt me, take a look at accident stats and insurance company moves to mitigate risks, it is going to get interesting for drivers who have bad records.

AND

I have to disagree with you, it is my engineering degree that makes me know what 5G is really about and I think it is a hope more than a solid "tech" that will be national, there are serious issue with exposure and serious issues with deployment of the technology, seeing it is in the 24–86 GHz range which is millimeter wavelength where this concern of RF exposure to animal life (which includes humans) comes into the scene, especially in the manner that the deployment has to take for the 5G-FR2 version to take place (which is where the high speed happens).

As for the feds getting involved, well they could actually do us all a favor by pushing hard line rural internet access, not wireless, before they should tackle anything like this, commercial market can take care of the 5G thing.

 

I am not so much local as home daily, five or six stops and upwards of 600 miles. There are so many times human intervention is necessary, whether it’s repositioning my load, sliding my tandems to get in and out of tight spots, pulling off the dock and getting somewhere on level ground so the doors will shut. Beating door handles back down, broken hinges.

I go a lot of places that were built for 45 foot trailers and the driveway slopes down. It’s fun when you go to leave and your rear drive axle is in the air, so you dump the bags or lock the divider. Doors missing chains, flats, mudflaps, gladhand seals, stick-on replacement lights, trailers dropped too low in gravel lots where you can get stuck on level ground. I’ve got a tool box with electrical wire, tape, fuses, headlights, signal lights, zip ties, rope, and all kinds of tools and bolts and nuts. I have hooked several trailers where the landing gear handle fell off in my hand, time to improvise at 2 am. That’s just a start.

It is truly ignorant to reduce this job as one just driving on a road.

 

I've learned quite a bit about jamming tech recently, long story, I suspect the first time it happens, regulations will come fast.