Self driving trucks and our future

And space travel. We can do that, we were supposed to have colonies in space now, we have Tang, so what's the holdup? Don't quit your day jog OP.

 

The difference between then and now is that Tang is just the name of one of the astronauts!

 

When everything these stupid engineers want to automate is automated, maybe we can get some politician to explain how to pay for a welfare society where 54 % of people are permanently unemployed and on full welfare support. There aren't enough working people now to pay for the govt programs as it is. Cadillac has a cutsie commercial out now with dancing robot arms around their shiny new $65000 car. I just think, hey, look what replaced the formerly proud autoworker. While it may be possible, or even feasable to replace a human worker, you'll have a tough sell convincing me it is right.

 

I think trucks will be able to drive themselves in most conditions pretty soon, but they will still require an "operator" or "attendant" while en route. This means that truckers will still have a job, but it will become more like someone at a factory who oversees a machine, keeps it operable, gives it special instructions, etc. The pay could decrease, increase or remain the same as it has been for 20 yrs. Just think, the most modern machines still require a human to interact or interface but the overall amount of labor decreases with automation. It will happen, but humans will still be required for operation. Hard to say how long before it is this way...and it will NEVER be perfect just like anything else man has engineered.

 

This is how SkyNet gets their advantage....

 

All I can say is I remember reading in Popular Science how we'd all be driving around in flying cars by 1985.
Driverless vehicles seem nice until the first one has an accident and someone is injured or killed.
Imagine the pull back after the lawyers get hold of that one!
No...I wouldn't worry...even if the technology arrived and worked, the lawyers would screw it up.

 

Sounds like an exciting job, like a night watchman at a cranberry silo (Grandpa Simpson)

 

Since you need someone in the truck, and the truck costs more with all the gadgets, how do the economics work here?

 

I dont know much about economics, but I use the railroad companies as a comparison. Freight and passenger locomotives are fully automated and can also be operated remotely, yet they still have engineers and conductors on each train. They have greatly reduced the manpower required throughout the years by eliminating other train personell ie. switchmen, carmen, brakemen etc. I'm sure that many railroaders thought that trains would not need ANY humans to operate by now, but they will always need at least 1 or 2 people to oversee the train in case something unexpected happens. The same theory will apply to a truck that is fully automated. The railroad companies still pay them a decent
wage for the job. Drivers will definitely have to adapt to the new technologies. Let me say I dont always agree with progress, but it is law and you cant win the battle against it. Drivers will either adapt or turn in their keys.