UPS has secretly been using self-driving trucks

C-mone driver, ya know you love it, you can never crash. lol

 

They had this company on TV news the other day. The trucks are red and I imagine they are the ones who are hauling USPS freight. The guy stated they filled a niche that other driverless companies don't use, even though he didn't say what it was. These companies will have to have what they are calling a "safety director" in the truck, and I can imagine with their hands on a wheel still. There have been enough snafu's already with driverless cars running into stuff, and of course they place the blame mostly on the actual driver. I believe I saw where Anheiser Busch is using trucks in Colorado to pull loads.
https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/06/self-driving-truck-startup-kodiak-robotics-begin-deliveries-in-texas

 

Question is: Does the "Safety Director" have a CDL? Of course they would, if they were to take control in case of computer failure.
So, what is the purpose? The computer is suppose to have quicker reflexes than a human. But will the computer veer out of lane to avoid collision with another vehicle approaching out of control? If the computer slows the truck because the vehicle ahead slows down, then you will have a YoYo effect andd the truck will start to cause a traffic jam for no real reason.
Self Driving trucks on a dedicated truck lane might be efficient, but anywhere other than out west in open territory, they are an accident waiting to happen.
Just my opinion.

 

I think if and when self driving trucks become the norm, they will be on dedicated ware house to warehouse runs and only on certain stretches of roads, but I still think they will be in the testing phase for many years. It is also that like a lot of other things, that they will be scrapped once the testing phase has run it's coarse.

 

Not enough 'space' on this forum thread.

 

Know that the tech involved isn't basic like the tech you're describing. Makes you wonder how much weight is added to the cab though; computers, hard drives, lenses, you know - equipment? 50 lbs? And then there's the mass air reduction aspect of it all. Although, I'm sure they'll address that later - after it earns it's weight in gold.