USXpress tested autonomous trucks

It’s a simple fact if we were replaceable we’d have already been replaced. Driver shortages and robots don’t spread covid would have made the switch much more financially reasonable. So either the money or the technology isn’t there

 

Yup, it's mostly vapoware at this point. Just like Elon promising autonomous cars by 2014, but people still keep believing every revised date like an end of the world cult.

 

These new tech companies never turn a profit when they are started and the investors know this

These new tech companies never turn a profit when they are started and the investors know this, its all speculative investment and government subsidies that keeps them afloat based on the future foresight that these companies will eventual be the cornerstone of their industries. Its why tesla is the most valuable car company in the world despite selling the least amount of cars per year. Truck drivers are universally hated by the majority of the motoring public, the dot and the government because we are seen as nothing but dangerous outlaws. Thats why there is a bigger push for autonomous trucks that there is for cars. There 5 companies working towards autonomous trucks and 1 towards cars, that alone shows how much this is being pushed. Autonomous trucks will be the future sooner or later.

 

I get that but how long can they continue is the million dollar question? If they transition their business to selling their robot trucks to mega companiesz how long is it going to take until that truck is cost effective ? Because a simple look at a financial report shows that is a very very very long ways away... If they continue operating as a trucking company of their own , they are competing against every other carrier for contracts and spot rates but as mentioned before, have 20 times the expenses per truck with the same amount of revenue.... So both directions they can take their business, its really a dead end for them in terms of raw business numbers... Im not denying the technology one day , sometime will grt there, but getting it to be cost effective for a company to utilize is an even bigger challenge then making the technology work