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> I'm carefully optimistic since this would be in there interest of the trucking industry How would self-driving trucks help the trucking industry? It seems l

> I'm carefully optimistic since this would be in there interest of the trucking industry How would self-driving trucks help the trucking industry? It seems like driverless technology will only make the business even more commoditized than it already is, and the only ones that make any money will be the one or two companies with the iPhone apps where you push the button to get your truck.

bro-stick 11y ago
"Industry" is both ambiguous and nebulous. It would seem to help the stakeholders whom depend on trucking, perhaps the fleets of trucks and most definitely not the drivers. There are far too many truckers' jobs at risk to retrain and place in nonexistent "freeing" jobs that just don't exist. Loads of unemployed people with no job prospects to feed their families would be an idiotic situation rife with discontent bordering on insurrection.
- ssalazar 11y ago
  > There are far too many [...] jobs at risk to retrain and place in nonexistent "freeing" jobs that just don't exist. Loads of unemployed people with no job prospects to feed their families would be an idiotic situation rife with discontent bordering on insurrection. This is an argument against nearly every technological development ever.
ajmurmann 11y ago
I agree with practically everything you said. However, I expect that the companies that do most of the lobbying are larger and are all the ones expecting to be one of the one out two companies with the iPhone apps that now also don't have to deal with drivers anymore. The big companies will be able to upgrade their first, small companies won't be able to. The small companies get pushed out of the market. So I expect large companies to push for this.
wpietri 11y ago
> How would self-driving trucks help the trucking industry? The people running the companies will be looking at labor as a major expense and human employees as a high source of variability and day-to-day complication. Trading labor cost (typically seen as an expense) for fixed asset costs (typically seen as investment) is hugely appealing to a lot of executives. > It seems like driverless technology will only make the business even more commoditized than it already is [...] Sure, and buying a $1 lottery ticket is financially equivalent to asking the store clerk to change $1 and then throwing $0.40 into the nearest sewer grate. But everybody buying a lottery ticket thinks they'll one of the few winners. Executives are generally like that too. But worse, because they get to gamble with other people's money and then take a slice of any winnings.

bro-stick 11y ago

"Industry" is both ambiguous and nebulous. It would seem to help the stakeholders whom depend on trucking, perhaps the fleets of trucks and most definitely not the drivers. There are far too many truckers' jobs at risk to retrain and place in nonexistent "freeing" jobs that just don't exist. Loads of unemployed people with no job prospects to feed their families would be an idiotic situation rife with discontent bordering on insurrection.

ssalazar 11y ago
> There are far too many [...] jobs at risk to retrain and place in nonexistent "freeing" jobs that just don't exist. Loads of unemployed people with no job prospects to feed their families would be an idiotic situation rife with discontent bordering on insurrection. This is an argument against nearly every technological development ever.

ajmurmann 11y ago

I agree with practically everything you said. However, I expect that the companies that do most of the lobbying are larger and are all the ones expecting to be one of the one out two companies with the iPhone apps that now also don't have to deal with drivers anymore. The big companies will be able to upgrade their first, small companies won't be able to. The small companies get pushed out of the market. So I expect large companies to push for this.

wpietri 11y ago

> How would self-driving trucks help the trucking industry? The people running the companies will be looking at labor as a major expense and human employees as a high source of variability and day-to-day complication. Trading labor cost (typically seen as an expense) for fixed asset costs (typically seen as investment) is hugely appealing to a lot of executives. > It seems like driverless technology will only make the business even more commoditized than it already is [...] Sure, and buying a $1 lottery ticket is financially equivalent to asking the store clerk to change $1 and then throwing $0.40 into the nearest sewer grate. But everybody buying a lottery ticket thinks they'll one of the few winners. Executives are generally like that too. But worse, because they get to gamble with other people's money and then take a slice of any winnings.