4 ms·

I suspect more likely would be some kind of security team to prevent the truck's cargo from being jacked? Unless, of course, the driverless savings assume some

by iamben 11y ago

I suspect more likely would be some kind of security team to prevent the truck's cargo from being jacked? Unless, of course, the driverless savings assume some loss of contents.

tormeh 11y ago
Well, you'd need to force the cargo hold/container open; there's no driver to threaten. Assuming it's locked, you'd need some serious power to do that. A tractor or explosives, perhaps. I don't think many will bother.
- merpnderp 11y ago
  Right now most trailers are secured with either a simple padlock or a metal ribbon with a unique number stamped on it (so if it is cut, the person signing off will know).
- HeyLaughingBoy 11y ago
  Crowbar.
  - Johnny555 11y ago
    Or a battery operated angle grinder.
cousin_it 11y ago
Security drones.
the8472 11y ago
Is theft from trucks on the move a real issue? Especially if you consider thousands of identical self-driving trucks on the road? Who would know which contain valuable cargo and which don't?
HeyLaughingBoy 11y ago
Probably neither. I doubt the presence of a driver today is much of a deterrent to thieves. Most theft from trucks is by people working in the warehouse. There's not much opportunity to steal stuff from a truck except when it's being loaded/unloaded. That doesn't change whether or not it's driverless. If you're planning on hijacking it enroute, then whether or not there's a driver makes little difference. cf, carjackers.
- blumkvist 11y ago
  Of course it makes difference! Have you really thought this through? If there isn't anyone in the truck hijacking will skyrocket.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 11y ago
    You base this on what? Someone wanting to go to the effort of stealing the contents of a very large vehicle that is already being tracked by GPS and is for the most part in public view is not going to be deterred much by a human driver. Scenario today: truck stops at rest stop, driver gets out, truck is stolen. Alternate: truck stops at rest stop or for traffic light, driver does not get out. Robber gets in passenger side, points gun at driver's head and tells him to GTFO. Drives off about as fast as a loaded semi can, which is not very. Scenario with automated truck: truck never needs to stop at rest stop except for fuel and will need a human attendant (unless we also automated those away). Odds are, there are no windows or steering wheel/human controls anyway since it's automated. Now the robber needs to unload a trailer onto another, waiting truck which is a time consuming operation. And take off with that one. All the while the automated truck is reporting its location, and that it's being tampered with. So yeah, I don't think crime will change much. It will still be far, far easier to steal stuff from the truck when it's being unloaded. And that has nothing to do with a driver being present or not.
    - blumkvist 11y ago
      Alright. You know better then.
    - 11y ago

by iamben 11y ago

I suspect more likely would be some kind of security team to prevent the truck's cargo from being jacked? Unless, of course, the driverless savings assume some loss of contents.

tormeh 11y ago

Well, you'd need to force the cargo hold/container open; there's no driver to threaten. Assuming it's locked, you'd need some serious power to do that. A tractor or explosives, perhaps. I don't think many will bother.

merpnderp 11y ago
Right now most trailers are secured with either a simple padlock or a metal ribbon with a unique number stamped on it (so if it is cut, the person signing off will know).
HeyLaughingBoy 11y ago
Crowbar.
- Johnny555 11y ago
  Or a battery operated angle grinder.

cousin_it 11y ago

Security drones.

the8472 11y ago

Is theft from trucks on the move a real issue? Especially if you consider thousands of identical self-driving trucks on the road? Who would know which contain valuable cargo and which don't?

HeyLaughingBoy 11y ago

Probably neither. I doubt the presence of a driver today is much of a deterrent to thieves. Most theft from trucks is by people working in the warehouse. There's not much opportunity to steal stuff from a truck except when it's being loaded/unloaded. That doesn't change whether or not it's driverless. If you're planning on hijacking it enroute, then whether or not there's a driver makes little difference. cf, carjackers.

blumkvist 11y ago
Of course it makes difference! Have you really thought this through? If there isn't anyone in the truck hijacking will skyrocket.
- HeyLaughingBoy 11y ago
  You base this on what? Someone wanting to go to the effort of stealing the contents of a very large vehicle that is already being tracked by GPS and is for the most part in public view is not going to be deterred much by a human driver. Scenario today: truck stops at rest stop, driver gets out, truck is stolen. Alternate: truck stops at rest stop or for traffic light, driver does not get out. Robber gets in passenger side, points gun at driver's head and tells him to GTFO. Drives off about as fast as a loaded semi can, which is not very. Scenario with automated truck: truck never needs to stop at rest stop except for fuel and will need a human attendant (unless we also automated those away). Odds are, there are no windows or steering wheel/human controls anyway since it's automated. Now the robber needs to unload a trailer onto another, waiting truck which is a time consuming operation. And take off with that one. All the while the automated truck is reporting its location, and that it's being tampered with. So yeah, I don't think crime will change much. It will still be far, far easier to steal stuff from the truck when it's being unloaded. And that has nothing to do with a driver being present or not.
  - blumkvist 11y ago
    Alright. You know better then.
  - 11y ago