6 ms·

Hmmm, why are we still talking about truck drivers exactly? The trucking industry is about to tank hard. Mercedes demo'd its first driverless truck a couple o

by l33tbro 12y ago

Hmmm, why are we still talking about truck drivers exactly? The trucking industry is about to tank hard. Mercedes demo'd its first driverless truck a couple of weeks ago (!). Yes, there will be specialists drivers sure and niche companies. But the day of the interstate road train will be done shortly. The biggest new niche in my mind will be vehicle security. These trucks will be flying solo across the nation - unmanned. How will these trucks be fitted out against good ol' fashioned highway robbers in remote areas that are barely on the grid? Fun times ahead. (!). http://www.caradvice.com.au/295713/self-driving-mercedes-benz-truck-demonstrated-in-germany/ http://www.caradvice.com.au/295713/self-driving-mercedes-ben...

sanswork 12y ago
>How will these trucks be fitted out against good ol' fashioned highway robbers in remote areas that are barely on the grid? They would handle it the exact same way the ones with drivers do. They would do nothing while it is happening but contact the police and claim insurance. The only difference is no one is at risk of dying and they will likely have video evidence.
twothamendment 12y ago
Can the driver-less truck put chains on its tires in the winter? I didn't think so. I'm sure that we'll make use of the tech we have but there is so much more to driving a truck than driving. Maybe the "drivers" will be able to climb in the back and sleep while the truck does they driving and they can take care of everything else.
- l33tbro 12y ago
  This is why I think the "driver" will shift more to a "captain" type archetype. Ie, driverless road-trains will travel in fleets and there will be a mechanic somewhere in that convoy to deal with breaking down in dead of nowhere. Also hard not to imagine this guy being armed.
  - tdicola 12y ago
    What is the advantage of this system over the modern railway system? Trains can go faster, don't have to stop for traffic, and can carry far more goods than trucks.
    - wombatpm 12y ago
      Amazingly, people live where rail is not an option. The interstate system offers more possibilities than rail. Rail also does not deliver to your door.
      - gaadd33 12y ago
        What parts of the country don't have rail as an option? Pretty much the entire US is covered in rail, especially around population centers since that's why many developed there in the first place. Most people don't get tractor trailer deliveries to their door so a driverless truck wouldn't have an advantage there.
        JoeAltmaier 12y ago
        That's pretty much a tautology - cities exist because trains went there. I live in a state covered with extinct towns, because the tracks went another way back in the day. But sadly those tracks are bicycle trails or even roads now. Eminent domain space is problematical; rails always go interesting places; tracks have largely disappeared from the landscape by having their route repurposed.
        gaadd33 12y ago
        Right but I'm curious if, as the GP claimed, there were any population centers in the US not well connected via rail. It's possible that when the interstates were built, that they created new population centers not connected by rail but I'm unaware of any. Do you know of any?
        12y ago
- icebraining 12y ago
  Can the driver-less truck put chains on its tires in the winter? http://www.onspot.com/ http://www.onspot.com/
Houshalter 12y ago
That's not good news for the truck drivers. I can even see automation getting banned in many states. In the same way some places require an attendant at gas stations.
- lotsofmangos 12y ago
  Presumably the states that have full serve gas stations, which is required for automated trucks, will also be the ones that ban automated trucks.
stretchwithme 12y ago
Cameras, GPS, an inability to force a driver to pull over, no drivers helping on an inside job. It might be harder to steal from these trucks. Plus Robocop will be hiding in the back and killing him with carbon monoxide will not be an option. Of course, when thieves start using robots to do the stealing, it will get tough.
tdicola 12y ago
I like your optimism, but realistically self driving trucks on American highways are a long way off. How will the trucks refuel? How will they handle loading and unloading? How will they handle inclement weather? What is the insurance liability for putting them on public roads? Who will be sued when a driverless truck crashes into another car (at fault or not)? Even Mercedes says in that article, "the Highway Pilot system could be launched into production trucks 'as early as 2025 if conditions permit'." Which is basically corporate speak for, "we have no idea if this will ever launch, but it will get investors excited now."
- idlewords 12y ago
  Automation doesn't mean having to solve every problem simultaneously. You can still pay a driver to stay with the truck, and handle the fueling and loading. Just being able to keep the truck moving while the driver is required by law to rest will be a huge win.
  - judk 12y ago
    Then the automation doesn't solve the staffing problem, it just perpetuates forced pseudo-downtime that drivers get underpaid for.
    - sanswork 12y ago
      Say you have two trucks doing a cross country run(on the I-10 to keep things easy) and a return run. One with an automated system that can drive while the driver sleeps and one without. Truck A: Can drive 24 hours a day and can cover the distance there and back in about 3 days Truck B: Can drive 11 hours a day and can cover the distance in ~7 days. The first Driver can do the trip twice in the same amount of time. Halving the number of drivers required for that route or freeing up drivers on that route for other jobs.
- sanswork 12y ago
  >How will the trucks refuel? Full serve gas stations. >How will they handle loading and unloading? Do long haul drivers typically load/unload themselves these days? I would have thought that would have been the task of the warehouse staff on either end. >How will they handle inclement weather? Probably better than human driven trucks why would you think they couldn't? >What is the insurance liability for putting them on public roads? Probably less than human driven trucks since you don't have to worry about a lot of things that will cause problems for those such as tired/impared drivers. >Who will be sued when a driverless truck crashes into another car (at fault or not)? The trucks insurance company. Same as it would currently happen.
burkaman 12y ago
Even that article puts a minimum of 10 years before automated trucks get on the roads. So, we're talking about truck drivers because it's not acceptable to forget about them for a decade "because they'll be gone someday."
venomsnake 12y ago
You just need some human support drone style. Trucking will be 90% automated an 10% rc

by l33tbro 12y ago

sanswork 12y ago

>How will these trucks be fitted out against good ol' fashioned highway robbers in remote areas that are barely on the grid? They would handle it the exact same way the ones with drivers do. They would do nothing while it is happening but contact the police and claim insurance. The only difference is no one is at risk of dying and they will likely have video evidence.

twothamendment 12y ago

Can the driver-less truck put chains on its tires in the winter? I didn't think so. I'm sure that we'll make use of the tech we have but there is so much more to driving a truck than driving. Maybe the "drivers" will be able to climb in the back and sleep while the truck does they driving and they can take care of everything else.

l33tbro 12y ago
This is why I think the "driver" will shift more to a "captain" type archetype. Ie, driverless road-trains will travel in fleets and there will be a mechanic somewhere in that convoy to deal with breaking down in dead of nowhere. Also hard not to imagine this guy being armed.
- tdicola 12y ago
  What is the advantage of this system over the modern railway system? Trains can go faster, don't have to stop for traffic, and can carry far more goods than trucks.
  - wombatpm 12y ago
    Amazingly, people live where rail is not an option. The interstate system offers more possibilities than rail. Rail also does not deliver to your door.
    - gaadd33 12y ago
      What parts of the country don't have rail as an option? Pretty much the entire US is covered in rail, especially around population centers since that's why many developed there in the first place. Most people don't get tractor trailer deliveries to their door so a driverless truck wouldn't have an advantage there.
      - JoeAltmaier 12y ago
        That's pretty much a tautology - cities exist because trains went there. I live in a state covered with extinct towns, because the tracks went another way back in the day. But sadly those tracks are bicycle trails or even roads now. Eminent domain space is problematical; rails always go interesting places; tracks have largely disappeared from the landscape by having their route repurposed.
        gaadd33 12y ago
        Right but I'm curious if, as the GP claimed, there were any population centers in the US not well connected via rail. It's possible that when the interstates were built, that they created new population centers not connected by rail but I'm unaware of any. Do you know of any?
        12y ago
icebraining 12y ago
Can the driver-less truck put chains on its tires in the winter? http://www.onspot.com/ http://www.onspot.com/

Houshalter 12y ago

That's not good news for the truck drivers. I can even see automation getting banned in many states. In the same way some places require an attendant at gas stations.

lotsofmangos 12y ago
Presumably the states that have full serve gas stations, which is required for automated trucks, will also be the ones that ban automated trucks.

stretchwithme 12y ago

Cameras, GPS, an inability to force a driver to pull over, no drivers helping on an inside job. It might be harder to steal from these trucks. Plus Robocop will be hiding in the back and killing him with carbon monoxide will not be an option. Of course, when thieves start using robots to do the stealing, it will get tough.

tdicola 12y ago

I like your optimism, but realistically self driving trucks on American highways are a long way off. How will the trucks refuel? How will they handle loading and unloading? How will they handle inclement weather? What is the insurance liability for putting them on public roads? Who will be sued when a driverless truck crashes into another car (at fault or not)? Even Mercedes says in that article, "the Highway Pilot system could be launched into production trucks 'as early as 2025 if conditions permit'." Which is basically corporate speak for, "we have no idea if this will ever launch, but it will get investors excited now."

idlewords 12y ago
Automation doesn't mean having to solve every problem simultaneously. You can still pay a driver to stay with the truck, and handle the fueling and loading. Just being able to keep the truck moving while the driver is required by law to rest will be a huge win.
- judk 12y ago
  Then the automation doesn't solve the staffing problem, it just perpetuates forced pseudo-downtime that drivers get underpaid for.
  - sanswork 12y ago
    Say you have two trucks doing a cross country run(on the I-10 to keep things easy) and a return run. One with an automated system that can drive while the driver sleeps and one without. Truck A: Can drive 24 hours a day and can cover the distance there and back in about 3 days Truck B: Can drive 11 hours a day and can cover the distance in ~7 days. The first Driver can do the trip twice in the same amount of time. Halving the number of drivers required for that route or freeing up drivers on that route for other jobs.
sanswork 12y ago
>How will the trucks refuel? Full serve gas stations. >How will they handle loading and unloading? Do long haul drivers typically load/unload themselves these days? I would have thought that would have been the task of the warehouse staff on either end. >How will they handle inclement weather? Probably better than human driven trucks why would you think they couldn't? >What is the insurance liability for putting them on public roads? Probably less than human driven trucks since you don't have to worry about a lot of things that will cause problems for those such as tired/impared drivers. >Who will be sued when a driverless truck crashes into another car (at fault or not)? The trucks insurance company. Same as it would currently happen.

burkaman 12y ago

Even that article puts a minimum of 10 years before automated trucks get on the roads. So, we're talking about truck drivers because it's not acceptable to forget about them for a decade "because they'll be gone someday."

venomsnake 12y ago

You just need some human support drone style. Trucking will be 90% automated an 10% rc