That is it right there. Either way from a fleet owner position, it would be a investment just like it is now. The only thing that would change is where and how the investment is made.
One Step Closer to Self-Driving Trucks (Video)
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That is it right there. Either way from a fleet owner position, it would be a investment just like it is now. The only thing that would change is where and how the investment is made.
That exact thing happens with humans driving them.
Very good point. IMO we are pretty far away from this being a common place technology.
Human truck drivers produce catastrophic crashes again and again, and the insurance companies continue to insure them at affordable rates. Millions of test miles have already been logged by self-driving vehicles in real-world conditions. The accident rate is minuscule compared to human drivers the crashes are minor fender benders.
The convenient thing in projecting future scenarios is that proponents and opponents of self-driving vehicles can cite any scenario they wish. All imagined scenarios can be countered with other imagined scenarios.
Are there real risks associated with self-driving trucks and cars? Of course there are. But that is not stopping numerous major companies from investing big in this technology with the idea of bringing these cars and trucks onto the road ASAP. They have calculated that the rewards outweigh the risks. And since they are the risk takers, that's no small thing. Self-driving vehicles are already operational in off-road settings. It's only a matter of time before we start sharing the public roads with them.
All or nearly all major car manufacturers are developing self-driving cars. Truck makers are into this too:
Autonomous Freightliner Inspiration truck
Convoy of self-driving trucks completes first European cross-border trip (Volvo)
About the economics, this TechCrunch article sums it up:
"Shipping a full truckload from L.A. to New York costs around $4,500 today, with labor representing 75 percent of that cost. But those labor savings aren’t the only gains to be had from the adoption of driverless trucks.
"Where drivers are restricted by law from driving more than 11 hours per day without taking an 8-hour break, a driverless truck can drive nearly 24 hours per day. That means the technology would effectively double the output of the U.S. transportation network at 25 percent of the cost."
The Otto retrofit costs $30,000; less than what a carrier pays a full-time OTR driver per year. The truck can run without log book limitations and the cost is incurred only once.
About the regulations, the State of Florida itself is an early adopter of this technology. Expect other states to follow suit. When government agencies seek legal changes in favor of autonomous vehicles, the counter arguments are quickly undermined. Regulations can change painfully slow or surprisingly quickly, depending on the issue. Regs in this area will change quickly. In many respects, they already have. Notice the increasing number of states in which it is legal to run autonomous test vehicles on the road.
Self-driving trucks to be used for highway construction in Florida.
Autonomous Freightliner Inspiration truck
Convoy of self-driving trucks completes first European cross-border trip (Volvo)
About the economics, this TechCrunch article sums it up:
"Shipping a full truckload from L.A. to New York costs around $4,500 today, with labor representing 75 percent of that cost. But those labor savings aren’t the only gains to be had from the adoption of driverless trucks.
"Where drivers are restricted by law from driving more than 11 hours per day without taking an 8-hour break, a driverless truck can drive nearly 24 hours per day. That means the technology would effectively double the output of the U.S. transportation network at 25 percent of the cost."
The Otto retrofit costs $30,000; less than what a carrier pays a full-time OTR driver per year. The truck can run without log book limitations and the cost is incurred only once.
About the regulations, the State of Florida itself is an early adopter of this technology. Expect other states to follow suit. When government agencies seek legal changes in favor of autonomous vehicles, the counter arguments are quickly undermined. Regulations can change painfully slow or surprisingly quickly, depending on the issue. Regs in this area will change quickly. In many respects, they already have. Notice the increasing number of states in which it is legal to run autonomous test vehicles on the road.
Self-driving trucks to be used for highway construction in Florida.
Labor costs of 75%
Where do I sign on ?
Where do I sign on ?
If anyone has been to India, then you might have an idea of what is taking place here. The wealthy, who run this country, unless you still believe the people do, have seen how India's structure works. You have the extreme wealthy, then you have poverty. No middle class to speak of. You either work for the weslthy of live off yhe government, which also is supported greatly by it's military. The powers to be here havd seen it work there and they want it here. Just like the other poster noted, people in all types of work being replaced by machines. No work no money means no existence. It's appalling what hoes on in India, but what's worse, our government won't stop until it is that way here. Really think about all the changes for the worse that have taken place before coming on here and callling me crazy.
That's fine. Once everyone's replaced by automation, there won't be any shipping as nobody will be able to afford anything. Same for fast food. These companies are going to shoot themselves in the foot as they need people to create demand for their product. And I mean people who make a lot more than the current minimum wage. Am I the only one who sees this coming?
i imagine 100 years ago people said the same thing....but yet here we are....a whole new range of jobs classes because of the change..and I imagine that'll be the same for this next step of human evolution....
Henry Fords invention: The production line......mass producing with less people and making goods faster and more efficient....now we have robots making robots..and the world goes on...
Henry Fords invention: The production line......mass producing with less people and making goods faster and more efficient....now we have robots making robots..and the world goes on...
Do you remember the Fuller Brush Man, the Avon lady, the encyclopedia sales person and the telephone operator? Millions of people once held these jobs. Now none or nearly none do. People still use brushes, make-up, organized information and telephones as much as before. Companies still offer these products and services. Technology changed the nature of the products and made the middle-man unnecessary.
So, if the products and services still exist and consumers buy more of them than ever before, what became of the sales people and laborers who were once essential but are now gone? Do you see Fuller Brush Man retirement homes? Do you see people on street corners with signs saying "Help a former Avon lady?" Do you see government-funded homes for former encyclopedia sales people? Do you see telephone operator poor houses? Where did these people go? Was the loss of their jobs the end of their stories?
The demise of the family farm and the closure of factories as jobs moved to low-labor-cost countries also put millions of people out of work, often abruptly. (Advances in logistics that helped make this possible include the rise of expediting.) Yet food sales have not declined. More people drive more cars than ever before. In many cases, the production and consumption of products continues but the methods change.
It's not easy and seldom instant but the majority of people find ways to adapt. As it is in other industries, so too will it be in trucking when robots replace human drivers and warehouse workers, and truck stop waitresses find themselves with no humans to serve.
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The milkman , bread man ... 1,000's of jobs gone but 1,000's more created by Macs and Beckers stores to replaced them. And now they are pretty much gone as well
Now they have robotic fork lift drivers ...
Now they have robotic fork lift drivers ...
Mac's and Becker's is way too obscure for this place lol
Mac's is still around....I've seen a few....1 right there in Brantford near W Gretzky Pkwy....
The new Toronto Star building when it opened was robotic....papers were not touched until the carrier...bundled, banded palletized, stretch wrapped and a robot lift truck would come in and take it to an assigned dock door...for a human to put on truck....amazing back 20 years ago this technology...high labour costs and the impending internet pushed the change...
You just give me the impression that you will be happier than a pig in mud to get rid of drivers...I am not against progress but eventually with production/manufacturing all being outsourced...there becomes noone left that has any money to purchase anything.
I not sure I am reading that into what was posted. Just a matter of when some doors close, others are surely to open. It has always been that way. Trucking will change, but it won't be that fast.
On the upside, if done right there won't be a need for teams anymore. The only time a " driver" will be needed is, paperwork and docking. Rest of the time sit back and enjoy the ride, or fix dinner. Maybe watch a movie, book your next load. Take a nap, or even call it a night in Arizona and wake up somewhere in Texas. The possibility could be endless.
I think the upfront cost of $30K is very reasonable. But what is the cost on the backend? I'm sure this company isn't designing this to be a one time sale. Software updates & whatever they can conjure up .. at what cost? Think you have an issue when your cell phone is two years old & you wanna switch providers? These units will put a new spin on that scenario ..
Obviously technology moves the meter. I'm not oblivious, but I wouldn't necessarily call myself a proponent. Ever since the success of uber, tech people have been looking for ways to rape & pillage any service provided by vehicles.
What next ... automated haircuts? Barbers beware!
I believe you are correct. As the industry moves toward full automation, teams will be among the first to go. It may develop that two people live in the truck (for the life-on-the-road adventure) as teams do now but only one driver will work and be paid.
It might even happen that big-sleeper, shower-equipped tractors will be developed to accommodate robot convoy lead drivers. A bathroom stop for a lead driver with five self-driving trucks behind represents a large fuel cost to get the trucks back up to highway speed after the stop. It may be cheaper to give the driver a big sleeper and let the driver put the truck on auto pilot while he/she goes back to take care of business.
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