Comment on The first driverless semis have started running regular longhaul routes | CNN Business

twopi@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• Rambomst@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  But that would require investment in infrastructure…

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  • drmoose@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    Bet that semi trucks are more expensive due to road damage and congestion alone.

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    • futatorius@lemm.ee ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      I’ve already commented on road damage, but yeah, trucking firms bear no costs for the congestion and other road hazards they bring with them. Society, as is so often the case, sucks up those externalities.

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      • drmoose@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

        There’s definitely direct economic damage here too beyond just repairs. It’s sniffles business growth because the infrastructure is unreliable.

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    • mriguy@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      Yes, but that’s all subsidized by taxpayers, so it’s more expensive overall but cheaper for YOU.

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      • twopi@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        Privatize gains, socialize losses. The Capitalist^TM^ way!

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    • kameecoding@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      Efficiency, pollution too (even when electric, because tires and break dust are a thing)

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      • futatorius@lemm.ee ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

        Something like 70% of transport-related particulate emissions (and microplastics) are from tire wear.

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    • acockworkorange@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

      What you don’t get is that trucks last less and consume more, therefore it’s better for the robber barons.

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• yggstyle@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  *** everyone but the lobbyists liked that ***

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• JeremyHuntQW12@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  They already are automated trains on freight only routes like mines.

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  • twopi@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    Outside of mines or just in mines? I know that mines are becoming more automated but what about commercial routes.

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• catloaf@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  It’s absurd to suggest running a railway to every warehouse in East Bumfuck, Missouri.

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  • deur@feddit.nl ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    Oh. But a road is famously cheap.

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    • catloaf@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Compared to building and maintaining a railway, yes, by orders of magnitude.

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      • deranger@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        Citation needed

        A cursory search shows rail in rural areas is $2 million per mile and a highway is $4-10 million per mile.

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      • mriguy@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

        A road built and maintained by taxpayers is much cheaper (to a shipping company) than building, maintaining, and operating a railway. Making taxpayers responsible for the infrastructure you use is one way to make your business much more profitable.

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    • bizzle@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      The road already exists

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      • al_Kaholic@lemmynsfw.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        Just one more road and the traffic will get better /s

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  • drmoose@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago

    No one’s claiming that. Trucks can still handle the last mile just like they do it with container ships.

    Im no logistics expert byt ship -> train -> semi sounds like a great infrastructure design especially now as the container is interchangeable between all of these mediums.

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