Comment on Tractor-trailers with no one aboard? The future is near for self-driving trucks on US roads
stembolts@programming.dev 6 months ago
If this were to come to pass, it would be a massive hit to the middle class. Truckers make up a HUGE part of the American middle class work force.
Also consider the economic impact to all of the gas stations and rest stops created primarily to service them, a huge amount of infrastructure exists to service truckers. That said, many could convert for autonomous service needs? I expect it to be a net loss for them also. RIP Loves?
And from a technical point of view, it’s a lesser challenge than generalized self-driving because point A and B are already known for each route, so more of the route could be “hardcoded” (not actually hardcoded but I think you get the concept).
Anyway, the jist of my comment, this will route a substantial amount of middle class wages from the truckers to the truck owners, increasing inequality even further.
But on the flip side, you also have to consider how much cheaper, well, literally everything, will be when it doesn’t cost $30 an hour to move a product from one place to another?
Everything will cost so much less that Universal Basic Income wouldn’t need to be anywhere near as high as it is right now to be “living wage”.
Nothing will be cheaper. It’ll go to profits.
Everything will cost so much less that Universal Basic Income wouldn’t need to be anywhere near as high as it is right now to be “living wage”.
Assuming companies would pass the saving to their customers, which is usually not the case these days.
Remember when prices went down when self checkout became a thing everywhere?
I dont.
Oh you sweet summer child. There is zero chance that the cost savings will be passed on to consumers. In fact, I’ll bet prices go up after an initial plateau.
At first, profits will rise due to the lack of $30/hr costs - and shareholders will celebrate the innovation.
Then when the migration to self-driving semis is complete and that profit levels out, shareholders will be pissed that the profits don’t continue to rise - so prices will rise again.
But on the flip side, you also have to consider how much cheaper, well, literally everything, will be
No, it is not true. Trucks are big. In total, transportation is dead cheap.
When has the price of anything ever come down?
I’ve been around for quite some time now, and I’ve seen things get pretty damn advanced, but not once have I EVER seen the prices of something go down.
It doesn’t cost much to have a driver as compared to the value amd volume of product. The expense is the fuel.
But of course! Trickle down economy at work! /s
Those mining trucks don’t have to deal with Altimas.
point A and B are already known for each route, so more of the route could be “hardcoded”
yeah, and it is all good until there is any kind of non-standard situation on that road.
luckily for truckers, i think that truly self-driving cars are further into the future than their proponents would like you to believe.
I’m betting garbage trucks actually end up being first. A half dozen trucks per human monitor sitting back at the station, with two guys in a pickup to run out to any problems.
i would guess these would be last. the garbage cans are not on the highway, they are in potentially hard accessible places, where some maneuvering and judgement may be required.
I read somewhere that the largest class of jobs in half the US states was truck driver and it’s high in most other places (that article says 600k). They are likely to be the first sector almost wiped out by AI, followed by call centre workers and a lot of the legal profession. Good luck reskilling all those people. Here in the UK, call centres were often opened in areas of low employment, so we’ll see a lot of the already decimated old industrial areas hollowed out.
Yeah, but think of the amount of damage that happens due to accidents where trucks are involved. If that can be substantially reduced it would be a huge win. We’re talking about thousands of lives saved each year.
NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 6 months ago
Hmm, they do have a union. It wouldn’t surprise me if they push to put some rules in place about requiring a driver in the cab for safety.
Frozengyro@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Kinda like how planes are 95% automated these days, but we still keep two highly skilled and well paid pilots in board in case of emergency.
0x0@programming.dev 6 months ago
Planes carry passengers though, not cargo… although you could technically fly a pilotless cargo plane… eh, better not, forget you read that.
Wanderer@lemm.ee 6 months ago
I once lived in a town that if you want to be an uber driver you also legally needed to be a current taxi driver. Kinda completely missed the point. Though I did like how the taxi drivers couldn’t screw me.
I hated that town though.