Future of truckin’

My experience was an 18 speed, BC mountain highways and 140,000 pounds. You stay very busy shifting and it does help to keep you awake. I honestly worry about commercial drivers when they take every single job away from them except turning the wheel. You can't just sit there doing absolutely nothing day after day and stay awake and alert.

In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :

I’ve heard Amazon is already testing unmanned 18 wheelers...

Subscriber-unavailabile said:

In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :

I’ve heard Amazon is already testing unmanned 18 wheelers...

Seriously, there is a big shake-up coming for the trucking industry.  Automated trucks won't be limited to a certain number of hours per day, they won't get fatigued, they won't require a paycheck or health insurance.  They will have far fewer accidents as they can scan 360 degrees constantly and never get distracted by the radio or the person in the sleeper compartment.  They won't sit in a truck-stop idling for hours on end.  They don't even need the drivers compartment which frees up more capacity for cargo.  Going slower (why not, 50 mph is fine if it never needs a pee break) is easier on the tires and bearings and safer for the cars around them.  Automated trucks are the future, it may take 20 years to fully implement but I suspect that 25 years from now "trucker" will be a virtually non-existent job.

In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :

I fear that and know it’s coming. Thankfully my job is in delivering so human interaction is a necessity 

In reply to Subscriber-unavailabile :

delivery and in-town routes will be the last to automate..  Final mile delivery probably the last of the last.  Too many variables going from business to residence.

I imagine we'll see automated braking systems on commercial trucks within the next 10 years, and about 10 years after that we'll start to see fully automated driverless trucks on some routes. 

I also have a feeling we'll start to see the industry either hiring the cheapest drivers, or maybe the industry start finding guys who are more personable and willing to do a variety of jobs outside of just driving. 

pheller said:

or maybe the industry start finding guys who are more personable and willing to do a variety of jobs outside of just driving. 

I think it will be something along these lines. Sales support who will deliver the load; or else the drivers will need IT training in case anything on the trucks goes wrong. 

And my wife wonders why I’m pushing my kids to go into the trade industry. Heard on JRE podcast they even have robots flipping burgers...