Should truck drivers be worried

As a newly qualified truck driver here in the UK Ive realised there are too many variables in truck driving than there is compared to car driving. Things like Zaphod pointed out but then there's other things such as road closures, rerouting avoiding height width and weight restriction. I drive in the centre of London ok times might change where they ban large trucks from driving into cities but for autonomous trucks to go into a city will mean changing the whole road lay outs. Then there's other situations like break downs, a human driver can react and deal with any issues on the road through their experience they know where safe places are to stop, what if a vehicle or trailer suffers a blow out for example, yeah ok a multitude of sensors can tell the truck something has happened but a human has that extra bit of knowledge of what to do.

10 years time ? No chance, they haven't even perfected autonomous cars yet and still finding faults with that. 20 years maybe they will start playing with autonomous trucks but it definitely won't be soon

a reply to: Edumakated

companies may try to keep savings for shareholders, but as long as their is a competitor breathing down their neck, they can't because the competitor will offer a lower price if they achieve the same savings.

You've never heard of ...

en.wikipedia.org...

Once competition is driven out then prices are jacked up.

Then there is the drug industry. Maybe its you who sticks to textbook theory that has little relevance to real world practices.

www.statnews.com...

But they are often blocked by the makers of brand-name drugs who try to hold off competition and wring out as much profit as possible. Indeed, drug companies are increasingly using complex strategies to elevate prices and keep generic competitors off the market. Lawmakers have trouble finding the schemes; the public has difficulty understanding them. But everyone sees the end results — shockingly high prices and patients unable to afford their medications. With that in mind, a colleague and I set out to trace the modern strategies and tactics that are fueling the astounding rise in the price of medications.......


As I noted when testifying in Congress about such strategies, “a billion here, a billion there, that adds up to real money, and the taxpayers are paying.”

a reply to: vonclod

No mention of how many will die an earlier death due to depression setting in after being retrenched and unemployable.

Here's automation at work for you...

157 Dead

and...

189 Dead

...was it just one problem? Nope...

More problems - 737 Max

...and then there's this gem, the icing on the cake...

GPS shortcut - hundreds stranded

This is what we have to look forward to. Just a "glitch", right?

And how long will it be before they say you have to get an auto-driving car because all the automated trucks can't deal with unpredictable drivers on the road at the same time? See where all this is going?

There's this thing called "freedom". I don't know about anyone else, but I'd like to keep mine, thank you very much.

a reply to: JAGStorm

where i live we have narrow winding streets that have parking on both sides, and lots of narrow rural roads.

HUmans struggle to navigate, a robotruck wouldnt stand a chance.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
www.wesh.com...

Self-driving semi travels nearly 10 miles on Florida’s Turnpike, company says

My guess is that these trucks will be fully on the road in less than 10 years, maybe sooner in some areas.
That probably won't bode well for truck drivers. I just read that domino's wants to delivery pizzas by drone.
Pretty soon truck/delivery/mail drivers will be completely obsolete. What other areas will this reach, trash pickup?

I'm actually all for self driving trucks. I read that it will save thousands of lives.

I just wonder what else will this touch. There are around 3.5 million truckers. They have to eat and sleep and get snacks at
gas stations. What kind effect will this have on other areas. Insurance??

Yes it's a great idea.
As a x interstate 65 tonne b/dble truckie i can assure you 90% of truckies are drugged out loosers just waiting to hit someones missus and kids headon as they run of the road from pushin it to hard.

Bring on driverless freeway trucks now.

a reply to: CthruU
Not sure if that's sarcasm or not, if not then sure go ahead tarnish every driver with the same brush. My firm do annual drug and alcohol testing and even at the slightest of incidents we are pulled in for testing it could mean hitting a lamp post in the truck yard. Most drivers have family's too and they won't want to get killed or lose their job by causing an accident. It all depends on how a truck company is run. I've had to pass initial assessments with my work and thats AFTER Ive passed the UKs general truck license test. My full driving license is checked as well before I was given the job if I had the slightest of convictions they wouldn't of accepted me

But ok I guess I fall in that 10% who are intoxicated at the wheel

originally posted by: TheConstruKctionofLight
a reply to: Edumakated

companies may try to keep savings for shareholders, but as long as their is a competitor breathing down their neck, they can't because the competitor will offer a lower price if they achieve the same savings.

You've never heard of ...

en.wikipedia.org...

Once competition is driven out then prices are jacked up.

Then there is the drug industry. Maybe its you who sticks to textbook theory that has little relevance to real world practices.

www.statnews.com...

But they are often blocked by the makers of brand-name drugs who try to hold off competition and wring out as much profit as possible. Indeed, drug companies are increasingly using complex strategies to elevate prices and keep generic competitors off the market. Lawmakers have trouble finding the schemes; the public has difficulty understanding them. But everyone sees the end results — shockingly high prices and patients unable to afford their medications. With that in mind, a colleague and I set out to trace the modern strategies and tactics that are fueling the astounding rise in the price of medications.......


As I noted when testifying in Congress about such strategies, “a billion here, a billion there, that adds up to real money, and the taxpayers are paying.”

Try to keep up...

Who benefits from predatory pricing? CONSUMERS. By definition, when predatory pricing is being waged, consumers are paying a lower price. So again, competition driving down prices. Now we can argue that it is playing dirty between competitors, but that is an entirely different topic. At the end of the day, the consumer is paying a lower price. Consumers don't give two Flips about predatory pricing. Go ask any Uber user....

On to your second point. Those are not competitive markets and don't have anything to do with our current discussion. The premise put forth was that companies would keep the cost savings from automation. I laid out how it would eventualyl be passed on to the consumers because competition dictates it. If Company A tries to keep the money, then Company B would lower prices to steal market share benefiting consumers.

Consumers benefit from lower prices and or better value products which I showed using a real life example of a Honda Civic from 20 years ago compared to now after a member claimed products weren't getting cheaper.

I appreciate the effort, but no cigar for you...

originally posted by: ThePeaceMaker
a reply to: CthruU
Not sure if that's sarcasm or not, if not then sure go ahead tarnish every driver with the same brush. My firm do annual drug and alcohol testing and even at the slightest of incidents we are pulled in for testing it could mean hitting a lamp post in the truck yard. Most drivers have family's too and they won't want to get killed or lose their job by causing an accident. It all depends on how a truck company is run. I've had to pass initial assessments with my work and thats AFTER Ive passed the UKs general truck license test. My full driving license is checked as well before I was given the job if I had the slightest of convictions they wouldn't of accepted me

But ok I guess I fall in that 10% who are intoxicated at the wheel

No it's not sarcasm its a fact.

Unless your company is doing bloods which i doubt your results are highly inaccurate.

Every truckdriver knows how to beat a piss test or lick a stick - white vinegar will beat a lick a stick everytime and gets carried around in lemonade bottles.

Don't try to teach your granny how to knit

For the record i said 90% not 100% so hardly tarnishing all with same brush.

With all due respect a truck of 18 tonne and speed limited to 88 kph is hardly comparable to the trucks of real trucking countries - i worked over there for hargrave international and could cross the whole country in 6 or 7 hrs hardly comparable to what real truck drivers in say usa or australia have to do. So point here is in the uk if and that's if theres less drugs its because you can cross the whole country in the time a real truckie drives before he stops for tea.

Don't you mean your the 10% who is NOT intoxicated at the wheel.

Driver less trucks have been about for years. Well not driver less but one driver to about 50 or 60 trucks. They're called trains.

nvm