Driverless Trucks Are On The Way.

A convoy of self-driving trucks recently drove across Europe and arrived at the Port of Rotterdam. No technology will automate away more jobs, or drive more economic efficiency, than the driverless truck.

Shipping a full truckload from LA 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 US transportation network at 25 percent of the cost.

And the savings become even more significant when you account for fuel efficiency gains. The optimal cruising speed from a fuel efficiency standpoint is around 45 miles per hour, whereas truckers who are paid by the mile drive much faster. Further fuel efficiencies will be had as the self-driving fleets adopt platooning technologies, like those from Peloton Technology, allowing trucks to draft behind one another in highway trains.

Trucking represents a considerable portion of the cost of all the goods we buy, so consumers everywhere will experience this change as lower prices and higher standards of living. While the efficiency gains are too real to pass up, the technology will have tremendous adverse effects as well.

In addition, once the technology is mature enough to be rolled out commercially, we will also enjoy considerable safety benefits. This year alone more people will be killed in traffic accidents involving trucks than in all domestic airline crashes in the last 45 years combined. At the same time, more truck drivers were killed on the job, 835, than workers in any other occupation in the US.

Even putting aside the direct safety risks, truck driving is a grueling job that young people don’t really want to do. The average age of a commercial driver is 55 (and rising every year), with projected driver shortages that will create yet more incentive to adopt driverless technology in the years to come.

While the efficiency gains are real, too real to pass up, the technology will have tremendous adverse effects as well. There are currently more than 1.6 million Americans working as truck drivers, making it the most common job in 29 states.

The loss of jobs representing 1 percent of the US workforce will be a devastating blow to the economy. And the adverse consequences won’t end there. Gas stations, highway diners, rest stops, motels and other businesses catering to drivers will struggle to survive without them.

The demonstration in Europe shows that driverless trucking is right around the corner.  The primary remaining barriers are regulatory. We still need to create on- and off-ramps so human drivers can bring trucks to the freeways where highway autopilot can take over. We may also need dedicated lanes as slow-moving driverless trucks could be a hazard for drivers. 

These are big projects that can only be done with the active support of government. However, regulators will be understandably reluctant to allow technology with the potential to eliminate so many jobs.

Yet the benefits from adopting it will be so huge that we can’t simply outlaw it. A 400 percent price-performance improvement in ground transportation networks will represent an incredible boost to human well-being. Where would we be if we had banned mechanized agriculture on the grounds that most Americans worked in farming when tractors and harvesters were introduced in the early 20th century?

We often discuss the displacement of jobs by artificial intelligence and robots in the abstract, as something that we’ll have to eventually tackle in the far distant future. But the recent successful demonstration of the self-driving truck shows that we can’t afford to put off the conversation on how we’re going to adapt to this new reality.
TechCrunch: http://tcrn.ch/1MWGMHs

 

« Snowden Intervenes In The Encryption Debate
South Korea Is No.1 Top Source Of DDoS Attacks »

Infosecurity Europe
CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

The PC Support Group

The PC Support Group

A partnership with The PC Support Group delivers improved productivity, reduced costs and protects your business through exceptional IT, telecoms and cybersecurity services.

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO is the market leader in HPE Non-Stop Security, Risk Management and Compliance.

IT Governance

IT Governance

IT Governance is a leading global provider of information security solutions. Download our free guide and find out how ISO 27001 can help protect your organisation's information.

Alvacomm

Alvacomm

Alvacomm offers holistic VIP cybersecurity services, providing comprehensive protection against cyber threats. Our solutions include risk assessment, threat detection, incident response.

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Our Supplier Directory lists 7,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

ClearedJobs.Net

ClearedJobs.Net

ClearedJobs.Net is a career site and job fair company for professionals seeking careers in the defense, intelligence and cyber security communities.

PFP Cybersecurity

PFP Cybersecurity

PFP provides a SaaS solution for life-cycle protection based on our IoT security platform and power usage analytics.

Reblaze Technologies

Reblaze Technologies

Reblaze provides the world’s best security technologies in a cloud-based website security platform.

Datec PNG

Datec PNG

Datec is the the largest end-to-end information and communications technology solutions and services provider in Papua New Guinea.

SQN Banking Systems

SQN Banking Systems

SQN Banking Systems fraud detection software products are a critical step towards overcoming the growing problem of fraud across the various payment channels.

Jenson Knight

Jenson Knight

Jenson Knight is a global cyber security, cloud and IT infrastructure staffing specialist.

Greylock Partners

Greylock Partners

Greylock Partners is a leading venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. We invest in all sectors of enterprise software technology including applications, cloud/SaaS, networking and security.

Deepwatch

Deepwatch

The Deepwatch Platform helps organizations reduce risk through early and precise threat detection and remediation.

Sayata Labs

Sayata Labs

Sayata delivers a streamlined solution for processing cyber policies. Increase profitability with an easy and intuitive platform.

Phoenix Cybersecurity

Phoenix Cybersecurity

Phoenix Cybersecurity Services and Managed Security Services help clients just like you take full advantage of leading cybersecurity technologies and industry best practices.

Mindmajix Technologies

Mindmajix Technologies

Mindmajix is a live and interactive e-learning platform that offers professional online IT training in areas including cyber security.

Start Left® Security

Start Left® Security

Great security culture doesn't just happen; you ENGINEER it.

Turk Telekom

Turk Telekom

Turk Telekom is the first integrated telecommunications operator in Turkey.

Smarsh

Smarsh

Smarsh products are designed for user-friendly, efficient compliance. From archiving, supervision, and discovery to cybersecurity – Smarsh has you covered.

Oxygen Technologies

Oxygen Technologies

Oxygen Technologies is a business systems strategy and integration company offering a variety of solutions to give our clients ways to work smarter not harder.

Accompio

Accompio

Accompio offer comprehensive support in the digitalisation of your business processes.