How the move toward driverless trucks will affect the truck driver workforce is a challenge that must be addressed whether the timeline toward full automation ends up short or long, according to the nation’s top truck safety regulator.
“We can argue about scope and timeline, but what we can’t argue about is that this a reality: There will be a major shift in workforce,” said Meera Joshi, acting administrator at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), speaking Wednesday at the agency’s Analysis, Research and Technology Forum.
“If it’s your livelihood that seems like it’s being threatened, it is an immediate problem. If it is [a technology developer], it feels like things aren’t moving fast enough — the infrastructure’s not built and it seems further out. Nothing will happen overnight, but automated vehicles will certainly make inroads into the workforce.”
In January the U.S. Department of Transportation, at the request of Congress released a preliminary study assessing the affect automated driving technologies would have on the truck-driver workforce. The report found there is “vast uncertainty” about of how and when driving automation may be adopted in long-haul trucking and the associated effects on professional drivers.
But it also noted that in the long term, the adoption of Level 4 or 5 advanced driving systems “may supplant certain driving tasks and reduce the need for human drivers, leading to lower freight costs and productivity improvements, but also to periods of transitional unemployment for some affected workers.”
Joshi emphasized that it was priority of the Biden administration to “understand that there are extremely real and broad impacts to automation on people’s livelihoods,” she said.
“First and foremost, what are the opportunities, thinking about them now, for [a] shifting workforce, what are the training opportunities so that the next generation has the jobs that will be replaced by automation, and what are the additional jobs that can be created through automation that can [replace] the jobs that may not be available for drivers of tomorrow. It’s a commitment that you heard from the president and [Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg] and are hearing from me, to make sure we have our hands around how we can best prepare the workforce for this change, regardless of the timetable.”
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Bandit
😅 A few wrecks in driverless trucks will shut most of this down.
Kevin Boyette
The only people who are salivating over driverless trucks are the tech geeks. I’ve studied the technology extensively and nobody actually in the industry expects a shift away from an actual driver for 20+ years, if ever. The variables and insurmountable obstacles are in the hundreds.
Driver assistance technology? Sure. It’s happening today. But only off highway sites such as ports and rail yards will see driverless automation in the next 20 years.
Jim Davis
Hello my fellow Drivers,
I started driving in 1986. I learned on a 1973 Pete, 18 speed, manual steering steel hauling rig. Since that time I’ve seen some changes. Just the other day I saw on the news that a guy drove cross country in a new all electric Ford Mustang [Mach-E] and he spent $160.00 doing it. This Nation is moving in the direction of autonomous vehicles without a doubt. But we are quite a ways away from autonomous interstates with “trucks only” lanes and tunnels – a long way away.
My Brother-in-law retired from Union Pacific Rail Road some years ago and 15 years ago, I was amazed at the level of autonomous functions found in the rail yards and switch houses back then.
Automation is coming but not to I-90, I-5, I-40 or I-95 anytime soon. We have far too many “real world” logistical and planning issues to address before we unplug a 80,000lb rig and send it on its way from coast to coast!
I can certainly see this happening at docks and intermodal rail yards. Pretty similar to what we already have happening in warehouses and factories; driverless forklifts moving about, picking and dropping items throughout the warehouse to be prepped for assembly and shipping. The roll out of 5G was and is needed for communications with autonomous vehicles around docks, ports and rail yards. That technology is needed for communication and satellites will be the backbone to this communication for autonomous vehicles.
Yeah, it’s coming, in limited quantities and maybe in 10 plus years or so?
Jim D.
Paul E. Cameron
I look at it like this. We have a driver shortage right now. Twenty years from now when this happens we will have an even worse driver shortage. The problem is the people that should be encouraged to become drivers are being pushed into college to become white collar workers and for the most part do not do great there. Now we want to transition that workforce into what, robot geniuses? I mean that’s what an automated truck is. A giant robot.
I see the benefits of this though. We will only need drivers for local. As an automated truck gets to its destination city it will need someone to take the load to its destination and do the hard driving through the city. Open the doors, check in etc.
The down side is that this will require far fewer drivers than what will be available at the time and there is nothing for those people to transition to.
Nicole
Not anytime soon when they can’t even master the self driving car. If anyone is worried then they are a moron.
Jim Davis
Hi Nicole, I don’t know about the moron part, but I certainly agree with you concerning the overall time-line of such technology. I can certainly see this happening at docks and intermodal rail yards. Pretty similar to what we already have in warehouses; driverless forklifts moving about, picking and dropping items throughout the warehouse to be prepped for shipping. The roll out of 5G was and is needed for communications with autonomous vehicles around docks, ports and rail yards.
Yeah, it’s coming, but maybe in 10 years or so?
Jim
Chris
They’ll just hire cheap workers and pay them minimum wage. The big wigs are salivating at all their new profits! Cheap freight and everything, but the prices of everything will go up and up and up. Ahh capitalism, the few get all and the majority have nothing.
John Swanson
So how is a truck with no driver supposed to open the doors on the trailer before backing into the dock? Or is every company owner of driverless trucks expecting the stores staff to cater to them and bow at their feet?
Steven
That’s what I’m saying, you also have city drivers that have to pick freight up to be shipped off in the LTL industry.. The truck might drive itself but it can’t run a pallet jack and dolly and confirm the freight he’s picking up..theirs so many things in between than just a truck driving itself, that needs to be done by us
Brian
Or,, get thru major tie-ups… NYC, comes to mind??
Eddie
My opinion and fact let’s all truckers from all 48 states let’s shut America down let’s fight against the driverless trucks I’m done waiting this is a message to all truckers small or large every single truck drive stop driving let’s really get together we have more power as a unit than the president I’m tell pleading with all my truckers out here we tend to lose our career our way of life they already taken enough from us let’s shut America down bits is time for us to stand together as a family if we don’t act now we would seize to exist just imagine if every single truck driver just shut down the impact on brokers stealing from us the impact on shippers taking there time the harassment from dot and the government 2 weeks of any truck moving and all you see is pedestrians driving not much truck ar all every where just stop don’t do no work it would be a hard hit that will get the president’s attention and every administration that’s trying to lessen our pockets we have political power this is a step in the right direction I’m willing to be to shut it down it’s time let them feel it we are the blood sweat 💦 and tears that move America we can shut it down also we have so much power if we do it together snd I know it’s a great sacrifice look my dad who is a Vietnam vet who the government has done nothing for my dad who just passed away the Vietnam vets around the country that has never gotten help back in the days I stand with you all it’s time I believe the government should have a taste of the economy getting hit with no deliveries at all for two weeks