How Driverless Trucks Will Benefit Truck Drivers in the Future

As the world recovers from the pandemic, many companies have asked the same question: will driverless trucks benefit trucking? Most trucking companies experienced driver shortages during the past few years, and they are more frequently seen on the road. Self-driving trucks are definitely on the road, but there are some bumps that they have to overcome.

Benefits of Self-Driving Trucks

Many trucking companies aren’t trying to replace their drivers. They are trying to create a more straightforward solution to some of their real-world issues. While it’s easy to see that self-driving trucks could be helpful, what are the benefits? 

Jobs

One of the most significant things that shows how driverless trucks will benefit truck drivers is that most people involved would likely not lose their jobs. They would more likely have shorter drives. It’s also important to note that the automated trucks would likely still need someone to observe and care for the vehicle, which might be the case forever. These vehicles might make the drivers’ jobs much more straightforward and close to home. It also might create different kinds of driver jobs, like fleet traveling. Adding this kind of automation might be much more straightforward so drivers can rest and enjoy themselves during their long cross-country drives. Jobs might change to accommodate more automation, but there is no replacement for a good truck driver, and trucks can be an investment, even without automation. 

Faster Shipping

Right now, one of the most significant issues that companies face is that shipping takes forever. It is getting better, but so many companies can’t get their items fast enough. This is primarily due to other issues, but one thing that affects this is that drivers are required by law only to drive a certain number of hours per day. If trucks were autonomous, they could drive long distances as freight forwarders without having to stop at a truck stop overnight. Faster shipping times cut costs, save money, and benefit everyone, from consumers to business owners. This could make quite a difference in our current issues with inflation and pricing. 

Safety

Automation could also solve some safety issues and deal with risk mitigation, like if a semi truck driver were to fall asleep behind the wheel and cause an accident. They also can sense other vehicles around them, unlike a human, who is limited in their viewpoint. With other technology, they can increase the maneuverability of large trucks to be easier to handle with a robot. They may even be able to sense if there is an accident farther down the road so they know which lane to stay in and scan for alternate routes so they can keep going safely. Automation can solve many safety issues like this so that driverless trucks will benefit truck drivers and the other people on the roads!

Intermodal Transportation

One thing autonomous vehicles could assist with is intermodal transportation. Intermodal transportation refers to transferring products between trains, planes, freighters, and trucks. With increasing automation in all four fields, transferring these goods should be more streamlined and efficient. Programs and machines should be able to sort, prepare, and transfer large pallets of goods and even shipping containers for the next steps of the shipping process. While this can potentially eliminate some jobs, it will likely also result in fewer labor shortages and a more complete workforce. Many people don’t want to work in the heavy lifting and dangerous fields that accompany this kind of transport as a freight forwarder. If these processes were automated, driverless trucks would benefit truck drivers in many ways. Intermodal automation is the next frontier! 

Issues With Self-Driving Trucks 

Some of the current issues with self-driving trucks may become obsolete as the industry progresses, and we still need to foresee some issues. Hopefully, many of these issues will change, or the companies will work out their risk mitigation. 

Technological Errors

One of the biggest concerns with self-driving vehicles, in general, is that they will have technological problems. For example, what happens next if a robot truck stops on the road? Can the trucks fill themselves with gas, and will they know if they need to stop? Many things make this a complicated endeavor, even without safety risk mitigation. Right now, there are several kinds of autonomous vehicles and vehicles with auto-pilot options that are safe on the road, even with minor tech issues. As tech progresses, these issues become fewer and far between. 

Safety Issues

This is the biggest concern, even though it’s a benefit. Companies like Waymo have high safety ratings that they might be safer than human-driven vehicles. This differs from a freight-bearing vehicle, but the statistics look good for minor vehicles, and the tech continues to improve. Bad weather, unexpected construction, or accidents can affect the process. Human drivers are the only safe option. 

The Future of Truck Drivers

Driverless trucks will benefit the trucking industry as technology catches up to the idea. For now, drivers have job security, and so many new benefits are coming! A freight forwarder has so much to look forward to in the industry. Trucks, such as from Chicago’s Handshake Fleet, will get better, more comfortable, and more useful in the days to come. So many incredible truck drivers face difficult circumstances and complicated issues daily and come out on top. The future is bright for these truckers, and having the best truck on the road will help make that a reality.