Profile For Tastebuds

When I read the subject line, I thought this thread was about me, but I digress.

Call Prime and tell them what happened and why. It doesn't sound like what you did is a big deal and they'll advise you on what to do.

Whatever you do, don't get locked in. Again!

Oh you HAD to go there huh? Got jokes huh?

I asked for wise ones, ya know.

Despite all your rage, you're still just a Turtle in a cage!

Whatever you do, don't get locked in. Again!

I'm also part of the sparkling personalities club. So new I had to put my own inspection stickers, rip plastic off of everything, and apply my ez pass and pre pass to the window. However, here's a tip. When doing a pretrip, make sure the coolant cap is on tight. I broke down 80 miles away. I've always looked at the coolant but never ensured cap was secured. I am a Primate now tho. #winning Be safe everyone!!! It's a crazy world out there.

I hate you all! ;) BTW, you are no longer in CDL school, update your status to ROOKIE solo driver, then you'll officially be part of the cool kids club!

In one of those amazing coincidences, I opened up Patrick Netzel's article on self-driving vehicles just minutes after having a conversation on that very subject with my wife.

I don't see autonomous vehicles "replacing" truck drivers any time soon for a couple of reason.

First, autonomous aircraft have not replaced pilots. Any modern airliner is equipped with a Flight Management Computer and a very complex Automated Flight System. We're talking about vehicles that cost millions, equipped with very sophisticated electronic control systems that make a good part of that cost. And there are still two people up front managing all that stuff. These modern aircraft can do almost everything on their own (and do, because they are efficient.) Once a modern airliner is about 1500 feet off the ground, the Non-Flying Pilot presses a little button called VNAV and then another one called LNAV. From that point on, the airplane climbs to altitude, manages the throttle, turns at waypoints and flies itself to its destination. There is literally nothing the pilots have to do for the plane to get to where it's going. When it gets there, the plane can descend, maneuver into approach and land itself. Once on the ground, the pilot takes over to deploy the reversers, slow the aircraft down and taxi to the gate. (Most pilots turn off the autopilot at around 1000 feet and land the plane themselves, but it *can* land itself and will when visibility mandates a CAT III automatic landing.)

Now, for all of this to work, there still needs to be somebody up front to push all the right buttons on the Control Display Unit to properly program the Flight Management System. But, honestly, that could be handled by any variety of data uplink methods. STILL - there are pilots on board. Why? Because there are people and/or cargo in the back and the Federal Aviation Administration requires that there still be trained pilots to do the one thing all that fancy hardware can't do: make decisions.

And maneuvering an aircraft in open sky is less complex than maneuvering a car in traffic, even if it's the congested skies of the TCA for Newark, La Guardia and JFK.

The feds will continue to require an operator to man the cab of a truck for the same reasons they mandate pilots to sit in the ****pit and engineers to man electric diesels on the railroads: safe interstate commerce. Drivers may very well find themselves migrating into the role of a control operator as cruise control systems get fancier, but they're not going to be removed from the equation.

Secondly, and this is the far more important problem in my book, is the security risk. Smart cars are connected to the Internet of Things. Which means hackers will be salivating to get their mitts on them and make them do stupid things. (Aircraft, oddly enough, are not connected to the Internet in any way that interfaces with their flight control systems. There's a reason for that.) The first time we read headlines about all the smart cars in Detroit suddenly going 90 mph and plowing into traffic, that experiment will be over. And, yeah, I see that happening. It's already part of the conversation in the data security world.

The first place we might see actual autonomous transport vehicles is rail, where it makes the most sense and is easiest to set up. But we're not reading those headlines. I wonder why.

"Autonomous" and "automated" are two different things. Automation will continue to find its way into the cab, and in ways that will make hauling freight safer and easier. Autonomy - the ability to make decisions rather than follow programmed configurations - is still way down the road, so to speak.

In the meantime, autonomous vehicles make for cool headlines and are an interesting project, but they're not a practical solution to commercial freight hauling.

What I would be more inclined to look for is remote control driving via V/R interfacing. Unmanned Commercial Vehicles - controlled by telecommuting drivers sitting in the comfort of their own homes. How about that? And *that* can be done. (But we need a massive data infrastructure upgrade first.)

I'm sorry, but I don't think this is possible. I don't think I've ever seen a smart car do more than 65. ;)

Oh man, if I'd start writing all the stupid **** I did last hitch, my first solo, I'd have to write a novel! Good on you for not just getting out of it, but learning from it. Stay safe!

Congrats! Welcome to the family!

With that being said, what's up with you and Turtle getting brand new trucks and I get Demon Turd?

Well obviously it's because of our sparkling personalities.

Congrats! Welcome to the family!

With that being said, what's up with you and Turtle getting brand new trucks and I get Demon Turd?

Congrats, fellow Primeate! When you get your first dispatch, remember to just take a deep breath. You will probably be nervous.

Don't listen to that bubblehead, hold your breath, it makes it more intense!

Congrats!