Is There A Future For New CDL Drivers? I've Heard Soon Robots Will Replace Us All.

Is it true during our lifetime? It seems it will never happen but you know when technology once sets in everything changes unbelievably quick. I've seen this happening to other industries.

There may be several thousand of the Self Driving Vehicles on the road at some point. NEVER several MILLION. Truck drivers will be in demand for decades to come. Just my $.02. Type self driving trucks in the search bar at the top of the page. They have been discussed quite a bit on this forum.

I kinda fear this to except I'm worried there is to many people doing it that there won't be a demand for it.

As previously discussed, a human driver will still be required to oversee the computers operation and be ready to override control at a moments notice. Aircraft have had autopilots to some degree or another for decades. You still have to have pilots on board to monitor systems and maintain/take over control.

I will give the example of what I am most familiar with. The SH-70. More particularly the Military version xH-60. The latest and greatest version has an autopilot that will start from a hover, fly a preplanned route and terminate to a hover. However Take Off & Landing is the sole responsibilities of the Pilots. The H-60 rotary wing aircraft has been around since the mid 70s. It took 30years. Just to get to the current point.

Automated trucks are still in their infancy. Trust me. Your job is secure for at least the next 50 years. It may change some with the assimilation of technology, but you will have to be sitting there ready to take over at a moments notice for decades after the self driving truck comes to pass.

James asks:

Is it true during our lifetime? It seems it will never happen but you know when technology once sets in everything changes unbelievably quick. I've seen this happening to other industries.

Type the words autonomous truck or self driving truck in the search bar and press enter. There are numerous articles covering this subject. In short, you really need not worry about this too much. Over time our jobs may change, but I don't think they will be completely eliminated.

So,... welcome to the forum James...

I suggest focusing on the below series of links if you really want to pursue this career path:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road Training Program

Thanks for info

James asks:

Is it true during our lifetime? It seems it will never happen but you know when technology once sets in everything changes unbelievably quick. I've seen this happening to other industries.

Type the words autonomous truck or self driving truck in the search bar and press enter. There are numerous articles covering this subject. In short, you really need not worry about this too much. Over time our jobs may change, but I don't think they will be completely eliminated.

So,... welcome to the forum James...

I suggest focusing on the below series of links if you really want to pursue this career path:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road Training Program

I heard robots will soon replace women.

Now THEY should be worried. Well, except maybe Rainy. No one could replace our Rainy

Rick

Id like to see a self driving truck chain down a flat bed load.

Here's what I see happening. Yes, they are pushing self driving trucks. Several companies are working very hard at it.

It will take many many years before they overtake the industry. There are a lot of variables they have to overcome before they allow a self driving truck to move about the country.

Right now there is a demand for truck drivers. I think, at first, they will use autonomous trucks to fill the void of driver shortages. What the side effect of this is, is since there will be more freight moving, the demand will lessen, and human drivers will see a reduction in miles, and companies will start relying more and more on their self driving trucks to move freight, due to not having to pay a driver to move the freight, as well as expediency since the self driving truck will be able to run 24/7, it will be able to run a load in half the time.

As more and more self driving trucks are brought into service, human drivers will start leaving the industry due to lack of miles and lack of pay, and fewer people will enter the industry due to fear of entering a dying profession. Thus, we will be back to a shortage of trucks on the road because companies will not be able to put the new self driving trucks into service fast enough.

Of course, this is all speculation and inane rambling on my part. Truth is, I have no idea, but this could be a reasonable guess as to how it will go.

If and when they hit the road, they will be way north of $1,000,000. They will NEVER be mass produced in our lifetimes.