Driver Roles In An Autonomous Driving Convoy

I've seen various news articles regarding autonomous driving technology being implemented in semi trucks. Specifically, there are tests being done with autonomous driving convoys that could possibly be a reality in the next decade or so. How do you envision driver roles if/when this technology takes effect?

I don't see the roles changing too drastically in the beginning. I would think drivers will still be needed to back into a dock, pull into the fuel island at a truck stop, drive locally in cities, etc. Realistically, I would think it would take several decades to perfect the technology in such a way that drivers aren't needed in any shape or form, as far as the driving aspect goes.

It would seem certain though if the technology catches on and progresses that traditional truck driver roles would change over time. A complaint I've seen quite frequently through my research in becoming a truck driver is live load/unloads. Sometimes drivers have to wait to get unloaded or loaded because of schedule delays, the customer doesn't have workers available, etc. I have zero experience in this industry, but I wonder if it would be more efficient for the truck driver, or truck drivers, to actually fill the role of loading and unloading their own truck in those cases. I'm sure a lot of liability issues would have to be worked out, but I wonder if it would even be a possibility. I could see drivers in the future taking on a role like that especially if driverless technology catches on like some experts believe will happen.

Just curious on others perspective on this. Is this a topic of conversation that comes up frequently with current drivers?

I see this as trucks being without drivers while on the interstate but when they get to their destination there will be a place for them to stop and pick up a driver to take it the rest of the way in and back out. At least if it were me, that is what I would design. But then I would want to have them fly also...

What do you call a flying semi with a flatbed???? A hoverboard of course... LOL

It will definitely start as an exit-to-exit kinda thing on the interstate or they'll build special one-lane roads for driver-less vehicles. It will be a very long and slow transition to anything like that of course. I would guess it would be decades from now before you would see any impact to driver demand or pay.

They already have trains which can haul about 1000 truckloads with a 10 man crew and very little fuel. So having driver-less trucks on the Interstate wouldn't seem like even a modest priority for anyone right now other than trucking companies looking to save money on labor. But even for trucking companies you're looking at a massive shift in operations to incorporate something like that. Think of how long it would take to get your money back out of that investment, ya know?

As far as shippers taking too long to load and unload, that's simply a matter of carelessness on their part. There's no reason for it to run that way. They simply don't care. They line up the trucks for hours and hours and then their warehouse people always have plenty of work. No wasted time. If they get behind, so be it.

But you have a lot of behind the scenes stuff going on too. For instance, some warehouses are so tight on space that they use staged trailers as warehouse space. You'll see hundreds of loaded trailers at all times in the parking lot of some distribution centers. Hey, why add another building and all of that expense when you can have companies drop their trailers at your lot and use those instead, ya know?

Also you have times where the production line is behind so the product isn't ready. Or maybe the production line shut down and there's no warehouse space for the incoming product. Things like that happen and there's nothing a driver can do about it really.

There are a million reasons why drivers sit for hours and hours at customers but none of those reasons are the driver's fault nor should the driver be expected to unload anything in the name of efficiency. Now of course there are driving jobs where drivers regularly unload and that's perfectly fine. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm just saying that having drivers load or unload at places to speed things up is not necessary at all. The warehouse can just as easily bring in more workers at much lower wages than truck drivers make. And besides, drivers have to drive all day. You don't want them injured or exhausted loading and unloading. You want them fresh to drive so you can keep those wheels turning.