The race to achieve fully autonomous driving is on with companies like Tesla, Cruise, Uber, Google’s Waymo, and others hoping to be first.
However, long-haul trucking may be the one to win the race, and the reason is simple: the need is great, and the reward is significant.
Indeed, the supply chain crisis will only worsen without moving to fully autonomous long-haul trucks, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA). Plus, fully autonomous trucks could reduce operating costs by approximately 40 percent.
Escalating Shortages
At the 2022 National Conference of State Legislators, State Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-Fla.) said he believes 2030 is the year of automation. Still, long-haul trucking could get there sooner. He said millennials don’t want to be long haul drivers, and “our drivers are aging, but yet we have to move products around this country.”…