Could autonomous trucks keep truckers in the driving seat?

© Iqoncept

It remains to be seen exactly what the long-term effect the development of self-driving technology will have on the job of the trucker – other than that they will likely be doing less driving. But does that necessarily mean they will be out of work altogether? According to The Atlantic, the team behind Uber’s autonomous trucking project says it is more about complementing rather than replacing – a narrative also seen in the automation of container terminal operations. “They see a future in which self-driving trucks drive highway miles between what they call transfer hubs, where human drivers will take over for the last miles, through complex urban and industrial terrain.”