This is. C2008 clip of a vehicle fitted with technology that was around on FLTs back in the 80s when I was working on them. If that’s the progress in 30 years then I wouldn’t rush down the job centre just yet.
This technology also requires an under road or beside the road technological infrastructure that would cost billions to install and would make road maintenance and repair many times more expensive than it is now. Who is going to make that investment ? Have you seen the state of our roads today?
Clever stuff alright but what is going to happen to the poor buggers thrown out of work in the future as this technology becomes more refined, widespread and cheaper than humans. With Cameron doing his level best to destroy welfare pay outs, how will we live and what will we do to survive? Having locked myself out of the house over the weekend and rersorting to breaking in (with ease and no damage either), I am thinking of re-training for a career in burglary.
Clever stuff alright but what is going to happen to the poor buggers thrown out of work in the future as this technology becomes more refined, widespread and cheaper than humans.
the same as happened to all the other workers in industries that have been automated, get jobs at supermarkets (part time) stocking shelves etc.
Science fiction books will tell you that we are heading for a Utopia where no one works and machines do it all, where the population simply lives to enjoy life and laze around.
Sadly I doubt this is true and the future really holds a struggling lower class who have nothing and who have nothing to hope for either.
BUT, look on the brightside…we’re all in it together!
If I were a young man looking to become a driver I would pay close attention to this. Anyone already doing the job will probably not have a problem as it will take a long time before such technology filters down to the smaller firms. To introduce that kind of stuff needs a huge investment in trucks and trailers and it will only be the huge logistics companies that will be able to do it.
I do see the writing on the wall though and with all the talk of driver shortages to come when all the old guys retire may not come true after all.
del949:
Impressive!
although the guy right at the end doesn’t seem overly convinced of the braking capabilities
got to wonder why, if the truck does it all, why bother fitting a steering wheel , dashboard, seats, etc etc in the first place, indeed it doesn’t actually need a cab at all.
I imagine that the final version would be a battery powered sledge with a 5th wheel on top. They can be more efficient at lower speed because they don’t knock off for coffee after every third trailer, or park up in the middle of the yard for a chat.
but there wouldn’t be any OD’s, owner operators perhaps.
And they could sit at home in front of the TV so need for sleeper cabs or any of that non productive junk.
Perhaps a job for ex drivers as the guy who uses the bit of rag to clean the electric eye sensors
