QuotePlus.ai, an artificial intelligence startup in Cupertino, California, has engineered an autonomous driving system for commercial freight trucks. This week, it made the world's first cross-country trip of its kind to deliver butter to a small town in Pennsylvania.

While this isn't the first time an autonomous truck has made a cross-country trip, it's likely the first time a commercial freight truck has made a real delivery like this.

Autonomous trucks are likely going to become mainstream before any self-driving consumer vehicles. That's because the long stretches of highway are pretty boring and predictable compared to the dynamic buzz of last-mile city streets.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a30196644/self-driving-truck-cross-country/

https://youtu.be/CL1A2VwQblM

When you post this stuff, it's advised you give an opinion one way or another to start a discussion.

Quote from: Solar on December 16, 2019, 06:30:28 AM
When you post this stuff, it's advised you give an opinion one way or another to start a discussion.

Ah, I just thought it was interesting and wanted to share.



Opinion:

All my friends with CDLs better get ready for the future!

How do these vehicles refuel?

Quote from: supsalemgr on December 16, 2019, 07:36:53 AM
How do these vehicles refuel?

They're pushing electric. Give it 30 years and a trucking job will be what you tell your kids about in US history.

Quote from: joesixpack on December 16, 2019, 06:54:51 AM
Ah, I just thought it was interesting and wanted to share.



Opinion:

All my friends with CDLs better get ready for the future!

Why?

Quote from: taxed on December 16, 2019, 09:18:46 AM
Why?

Don't take that seriously. I was just trying to throw a random opinion out there because Solar prefers I start topics that way.

The interesting thing is the possibility of these trucks being electric and batteries lasting long enough for a cross-country trip

Quote from: joesixpack on December 16, 2019, 09:40:32 AM
Don't take that seriously. I was just trying to throw a random opinion out there because Solar prefers I start topics that way.

The interesting thing is the possibility of these trucks being electric and batteries lasting long enough for a cross-country trip

They will need something bigger then a 40 footer and a pup or doubles for batteries.  There are very few states that let triples on the main roads.  Then how is the electric power going to be made for these trucks .  The power grid has problems keep up how in some areas now. 

Like I said, 30 years before things change drastically, so if you just got a license, you won't see any change any time soon.

Cummins entering the electric big rig mkt. As long as the taxpayer isn't forced to subsidize it, I say good luck, hope it works out.
I've been following this transition for years now, and there are some serious pitfalls in store for the average citizen, in the form of govt tracking.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15339996/electric-big-rig-cummins-shows-battery-powered-semi-before-tesla/

Well even by the videos and company's own admission, there would still need to be someone who is present in the truck to monitor it and ensure that if there were to be some fault, then there could be a correction. Think also of maintenance and other hiccups that are often found on the road. I am sure if this truck were to experience a technical or mechanical failure, then someone would need to go out and fix it. I see the evolution of this industry leading more towards what Tesla is doing with an 'auto-pilot' feature. Even tesla needs you to be inside the car to monitor functions and act as a fail safe for the system if it were to experience technical failure.

Quote from: ConservativeInCT on December 16, 2019, 12:53:22 PM
Well even by the videos and company's own admission, there would still need to be someone who is present in the truck to monitor it and ensure that if there were to be some fault, then there could be a correction. Think also of maintenance and other hiccups that are often found on the road. I am sure if this truck were to experience a technical or mechanical failure, then someone would need to go out and fix it. I see the evolution of this industry leading more towards what Tesla is doing with an 'auto-pilot' feature. Even tesla needs you to be inside the car to monitor functions and act as a fail safe for the system if it were to experience technical failure.

Exactly.

It's like one of my old business partners told me who's a pilot; he was being ribbed by a flight attendant  that pilots are overpaid because the planes fly on autopilot nowadays.  He told her "I don't get paid to fly the plane - I get paid to keep it from crashing."

I laughed and told him if he ever hears that again, when those scary alarms are going off and things look sketchy, call one to the cockpit and tell her you're not going to do anything until she tells you how much she thinks you're worth then....

Quote from: taxed on December 16, 2019, 01:14:29 PM
Exactly.

It's like one of my old business partners told me who's a pilot; he was being ribbed by a flight attendant  that pilots are overpaid because the planes fly on autopilot nowadays.  He told her "I don't get paid to fly the plane - I get paid to keep it from crashing."

I laughed and told him if he ever hears that again, when those scary alarms are going off and things look sketchy, call one to the cockpit and tell her you're not going to do anything until she tells you how much she thinks you're worth then....

Good point. Its all about prevention. Not sure why Joe would peddle in falsehoods suggesting that the trucking industry will become obsolete. Sounds like a Tucker Carlson talking point.

Quote from: ConservativeInCT on December 16, 2019, 01:19:11 PM
Good point. Its all about prevention. Not sure why Joe would peddle in falsehoods suggesting that the trucking industry will become obsolete. Sounds like a Tucker Carlson talking point.

It's fear porn.  It makes no sense that the concept of robots doing the heavy lifting won't free up the business to be more productive.  We'll need robots, etc., for this new frontier of innovation.  The trucking industry is the most stupid for them to make this argument because they're so backed up.  They have over 500k job vacancies they can't fill in the trucking industry last time I checked.

I cringe when I see Tucker held up as a model of conservatism.  He's good, and he has a great show, but he doesn't quite get economics.