FedEx RTD
- Thread starter zeev
- Start date
Operational needs
Virescit Vulnere Virtus
Very informative video. He touches on all the important things.
I wish I had done this 20 years ago. I wonder if they perfect the automated trucks will all these guys lose their jobs?
Non sequitur
Well-Known Member
My God whoever thought about this video production they should be given an at a boy/girl. Nicely done.
throwaway10
Well-Known Member
Youi still have a good 25-30 years before mainstream driverless trucks... even Tesla's need a human on board.
It will be fine
Well-Known Member
Trains still have conductors and they run on dedicated tracks.
The pace of automation seems faster than that. 2035 at the latest is my guess.
It will be fine
Well-Known Member
Automated cars and trucks have been 5 years away for like 20 years.
MAKAVELI
Well-Known Member
Not really. The biggest hurdle at this point is regulation.
I've seen some recent videos discussing the technology. They're pretty close to getting it done. And a lot of truckers have gone from believing it'll never happen a few years ago to being worried now.
Conductors don't drive trains.
Anyone with a brain knows it won’t happen for a LONG LONG time... might not ever happen. You think the technology is close? As an RTD at Express I can tell you they’re not even close to a decent automatic transmission. They can’t even figure out how to get these tractors to shift on their own better than a driver. Adaptive cruise control is so bad we’re honestly probably 20 years away from that being perfected. Now let’s factor in snow & ice getting caked up on the sensors. You think the truck is going to be able to drive itself in ice? What about fog, can the sensors handle that?... intense rain? Construction zones that remap lanes? An accident up ahead? A blown trailer tire? An unexpected low bridge? Potholes? Debris in the road? Can a self driving truck Pre-trip itself? Could it even refuel itself?.... alright forget about all the ON-ROAD obstacles that make it impossible. What about city driving? Tight turns that only a seasoned driver can assess whether or not the truck can make it. No through truck signs. No engine brake signs. Driving in the city is a completely different challenge.... okay let’s say the truck makes it to the destination. Now it has to back up to a dock. Not all docks are equal. Some aren’t even possible. That’s assuming the company hasn’t moved docks or buildings all together (happens a lot). Not to mention some companies don’t even have docks. You need liftgates for a lot of stops. Is the truck going to pallet jack the freight off itself? Try telling the foodservice guys about “self driving trucks” lol... Honestly it’s a ridiculous idea that’s realistically, and I’m not kidding, maybe hundreds of years away. The job can’t be done without a driver in the truck.. period. There’s a reason all the demonstrations you see are on a perfectly straight desert road, on a perfectly clear sunny day. Electric semis, maybe 50 years. Self driving trucks with no driver present, never.
Not really an option for me. I’m 31 years old with a family. Can’t really afford to be gone all week for 20 years while I wait for a brown truck run lol. Also 2 weeks of vacation plus 4 extra days? FedEx I have 4 weeks of vacation, 4 extra days, and 5 sick days. With a 5th week coming at 20 years. Guess there’s a price to be paid for that wage & insurance.
It will be fine
Well-Known Member
The self driving tech will enhance safety but I agree that it won’t remove the driver from the equation for a while. It could even drive wages up as the technological knowledge required to operate the equipment will go up. Companies will have to spend their savings on insurance and accidents on wages to attract top talent.
You're discounting the artificial intelligence that's being developed. And they already control drones remotely which is what will happen when they get the truck near it's destination. I'm sure there are bugs to be worked out but the savings are so huge, the efficiency and productivity are so high that there will be a continuous attempt to make this happen. Before your hair catches fire I for one hope it never happens. But I can see dedicated lanes with sensors everywhere guiding these trucks. They don't have to stop for sleep, meals, or restrooms. And since they're always moving except for fueling and mechanical issues if an icestorm is predicted they can have their routes altered to get around it or stopped until conditions improve. You don't think the technology will ever happen, fine. Compare today's technology with 50 years ago. 20 years ago. Go watch the robots places like MIT are developing. At some point you may think differently. Not saying this because I want it to happen. The never ending drive for profit will make it happen. Or move us into a new technology that makes it happen.
Operational needs
Virescit Vulnere Virtus
That 20 year wait varies by area. Some areas are so desperate it doesn’t take anywhere near that long.
I am driving virtually the same combustion engine that was in tractor trailers 50 years ago. Could they develop tech to make trucks safer. Sure they will. But the driver will never be removed. You’re thinking about what’s possible... while completely ignoring what’s logical. Takes 80 years to get a bridge approved in this country. They’re not going to overhaul the entire insterstate system to accommodate self driving smart trucks. Look at what happened in Texas this winter. Their entire grid shut down. They’re not going to risk self driving trucks shutting down the supply industry in bad weather. Not to mention most companies couldn’t afford the cost to buy and maintain these trucks. You think they’re going to put a million dollars of tech into a semi, and shippers will buy them? It’s a fun thought. And it’s cute to see Elon and other companies give it a shot. But the next evolution is electric tractors, not self driving tractors.... we don’t even have hybrid trucks yet lol.
You may be right and I hope you are. Wouldn't bet against technological advancement though.
I’m not betting against it. Just saying any semi driver that’s nervous about self driving trucks doesn’t need to be. Our grandchildren’s grandchildren will be driving trucks... man on Mars is more likely.
silenze
Lunch is the best part of the day
You only think its possible because you dont drive truck. We do. We know its pure fantasy. Tesla admitted it will never have level 4 autonomous driving. It will always require a driver to take control.
