burrheadd
KING Of GIFS
Spank if you hit that little icon in the bottom right corner that says “reply” before you reply folks might have some idea whom you’re talking at
Should we UPS drivers fear driverless technology?
- Thread starter 1jzaupra
- Start date
Spank if you hit that little icon in the bottom right corner that says “reply” before you reply folks might have some idea whom you’re talking at
Crap...lol
I don't know what happened there, thought I did quote the person I was responding to...
Until laws catch up with technology, driverless UPS trucks aren't going to happen. Who's liable in an accident? The manufacturer? The owner? The operator? The programmer? And more importantly, how is UPS management going to blame the truck? Currently, everything is the driver's fault. If a meteor fell out of the sky and hit your truck, management would say you should have parked somewhere else.
zubenelgenubi
I'm a star
I think we're at a point where corporations and technocrats are telling politicians how it is. If companies like Amazon can increase their stock by a few extra pennies, there's not much hope that a trifling matter like the law will stop them.
On the flip side, if technology advanced to the point that producing and moving goods becomes so cheap that a family of four can be sustained on the pay earned from a single part time job, that would be pretty incredible. The largest limiter on that hope is real estate prices.
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The largest limiter is taxes. Taxes are the reason families require both parents to work now.
When my parents were young (a very long time ago, yes I'm old now) the average household tax burden for a middle class family was about 7% of income. It's now approaching 50%, so one of the parents works just to pay the taxes.
zubenelgenubi
I'm a star
Must be a state issue, I'm pretty sure I'm in the 20 - 25% range, including state and federal income tax, and property taxes. We've been a single income household since I went full time. And I've been the only one working since our kids were young. But taxes are an artificial limiter, and can be adjusted with enough political will.
Real estate that can easily support civilization, however, is limited, and as it gets filled up, people who don't own property will be at a distinct disadvantage.
I don't mean just income tax. If you add up all the little taxes, fees, etc. the average middle class person pays 40% of their income to the government.
The average national income is $51,000. At that income you will pay $2,400 in federal income tax. However, when all direct and indirect taxes and fees are counted, you will pay $16,000 in taxes to federal, state, and local governments.
Edit: forgot the link
How much does the average American family pay in taxes? - USAFacts
Combining direct and indirect taxes, as well as taxes from state and local government, the average American family paid $15,748 in taxes in 2018.
usafacts.org
PT Car Washer
Well-Known Member
This just shows that lower income Americans pay a disproportionate amount of taxes compared to wealthy Americans.I don't mean just income tax. If you add up all the little taxes, fees, etc. the average middle class person pays 40% of their income to the government.
The average national income is $51,000. At that income you will pay $2,400 in federal income tax. However, when all direct and indirect taxes and fees are counted, you will pay $16,000 in taxes to federal, state, and local governments.
Edit: forgot the link
How much does the average American family pay in taxes? - USAFacts
Combining direct and indirect taxes, as well as taxes from state and local government, the average American family paid $15,748 in taxes in 2018.
pierregarcon
Well-Known Member
Nah bro, I'm just a displaced millionaire. I might strike it rich tomorrow so I vote accordingly. I gotta make sure those tax cuts, safe havens and loopholes are still in place when I am raking it in.
Been In Brown Too Long
Ex-Package Donkey
The thing is, the automation of UPS vehicles will not happen in a vacuum. Most of this discussion is being treated as if it is. Automation of other occupations is occurring as well. When we get to a certain point that there is no income from the majority of the population, who will be buying products to be shipped anyway? If there's no human work, and robots and automation run most jobs, who has money to buy anything? Thus, universal basic income. Supervisors who salivate at the idea of an automated UPS are delusional as well. Guess who else isn't needed if there isn't a workforce to intimidate, I mean supervise? They're out on their butts too!
sandwich
The resident gearhead
Incorrect, ups is one of the largest investors of Tusimple. An automated trucking company. Ups is banking on this becoming a reality.
quad decade guy
Well-Known Member
Well, you are making many assumptions. Like population. You are assuming that population will continue unabated. No job=no money=no food=no live. That the whole world will go automated and we all sit around and snap our fingers for services is folly. Hell, even in Star Wars movies folks are out scrounging for food.....alongside robots of course. Huge population corrections have always happened and always will. If climate change is as dire as predicted, just wait till there is LESS land to divy up. How about fresh water?
See, worrying about good paying pkg delivery company jobs will be the least of many concerned....someday.
Newly elected Democrats are promising to socialize America. Historically, that effort has led to hundreds of millions murdered or at least killed in wars. Hundreds of millions. That in itself is population control. It's called something else but the results are the same.
As populations become more densely packed, the ease of disease transmission is greatly increased. Witness Covid-and it's 99% survivable. The Black Plague killed half of the ENTIRE POPULATION of Europe.
How about a nuclear World War 3?
Ok.
Worry about technology? A little.
Happy New Year!
onewithedd
Well-Known Member
Luckily, for me, I’ll be retired by the time I no longer control the package car, quite honestly, I don’t feel safe with with the on car sup behind the wheel.
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
Ummm, you might want to read what you linked to....I don't mean just income tax. If you add up all the little taxes, fees, etc. the average middle class person pays 40% of their income to the government.
The average national income is $51,000. At that income you will pay $2,400 in federal income tax. However, when all direct and indirect taxes and fees are counted, you will pay $16,000 in taxes to federal, state, and local governments.
Edit: forgot the link
How much does the average American family pay in taxes? - USAFacts
Combining direct and indirect taxes, as well as taxes from state and local government, the average American family paid $15,748 in taxes in 2018.
"In 2018, the average American family in the middle 20% of income earners paid $15,748 in taxes to federal, state, and local governments.
At the same time, the same family in the middle 20% received $19,031 in transfers from the government, including both cash transfers, such as supplemental security income, and non-cash transfers, such as Medicaid and Medicare."
