Photo: Kodiak | Edited
A bipartisan bill would have introduced a soft ban for autonomous semi-trucks in California. However, that's not going to happen. Companies can confidently continue developing self-driving vehicles and the technology that will ultimately make the human sitting behind the steering wheel irrelevant. Here's the gist of it.
It's not just robotaxis. Automakers and other corporations are fighting tooth and nail to advance self-driving technologies. They're not doing it because of some weird ambition or to just add another hefty expense to their portfolios.
Over 65% of America's goods reach the market thanks to a truck and a commercial driver's license holder, per McKinsey. Experts say that moving to an entirely autonomous fleet of trucks could reduce operating costs by nearly 50%. That could lead to cheaper products and companies like Amazon creating even more value for shareholders by increasing their profit margins.
But there's something that many of those involved in the robotruck space seem to have forgotten about – the employees. It would be great to reduce freight costs considerably, but what's happening when around three and a half million Americans are left without a job? That will be a massive challenge for the administration that will have to deal with the aftermath.
But California's governor is not worried about professional drivers not having jobs. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill that would have forced companies to add at least one driver in every autonomous truck.
Teamsters union president Sean O'Brien said that Newsom would rather give truckers' jobs away "in the dead of the night."
Most outlets presented the matter as an effective ban on autonomous trucks, which was not true.
AB 316 would have just forced corporations planning to have a fleet of robotrucks on California's roads to retain at least one employee per tractor. It wouldn't have been just a jobs play but also a great solution for ensuring that these heavy vehicles don't do something unexpected while on public roads.
But companies like Torc, TuSimple, Waymo (even though it has tapped the brakes of the truck program), Kodiak, and Aurora are collectively breathing a sigh of relief.
Fortunately for professionals, the road to heavy-duty tractors carrying a trailer (Class 3 to Class 8) is still long. Robotaxi operators like Cruise proved that managing a fleet of self-driving vehicles is tricky. These challenges won't be fixed overnight.
On top of that, other technicalities like insurance and liability need to be figured out. Who will be responsible when a serious accident happens? How will the law change to accommodate these new developments?
But this veto might just show that getting your commercial driver's license today might be a bad career strategy. In a decade or so, the US might no longer rely on truckers to deliver our goods.
Over 65% of America's goods reach the market thanks to a truck and a commercial driver's license holder, per McKinsey. Experts say that moving to an entirely autonomous fleet of trucks could reduce operating costs by nearly 50%. That could lead to cheaper products and companies like Amazon creating even more value for shareholders by increasing their profit margins.
But there's something that many of those involved in the robotruck space seem to have forgotten about – the employees. It would be great to reduce freight costs considerably, but what's happening when around three and a half million Americans are left without a job? That will be a massive challenge for the administration that will have to deal with the aftermath.
But California's governor is not worried about professional drivers not having jobs. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill that would have forced companies to add at least one driver in every autonomous truck.
Teamsters union president Sean O'Brien said that Newsom would rather give truckers' jobs away "in the dead of the night."
Most outlets presented the matter as an effective ban on autonomous trucks, which was not true.
AB 316 would have just forced corporations planning to have a fleet of robotrucks on California's roads to retain at least one employee per tractor. It wouldn't have been just a jobs play but also a great solution for ensuring that these heavy vehicles don't do something unexpected while on public roads.
But companies like Torc, TuSimple, Waymo (even though it has tapped the brakes of the truck program), Kodiak, and Aurora are collectively breathing a sigh of relief.
Fortunately for professionals, the road to heavy-duty tractors carrying a trailer (Class 3 to Class 8) is still long. Robotaxi operators like Cruise proved that managing a fleet of self-driving vehicles is tricky. These challenges won't be fixed overnight.
On top of that, other technicalities like insurance and liability need to be figured out. Who will be responsible when a serious accident happens? How will the law change to accommodate these new developments?
But this veto might just show that getting your commercial driver's license today might be a bad career strategy. In a decade or so, the US might no longer rely on truckers to deliver our goods.
Shame on @GavinNewsom! The @Teamsters will remember your inaction… https://t.co/Rqc1PzEoi3
— Teamsters (@Teamsters) September 23, 2023
Google News