Driverless trucks seek exemption to avoid regulatory roadblock
Posted by RE2017@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 44 comments
https://landline.media/driverless-trucks-seek-exemption-to-avoid-regulatory-roadblock/
Interesting. Why not have a remote drone on wheels drop down from under the tractor to place them? l guess cheaper to just get exempted.
ItsHowWellYouMowFast@reddit
Y'all scoff at the idea of driverless trucks while the ownership class of the world is pouring billions into eliminating the working class.
Its coming, although (probably) not in the next 5 years.
Sterling_____Archer@reddit
5 years? Not in the next 25 years.
Trying to deploy driverless trucks now, is the equivalent of trying to land a man on the moon in 1940.
Is it possible? Sure, but not with anything less than all of humanity focused on a singular goal, and that isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
ibringnothing@reddit
It's here NOW. Right this minute there are driverless tucks operating on us highways at scale. Just Google "autonomous trucks operating now" At least 3 companies operate across the southwest.
APizzaWithEverything@reddit
Yeah, notice how they’re “testing”(this word is doing a lot of heavy lifting here) these in places where the weather is always nice, never snows, etc.
The only reason we are seeing this is so these companies can tell their suckers “hey we’re doing this! More money please!”
Not to mention how easy it would be to disable one and plunder the goods in the trailer
ItsHowWellYouMowFast@reddit
Its already in China and its coming to the states earlier than you think.
awr90@reddit
China is a communist country that has very few commercial vehicle laws. The US is not remotely comparable.
ItsHowWellYouMowFast@reddit
If there is money to be made and saved you bet it will be coming to these United States. Consider China a proof of concept more than anything.
Look at how much money is being invested into data centers. What do you think those data centers will do? Investments need to be paid back somehow and eliminating the human labor cost is a big part of that.
heebro@reddit
3 out of 750,000
we're doomed guys!
ibringnothing@reddit
Said the guys at rca making tube TV's a few years ago.
msstatelp@reddit
“A few years ago “ in your example was roughly 1975
ibringnothing@reddit
Add 25 to that but point taken and thanks for making me feel so old.
Sterling_____Archer@reddit
Yeah? Tesla is also just about to release full self driving…any minute now…for a decade.
It’s farther away than any company will admit.
Closest is Waymo, and they’re just as shit as the rest.
ibringnothing@reddit
Exactly! They already are! They have been. They just don't have nationwide coverage yet.
APizzaWithEverything@reddit
Except it’s all a facade.
Driverless truck companies are literally only there to scam money out of suckers who think they’re investors. Nothing more.
Once the capital dries up, they close the company, take the money and run. See Embark Trucks
ItsHowWellYouMowFast@reddit
Youre missing the bigger picture with all of the data being captured and data centers not even being scaled up yet. Watch China, theyll get it done first because they have state capital to throw around.
APizzaWithEverything@reddit
All I know is I’m 34 years old, I’ll be LONG retired or dead before I have to worry. My son is 12 and says he wants to be a driver, he will have a full career
They’ve been saying this since the 80s, and we’re not any closer to it now than we were 40 years ago.
ItsHowWellYouMowFast@reddit
Respectfully, thats patently a lie. We're streets ahead of where we were in the 80s. Accept it or dont, its going to happen regardless.
APizzaWithEverything@reddit
I will just leave this here
Ever notice how 99% of all autonomous truck companies have quit working on it or are out of business entirely? Or notice how every single one of these companies’ CEOs were 20 something’s fresh out of college?
But let’s play devils advocate and say this was a possibility, there is a place I go to regularly that requires a police escort to leave, how is an autonomous truck going to know it has to wait for the police and drive on the wrong side of the road?
sablesable@reddit
The purpose of the system is what it does. what is the system doing now? Does it work in your benefit as a driver? No. But it does still make money. Tomorrow it could make even more money without a cent of it dropping into your hands.
Onemilliondown@reddit
Surly a row of very bright LED lights could be fitted to provide a very visible warning.
awr90@reddit
So then human drivers would be able to do the same then right?
Onemilliondown@reddit
It would be far more visible than a break down triangle.
awr90@reddit
Not from the front of the trailer it wouldn’t.
Onemilliondown@reddit
The truck has a front part, if the trailer can't be seen. I'm not sure why you would even need one on the front though.
RE2017@reddit (OP)
The new Volvo VNL has the 24v electrical to better employ automation. Never been a fan since they conspired to ban glider kits.
RE2017@reddit (OP)
Be sure to comment at www.regulations.gov search FMCSA-2026-0958 only one public comment so far. You can comment anonymously also.
Sterling_____Archer@reddit
Comment submitted. Thank you
threeglude@reddit
This needs to be the top comment. Come on y'all, hit that thumbs up
leadpoem@reddit
Done thank you
heavyramp@reddit
the news article says that Aurora wants to be exempt from putting out triangles in case a breakdown happens.
It's going to be funny for the guys who've got 10k in shares in this start up company, but gets it all wiped out due to reflective triangles.
In a time when state patrol measures your brake pads with a ruler, makes sure that you have an instruction manual with your ELD, makes sure that even the market lights on the top of the trailer are working...I just can't see them willingly giving up on the safety triangles. This is why I think that linehaul or convoys are the only way this Aurora thing will take off on "on highway". And it's probably also why a share of this company hovers around 4-6 dollars instead of 90. The only way this all works is if Aurora can bend the rules and convince law makers to create an uneven playing field.
pervy_phil@reddit
A lot of money can be saved by eliminating the driver from trucking. Which means there is alot of money for donations to politicians, or to get forgotten about in a bag in certain people's hotel rooms. I will be shocked if this doesn't happen. Everyone that relies on driving a truck with no touch freight should start looking for a new career yesterday. Everyone else has a few minutes, but should also realize their days are numbered. Trucking for a living is a dying career.
ANiceDent@reddit
They’ll likely only operate in a few states who have “judges” that are shoddy enough to allow it to happen.
Not legally but willingly by turning a blind eye, for tax based revenue incentives from Aurora however I wonder if DOT will allow of it ?
IBringTheHeat2@reddit
Instead of paying a trucking wage, they’ll pay some dude to sit in the truck $7 an hour to get out incase it breaks down.
homucifer666@reddit
I don't like setting the precedent that we should bend and break rules so that self-driving trucks can be maximised for profit, because eventually public safety is going to be on that chopping block.
Robotruck malfunctions and kills a family? Just the price of doing business.
Captain_Wag@reddit
That also happens currently (minus the robotruck)
threeglude@reddit
Except there would be no one to truly hold accountable. The most they'd do, is fire the current head programmer or something equivalent. Whereas in a driver operated truck if negligence can be proven, the surviving members can get some form of justice via a manslaughter charge, among other charges.
Socketz11@reddit
I really think they should be required to follow the 11/14/70 like the rest of us. Metal fatigues too!
Captain_Wag@reddit
It will be interesting to see how hard they can run a truck without a driver to slow the truck down. Can the engine just run 24/7 without breaks? And I don't mean idling the engine 24/7 you steering wheel holders.
Socketz11@reddit
Well its probably electric like a locomotive, or a nuclear powered Aircraft Carrier or Sub (energy converted to the electric motors)and those things are running 24/7 most of the time, and pretty reliable. Although I doubt they will build Semi-trucks to those standards .
qaf0v4vc0lj6@reddit
Those things also have crew maintaining them 24/7. They are under eternal repair.
Deadbeatdone@reddit
No one even there to tell that something is wrong before it leaves the warehouse.
HowlingWolven@reddit
They shouldn’t get it.
They’ll get it though, just donate to the ballroom.
slyguy929229@reddit
Lmao I don’t want anyone hurt but the mfg is fucked if it crashes and someone gets hurt
leadpoem@reddit
Or they could find someone who will just sit in the truck for $0.01 a mile. There only duty is put the triangle's out if needed. /s