
Could Self-Driving Trucks Be Good for Truckers? - thisisit
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/02/uber-says-its-self-driving-trucks-will-be-good-for-truckers/551879/?single_page=true
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BoiledCabbage
Yeah this article is disappointing. It's an Uber puff piece. The author makes
a bunch of contrived conclusions that defy economic theory. It claims there is
a sudden trend saying automation will make jobs better for truckers, but can't
seem to find anyone to quote saying that except Uber (the company pushing the
automated trucks). Every other quote is from Goldman Sachs and the like saying
"nope, will decimate the industry".

Then they argue that because truckers will only drive the last mile in the
city it will still be good for them. But they'll still pay them to be there
because 'What if the truck breaks down? Without a driver there you'd have to
send a repair man. With a driver, he can likely fix it' (loosely quoting).
Does anyone really think that a company is gonna pay drivers to sit in a route
for the 1 in 100 or 1 in 1000 chance that the truck breaks down on route in a
way that the driver can fix? Not a chance. That's the first place they'll cut.
Goes against all profit motive of the companies.

Even if somehow you believe that they really will pay drivers to 'Set the
speed to 55 then go to sleep'. (Ignoring the obvious question of why you need
to pay each driver to set the speed in an automatically driving truck). If
your job is now reduced to sleeping in a cabin for 40hrs and then driving 1hr,
you think they're not gonna cut your pay by 90% to go along with it?

Uber has an incredibly consistent record of lying and screwing over employees,
customers, anyone - they want to do the same to truck drivers and lie to their
faces while doing it.

------
alant
Ultimately, yes, but just like the workers who tried to destroy machines that
took their jobs during the first industrial revolution, truckers will need a
bit time to adjust to the driverless world

