The major benefit of self-driving isn't saving the costs of a driver's salary, it's reducing accidents. Commercial truck drivers are skilled and alert, so it's hard to be safer than them. Average commuters are distracted and accident-prone, so you can reduce accidents with near-future technology.
"Looking at photos of women on Facebook is what distracted the driver of an empty fuel tanker when he crashed into two fire department trucks and three police cars on Interstate 8 killing a public safety officer in May..."
I don't know which commercial truck drivers you've observed, but anecdotally, I've seen some pretty distracted / inattentive behavior from truck drivers myself.
Are you suggesting that truck drivers are somehow ubermensch who can stare at highway for 16 hours without getting drowsy or losing focus? Automated trucks can drive with perfect attention 24/7.
That being said, I disagree with the article -- trucks take longer to stop, are harder to navigate in constrained spaces, and have higher stakes than personal cars. I wonder how difficult it would be to rob automated trucks by simply slowing down to a stop in front of them, for example.
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The major benefit of self-driving isn't saving the costs of a driver's salary, it's reducing accidents. Commercial truck drivers are skilled and alert, so it's hard to be safer than them. Average commuters are distracted and accident-prone, so you can reduce accidents with near-future technology.
This was just in the news today:
"Looking at photos of women on Facebook is what distracted the driver of an empty fuel tanker when he crashed into two fire department trucks and three police cars on Interstate 8 killing a public safety officer in May..."
http://lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2013/11/03/on-facebook-looking-...
And imagine how many could have died if it was a fully loaded fuel tanker.
I don't know which commercial truck drivers you've observed, but anecdotally, I've seen some pretty distracted / inattentive behavior from truck drivers myself.
Are you suggesting that truck drivers are somehow ubermensch who can stare at highway for 16 hours without getting drowsy or losing focus? Automated trucks can drive with perfect attention 24/7.
That being said, I disagree with the article -- trucks take longer to stop, are harder to navigate in constrained spaces, and have higher stakes than personal cars. I wonder how difficult it would be to rob automated trucks by simply slowing down to a stop in front of them, for example.
Do you have a source which shows that commercial truck drivers are less accident-prone, and by how much?
Not the OP, but http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/LTCO2010/2010LargeTr... - Figure 2 and 3
Thanks!