Self-Driving Trucks May Come Before Driverless Cars

Never mind self-driving cars – how do you feel about self-driving trucks?

We’ve been hearing a lot about self-driving cars, and the companies promising to roll them out over the next few years. But, if you can imagine it, self-driving trucks may come first.

If you think that sounds counter-intuitive, you’re not alone. Many in the trucking industry are skeptical, and some drivers are nervous – understandably so. We know as well as anyone that when something goes wrong with a car, it’s bad – but when something goes wrong with a truck, it can be so much worse.

However, advocates for this new technology argue that it could make long-haul trucking safer and more efficient.  Drowsy driving, for instance, poses a major threat to truckers and the driving public.  Autonomous trucks could cut down on the numerous drowsy and distracted driving accidents that occur each year.

Self-Driving but Not Driverless

But would self-driving trucks put truck drivers out of a job? Not necessarily.  According to Otto, a start-up recently purchased by Uber, truckers would still be needed to pick up where the technology leaves off, at least for now. Unlike the self-driving cars intended for urban environments,  these self-driving trucks are designed to handle highway, not city driving. A driver would still be needed to navigate through suburban and residential areas.

And, of course, there is the question of whether a computer can respond to every situation a driver might encounter on the road. Lior Ron, co-founder of Otto, weighs in. He says that only once the tech is safer, on average, than driving a truck, will they deploy.

If you or someone you love have suffered an injury in a truck accident, or been hurt on the job as a truck driver, contact our truck accident lawyer for a free consultation. We never charge a fee unless we recover damages for you.

<

Marion Munley

Marion Munley has been practicing personal injury law for nearly 40 years. She is triple board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy for Truck Accident Law, Civil Trial Law, and Civil Practice Advocacy. She currently serves as Vice President of the American Association for Justice, an organization dedicated to safeguarding victims’ rights. Marion has won many multimillion-dollar recoveries for her clients, including one of the largest trucking accident settlements in history. She has been named a Top 10 Super Lawyer in Pennsylvania since 2023, a Best Lawyer in America, and was recently inducted to the Lawdragon Hall of Fame.

Free case consultation Call us at (844) 686-5397