That's an interesting theory, but I'm not sure how it works in practice. Waiting for a convoy also takes time. Also how do you deal with going through a stoplight? What if the light changes in the middle of 5 trucks? And eventually cars will break into the line.
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That's an interesting theory, but I'm not sure how it works in practice. Waiting for a convoy also takes time. Also how do you deal with going through a stoplight? What if the light changes in the middle of 5 trucks? And eventually cars will break into the line.
The way I see it, when human transition from horses to diesel engine vehicles, the infrastructures change and accommodate over time. So when this becomes a real deal, the bigger trucking companies and stake holders will build hubs near highway corridors that are easy to enter and exit for these convoys. The local truckers will line them up in truck stop style in the lot, then the dedicated convoy drivers will start from the "runway". The arriving one will be the same.
This means they will have a dedicated "convoy ports" like airport with runway and easy access to major interstates every 3 hr or so. I'm not familiar with how bathroom break works but I think it will work ok if they have 2 drivers switch between roles in wider "passing lane" so they can take turn using bathrooms. Computer will keep track of these "breaks" and make sure they don't exceed regulation. They will work like airplane pilot but of course they won't get paid like one. The more experienced drivers will get these roles for more pay, but the lower skilled one will spend a lot of time moving trailers around in these convoy ports and shorter local routes.
Likely won't happen to hazmat until Amazon / UPS / FedEx / USPS / etc get these kinks workout first. Then hazmat will likely still need human drivers unless it is a "bomb squad, evacuate within 500 feet" hazmat that human driver will drive it wirelessly.
About 3 years according to my friend who used to work for UPS freight but you have to work the docks for the first year and you can still be put on the docks if the guys who've been there longer don't want to do it.
This probably going to happen. I’ll bet Elon thinks it’s not a problem for the truck to calculate if it is beyond the point of no return and needs to go through a yellow and even a bit of red.
You got lucky! You never had to deadhead 1500 mile (Unpaid miles) to wait @ @ Iowa Beef next to a smelly dumpster full of cow heads for 3 days (Unpaid) waiting on a load of beef. Or unloaded that load (44000LBS) in Hunts Point in 120LBboxes,by hand, Labels out on pallets for free either(12 Hrs)..
All my driving jobs have been local home at the end of the shift. I have done a few cross country runs (for a generator company I worked for) and did not care for them even at the hourly rate.
My local job was awfull too. Leave the yard and deadhead to the plant (30 minutes unpaid). Wait 3-4 hrs( unpaid) to load. Drive to vegas (3 hrs paid) wait 3-4 hrs (Unpaid) to unload. Dead head 2 hrs to Laughlin,Nv to load (unpaid). Wait @Laughlin 12-15 hrs(Unpaid in a day cab) then 4 hrs home (Paid).. This run paid $112 before taxes. Run was 540 miles.
Man Chris that is a drag!! Have you ever thought of getting a tanker job delivering gas. If you are interested shoot me a PM and I can point you to a few companies that are hiring. The bummer about delivering gas in CA are all the EPA rules and total jerk customers you have to deal with. And I will tell you the carriers are strict and push hard to speed up the deliveries.
There was a time I thought about applying. I have a sour taste in my mouth for Teamster jobs. I can make more money in a non union job without the fear of a strike and walking a picket line while your family starves.
Doesn’t your company pay for a ‘lumper’ to load and unload trailer ?
No. Back then Lumpers came out of the drivers pay.
I do not have a hazmat endorsement right now
That's right I think we discussed this. You have to take all the **** tests over again.
I took a break from my career and went trucking (and vacationing around the country) for almost two years. $0.60/mi is on the high side, actually. All of the largest companies (Swift, Knight, USXpress, etc.) pay about 25% less than that.
It's one hell of a hard way to make money. Other truckers are by far the worst part of the occupation. There's such a low barrier to entry that you get essentially the dumbest of the dumb doing what is an incredibly dangerous job. It's common to have a truck pulling Hazmat to cut you off, within a few feet of your front bumper, in heavy traffic. Your entire job is trying to get out of dangerous situations that other people are putting themselves (and you) into.
As for autonomous trucks - I don't think they'll be truly autonomous anytime soon. No corporation is going to let the blame lie solely on themselves or technology. They'll want a disposable human to take on the risk of babysitting the truck so that when it runs itself off the road and into an elementary school they can say "We're very sorry for what happened here today. The technician (and definitely not our truck with Bosch's self-driving suite) failed to maintain control of the vehicle and killed 13 kindergartners".
It's one hell of a hard way to make money. Other truckers are by far the worst part of the occupation. There's such a low barrier to entry that you get essentially the dumbest of the dumb doing what is an incredibly dangerous job. It's common to have a truck pulling Hazmat to cut you off, within a few feet of your front bumper, in heavy traffic. Your entire job is trying to get out of dangerous situations that other people are putting themselves (and you) into.
As for autonomous trucks - I don't think they'll be truly autonomous anytime soon. No corporation is going to let the blame lie solely on themselves or technology. They'll want a disposable human to take on the risk of babysitting the truck so that when it runs itself off the road and into an elementary school they can say "We're very sorry for what happened here today. The technician (and definitely not our truck with Bosch's self-driving suite) failed to maintain control of the vehicle and killed 13 kindergartners".
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