Silicon Valley has its sights set on the trucking industry, and for good reason. Every time we receive a package of randomly assorted Amazon items, it was likely delivered on the back of a massive big-rig driven by one of聽1.7 million truck drivers in the US. It’s important, and grueling, work聽that was thrown into national focus聽for a brief moment when President Donald聽Trump climbed into an 18-wheeler in March.
But the job, the most聽common one in 29 states, is also ripe for disruption. Medium- and heavy-duty trucks聽generate 23% of the US transportation sector’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, and聽long hours combined with paltry wages聽lead to an extremely聽high turnover rate of 81%.
So when tech behemoths discuss electrifying or automating the trucking industry, it’s easy to see why there’s room for change.聽
Otto released a video of a big-rig driving itself on a public highway using cameras and sensors last May. Otto’s mission is to build trucks that could essentially drive 24/7 by allowing drivers to take naps during long trips,聽Otto cofounder Lior Ron聽told Business Insider聽last July. He also said the trucks would be more efficient because they wouldn’t waste聽fuel by accelerating and braking as frequently.
The concept aims to solve聽the more grueling and environmentally-compromising aspects of 聽a truck driving without causing mass employment. But whether the project will survive the聽lawsuit filed by Waymo remains to be seen.
Waymo is currently a leader in the聽self-driving-car arms race and is picking up passengers in its autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans, pictured above, as part of a pilot in Phoenix, Arizona.
Now the company is figuring out the best way to integrate sensors on large trucks to聽begin road tests in Arizona later this year,聽Wired reported.
“Self-driving technology can transport people and things much more safely than we do today and reduce the thousands of trucking-related deaths each year,” a Waymo spokesperson聽told Wired.
In 2015, 4,067 people were killed and 116,000 people were injured聽in crashes involving large trucks, according to the latest figures provided by the聽National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
To read the full story, visit聽.