New rules to remove safety devices from semis could let them move at higher speeds

That difference of opinion might even be seen here. In any case the corporations (not just trucking ones) will fight it.

Charlie, truly curious, about how an opinion could argue against hourly pay encouraging safety.

I can understand that many companies will object, for financial reasons, but I can’t imagine a serious argument against hourly pay being safer

What are your thoughts?

Doug

I don’t think they will fight the safety issue. They will get some truckers to say they can get more loads and make more money if time is not measured. Something along those lines. Even some line like “Only crap*y drivers want hourly pay. Do you?”

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The potential overtime would likely move some freight from trucks to trains, especially in the 1,000+ mile haul range, which a lot of that arguably should move

In the distribution side of the industry, where I have always worked, moving to rail simply isn’t an option, and my segment of the industry is also the least adaptable to autonomous vehicles as well, and would likely among the last to go to autonomous trucks

Never say Never, but I am confident that my segment won’t be among the first to transition, it among the least suited to the technology

Doug

Walmart when they ran their own trucks paid for literally everything they did on the truck. They got paid a set rate per hour for sleeping in the truck loading and unloading fueling the trucks. They literally got paid for everything. But that’s why they had a turnover rate in the single digits and the hardest hiring requirements in the entire industry. Nowadays they still have a few of their own trucks but most of their store delivery routes are done by Schneider or other mega fleets.

You’ll see a growth in intermodal before you see automated trucks. There’s way to much that can go wrong with a truck on the highway that an AI program wouldn’t have a clue how to handle. From a mechanical breakdown tire failure load shift bad weather conditions other traffic let alone refueling the equipment or opening the doors on the trailer or dealing with shippers and receiving clerks. Also can these automated trucks hook or unhook the air and electrical lines between the equipment.

A lot of our receivers now have docks that we back into with even swing doors closed and they are able to open the doors from inside the building, then lower the dock plate into the trailer, roll up doors simplify things as well

Where I expect to see autonomous trucks make their in roads is LTL line haul, terminal to terminal a human hostler will make up and break up the sets, mostly likely doubles, and triples were allowed.

In each terminal, there will be people to do all the “Ground Work “ fueling, air and electrical lines and other ground duties. The autonomous trucks would run terminal to terminal, well within their fuel, potentially Charge range.

Someone would prep the combination in originating terminal, send the autonomous truck out the gate, at the other end, the autonomous truck comes in the gate, parks and someone else will break apart the combination and attend to all the ground work at that end

Even that, I don’t see happening as soon as many want us to believe, but I believe that is the logical first step, where it evolves to from there, we will have to wait and see

Are autonomous trucks in the future, most likely,
Will autonomous trucks and expanded Domestic IM change the transportation industry as we know it, almost definitely. There is already freight that logically should move by Dom IM, but doesn’t yet

Doug

More likely they will establish a ‘bonus’ system for getting loads ‘there on time’ and then ease the hourly rate down to some commodity value. Maybe even monthly or yearly ‘performance awards’ that work like professional profit-sharing.

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Careful, you’re treading into politics there😉

This thread has already touched on some rather loosely related topics, I would hate to see it get closed for a minor offense

Doug

That’s not politics, it’s management consulting. I’ve done something very similar for a couple dozen apartment communities…

… all of which had rail lines next to them…

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Jawohl, mein Freund!

Ano, musĂ­me se drĹžet stranou od politiky!

Si, il faut eviter la politique…