FedEx launches autonomous truck routes

The Hill ^ | 09/22/2021 | MYCHAEL SCHNELL

[ChicagoConservative27]

FedEx on Wednesday launched a new initiative that will test autonomous truck routes between Dallas and Houston.

FedEx said it is collaborating with Aurora, an autonomous technology developer, and PACCAR, a medium-and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer, to launch the testing program, of which the pilot began on Wednesday.

The companies will use Aurora’s autonomous driving technology in PACCAR’s Autonomous Vehicle Platform within FedEx trucking operations, according to FedEx.

[MrLucky1966]

FedEx “lost” a 42 pound office copier machine.
They also “were unable to deliver” TWO cases from Walmart, after inexplicably trucking them 1200 miles out of the way to an indian reservation on the Canadian border in Montana

I worked for FedEx Ground from 2005 to 2008. I remember when they lost Ike Turners guitar. Automated trucks, what can go wrong? Anyhoo, if I followed GPS all the time, I'd be drowned, off a cliff somewhere or 5 miles away in the wrong direction.

[Renfrew]

“I think this technology is coming, but it will need separate lanes.”

Isn’t that just a train?

[Lockbox]

Houston to Dallas on I45 is like a Talladega race... this would be a real test for FedEx.

[NWFree]

I was flagged for 135 around new waverly on my motorcycle when I lived in Houston.

[faithhopecharity]

Ha! Right.
We followed the two Walmart shipments online. Each went by the weirdest most circuitous routing possible. Many a night we had to seek alternate more detailed maps because FedEx delivered them to such remote tiny towns they didn’t even show on normal highway maps. In a couple of instances, the roads showed as gravel. It should be mentioned that there is a major interstate freeway with a direct routing from origin to destination ( indeed, within 100 feet of our front door!).
But no, FedEx took the boxes 1200 miles out of the way on a tour of remote Indian reservations and nearly- abandoned mining towns.
Then, broke both shipments. Fortunately, Walmart offered immediate refunds both times. But it sure wasnt their fault

[Fresh Wind]

UPS (United Parcel Smashers) is no better. And if you use UPS, you support the Teamsters.

[Lockbox]

That’s a big speed trap area.

[Openurmind]

Had to be on my toes around SWIFT trucks and CRST trucks... Now Fed Ex trucks.

Wonder what their handle on the CB will be?

[Openurmind]

It is about as rational and logical as more efficient productive autonomous firearms...

[marktwain]

My main concern is what will everyone do for work when automation becomes far more prevalent? It’s actually a serious concern.

As we have seen this happen repeatedly over the last 200 years, the pattern is this: There is confusion and hardship as the transition is made.

People adapt and learn to work less difficult, dangerous, and demanding jobs.

Productivity goes up, work hours go down, standards of living rise.

Of particular strain on the social fabric, women are able to do jobs men used to have the advantage for.

More strain on men finding a job which can support a family.

[faithhopecharity]

ha!
perhaps we’d complain more about ups if it weren’t for fedex, ha!
by comparison, ups has done a better job for us

they both should enable direct computer messaging between addressees/senders and delivery trucks
to provide delivery information, directions, in real time

this alone would avoid 90 percent of the lost or mis-delivered packages

[MrLucky1966]

I am trying to go Galt and Door Dash and Instacart for a living but I might need to get something at least part time for a more dependable income and save some wear and tear on my 18 year old car. Anyhoo, GPS and Google Maps have given me many bum steers where I had to call the customer for help with directions. I had one order that took me 5 miles away from where it should have went plus I was in the middle of nowhere with no signal for phone and internet. . I ended up with a contract violation due to extreme lateness and I had to put in a successful dispute saying what happened.

I really think self driving vehicles will fall flat on their face, you have3 to make too many judgement calls where perhaps the computer can't handle it. It's one thing to have something like that on the Moon or Mars but when you have traffic, pedestrians, animals and so on, that is a whole different picture. It COULD maybe work if you have a convoy of self driving "slave" trucks follow a "master" one with a human driver then sgain, you takr jobs away from people as well.

[faithhopecharity]

Yes

This is one of several similar hamlets on remote Indian reservations that FedEx thinks are on the way between Los Angeles and Chicago ——-

Babb is a small unincorporated farming and ranching community in Glacier County, Montana, United States, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The community experiences a large influx of tourists in the summer months as it is the gateway to the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park. Babb is a census-designated place (CDP) and had a population of 174 at the 2010 census.[1]

[Jeff Chandler]

Had to be on my toes around SWIFT trucks and CRST trucks.

I don't know about CRST, but Swift uses a lot of beginner drivers.

[Gritty]

My main concern is what will everyone do for work when automation becomes far more prevalent?

Ask Klaus Schwab and The Great Reset people. They already are working on that Plan*.

. . . .(*hint: it involves fewer people). . . .

[minnesota_bound]

Driverless vehicles will never be a thing.
Too many variables.

[dragnet2]

If anything happens sue the county, city, state et al, for allowing people on the highways be to their test guinea pigs.

[Jeff Chandler]

Yep. I can see the large carriers using autonomous trucks between terminals, but local P&D will be human driven for a LONG time to come.

[Aut Pax Aut Bellum]

How will they ever train the trucks to toss the stuff in the bushes of the abandoned house down the road, and then mark it as delivered? Only my delivery person can do that.

[katykelly]

True , but there is also the universal pay everyone will get . It won’t be much . Remember , “ You will own nothing , but you will be happy “ .