Self-Driving Trucks Becoming Common on North Texas Roads Central Location, Looser Regulations Attract Autonomous Companies

Fort Worth Star-Telegram ^ | May 30, 2023 | Jenny Randolph

[xxqqzz]

The North Texas area has quietly become the new frontier for the development of self-driving trucks, with several companies from around the world setting up operations — and using North Texas highways for real-world testing.

For now, these delivery trucks making stops at Sam’s Club, Kroger and other destinations do have a human behind the wheel — a safety driver in case of emergencies or technology glitches. In the not-too-distant future, that will no longer be the case.

Several companies are competing to bring to market a dominant driverless technology for the future of moving goods on the nation’s highways. Several of the largest industry players are now in North Texas, lured by the region’s central location on the transportation network and the state’s looser regulations.

But that also has some experts worried about just how safe driverless trucks really are, given the technology is so new.

[xxqqzz]

Apparently, they aren't approved in interstate commerce, so they are testing them in Texas because of loose regulations and long distances in state. For now, they are computer controlled, but have a "safety driver" in case something doesn't work right. I was in an accident and checked out personal injury law firms. Some of their websites have a category for truck accidents, because you can get higher settlements if hit by a truck. They can do more damage, but mainly they have high limits of liability and they companies they run the trucks have assets. But of course they will save money not paying a driver.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

From what I understand what they pay drivers is utter crap money, 50 cents a mile which means just to make $500 you have to drive 1000 miles and that’s $500 before taxes. This explains why they drive fast as hell on the highways. Maybe if they paid a little better, they would have less accidents and wouldn’t have to lay out millions for self driving Frankenstein trucks

[texas booster]

Texas Ping, the Best State in the USA!

A ping out to the Texas Ping list, founded by Windflier.

Meanwhile, leaders across the industry affirm safety is their main priority, and while North Texas trucks may still have a safety driver inside the vehicle, that’s not the case everywhere.

Before coming to North Texas, Gatik began operations with food retailer Loblaw in Canada and went fully driverless last year.

It took about two years to go driver-out in Arkansas, and about 19 months to go driver-out in Canada, Steiner said.

“As we ramp up towards driver-out with our customers in Texas, that timeline will continue to shrink,” Steiner said.

Steiner said Gatik is looking to remove drivers from vehicles in North Texas by 2024.

So Canada and Arkansas already have fully driverless vehicles on the roads? Is news to me ...

Another special Texas August edition for your perusal.

As always, please FReepmail me if you want on or off the Texas Ping list.

Blessings, and stay cool!

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Is the cost of a driver so out of line that companies are willing to invest millions if not billions to develop this technology?

[Clutch Martin]

So... now if a truck gets hijacked or waylaid, murder isn’t an issue... sweet!

[Howie66]

I wonder how many of these trucks are being used by the Drug/Human Trafficking Cartels.

[oldtech]

I think I want to know where these driver-less trucks are before I go on any road trips. Seems like there might be some insurance issues as well as certain situations that haven’t been thought of as yet.

[jimfr]

even trains require a person to be in control, why with vehicles that do not have any restriants?

[Theoria]

There will be a neo Luddite movement. Tech is a massive destructive force in society, the march of ai and other forms of automation hasn't even warmed up yet.

[Bob434]

[[a safety driver in case of emergencies or technology glitches. In the not-too-distant future, that will no longer be the case]]

And why won’t it be the case in the future? Will a “backup safety device” kick in and take over? And what if there is a computer failure that doesn’t kick in to takeover? At least a human isn’t going to malfunction

[Bernard]

If a self-driving truck runs over a family of illegal aliens, does Stephen King get named in the law suit?

[I want the USA back]

“Driverless” trucks have a human driver. I guess words don’t mean anything any longer.

I want to know if the “driverless” truck can back up to a loading dock on a busy street with all the other bays occupied by other trucks. Ah! so humans are still good for something!

[EEGator]

Fewer decent human jobs will become a problem.

[qaz123]

The pay is a more than that, but it’s also regional. Drivers in one area of the country can make more or less than others doing the same jobs.

One thing that is effecting the industry is the refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants that are able to get a CDL. They can undercut everyone. They live in a hovel with their entire family and don’t have the same amount of overhead(truck payment, mortgage, etc) that the regular guy has, so they can do trips for much less.

Of course, the brokers aren’t getting paid less, they’re just sharing less.

Interesting thing to think about is, self driving Tesla’s crash. Seems like it’s more common, maybe, maybe not. But a semi-autonomous Tesla sedan getting into an accident is a tad bit different than an 80,000lb tractor trailer going 55mph.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Will the driverless trucks be programmed to swerve over into the fast lane to cut off faster traffic, and then to spend fifteen minutes creeping past another truck that’s going 0.1 mph slower?

[butlerweave]

Self-Driving Trucks should always have a driver onboard , Union Rules ,LOL

[qaz123]

I took a driving class a couple of years ago for drivers that were in the security/executive protection industry.

Instructors started talking about all the “safety” features that are being required on vehicles and the trends they’re seeing. All in the sphere of how it will effect the security industry.

They touched on two things:

1. New cars have sensors that show a driver how much air is in the tires. That system is wireless. Being that it is wireless, it can be hacked. If it is hacked then someone else can control aspects of the car. When it comes to “semi autonomous” vehicles, they’d be able to control everything.

2. Driverless vehicles have sensors all around them to keep them within the lane lines and all sorts of other inputs needed to keep the car on the road. Sensors that can be disabled with a pen laser.

Imagine a truck carrying chlorine, LP gas, gasoline, etc etc and the bad guys figure out how to disable/manipulate one.

[bert]

Lat week, Yellow Freight bankrupt and created 30,000 unemployed.

Yellow had become an amalgamation of several failing union freight lines. Roadway was one of the largest. With Yellow et al gone, the Teamsters union took a very big hit

[roving]

Can they avoid potholes? Hit a deep enough one and that could be disastrous

[luvie]

That won’t end well!