Autonomous truck startups seem to be gaining ground in the push to replace CDL professionals in freight-hauling big rigs on Texas highways, despite apprehensions about potential accidents.
After extensive testing, companies like Aurora Innovation, Kodiak Robotics, and Gatik AI are gearing up to eliminate human oversight from trucks hauling substantial loads at high speeds on Texas highways. The perceived cost-effectiveness, with the removal of commercial driver pay and hours of service limits, has captured the attention of major corporations. These startups plan to substitute experienced truckers with an array of cameras, sensors, and radar technology driven by advanced software.
“At the end of the year, we anticipate getting to the point where we begin operating those trucks without drivers on board,” said Aurora CEO Chris Urmson.
The AI organizations suggest that they might be ready to remove drivers from cabs by the end of the year. Acknowledging the need for virtually zero margin of error, they argue that autonomous tractor-trailers could potentially enhance highway safety. However, opponents, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and various safety organizations, contest the removal of human decision-making from Class 8 commercial vehicle operation.
“We are concerned about the lack of regulation, the lack of transparency [and] the lack of comprehensive data collection,” said Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
This development from startups transitioning to fully driverless trucks comes amid recent disconcerting events. Tesla, a leader in electric car and truck manufacturing and driverless technologies, issued another recall for its vehicles, affecting two million EVs requiring improved autopilot safeguards. Notably, the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended Tesla’s autopilot use, citing an “unreasonable risk to the public.”
In Georgia, attorney Amy Witherite, who specializes in automobile and truck accidents, raised concerns about the autonomous truck corridor from Texas to Georgia. She highlighted worries arising from Georgia’s lack of laws preventing the operation of driverless trucks.
“Anyone who has ever experienced the so-called blue screen of death on their computer understands that computers, which control autonomous vehicles, can fail,” Witherite said. “Even something as simple as placing a sticker on a sign can confuse sensors, and there has been a high-profile case where a Tesla did not recognize a giant tractor-trailer truck crossing a highway, leading to a fatality.”
Source: TruckersReport
