Report Says Automated Trucks Overlook Need For Skilled Labour
A new report from research think tank Brookings Institution says replacing truck drivers with autonomous technology, or self-driving trucks, is not going to be as easy as people think.
With the rise of automated technology posing a threat to jobs across many spectrums, truck driving seems like a prime candidate to replace humans with robots. After all, truck driver is the most common occupation in the majority of states so replacing all those human salaries can be appealing to a business.
However, this report indicates that replacing truck drivers is not an easy thing to do simply because of the complicated nature of trucking.
For one thing, being a truck driver is more than just sitting behind a wheel and driving. They also inspect their freight loads, fix equipment, make deliveries, and perform other non-routinized tasks. According to Brookings Institution though, roles can adapt and change to meet the new reality. Potential complementary roles may include on-call trucking repair jobs or unloading staff.
The researchers also looked at how many tools it takes for a worker to complete his job as an indication of how complex that job really is. The average worker needs about 6 tools to complete his job. A truck driver, however, must use about 27 tools to complete his job. This means that being a truck driver takes more skill and training than other occupations and would be harder to automate.
