Despite concerns the coming age of so-called driverless trucks will usher in the demise of the long-haul truck driver, driving could in fact be a much more desirable job thanks to autonomous vehicles, according to \u00a0top trucking industry engineers and analysts at the Commercial Vehicle Outlook conference.<\/p>\n
How? Fleet Owner magazine<\/em><\/strong> reports:<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve done a lot of end-user research to come to the conclusion that autonomous vehicles will enable recruiting drivers,\u201d said Sandeep Kar, global vice president for Frost & Sullivan and an expert in heavy truck systems and technologies. \u201c[Trucking] will need to entice young drivers by giving them a work environment that is less stressful, less disenfranchised\u2014that enables them to connect to the world outside. They want to be connected to their friends, to Facebook or whatever it is: You have to give them some time during their work cycle where they relax, sit back and watch their iPad.\u201d<\/p>\n Currently, just 11% of the truck driver workforce in the U.S. is under 30 years old, Kar noted.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a huge red flag,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we want to bet on the U.S. economy, we have to attract young drivers. On the other side, the health, wellness, and well-being of the aging drivers is becoming a major driver retention factor.\u201d<\/p>\n As a result, truck makers are more focused than ever on \u201cinside the cab,\u201d based on the growth of investment on things like seating systems, visibility, steering, and the driver interface.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not by accident that we\u2019re here to talk about automated mobility\u2014it is by design, it is by reality,\u201d Kar said.<\/p>\n Autonomous truck technology, he continued, will enhance driver performance: improved fuel efficiency, improved safety, improved compliance.<\/p>\n The catch, however, is that fleets will question the need to invest in the suite of technologies needed to achieve Level 3 autonomy (a truck that has the ability to take over the driving in certain situations, typically long highway stretches) if they also still have to pay drivers. But the substantial benefits to the supply chain and trucking operations that connectivity and big data will provide should mitigate those concerns, attendees heard.<\/p>\n Level 4 automation means no driver in the cab, and it\u2019s \u201cway out there,\u201d Kar noted.<\/p>\n But the substantial market growth comes with Level 2 autonomy, or combined technologies that relieve the driver of control of each, which will hit 109,000 trucks in North America in 2025, and more than 200,000 in 2035.<\/p>\n \u201cLong haul is the holy grail for any technology and, coincidentally, augmented driving applies the most in the long-haul truck market,\u201d Kar said.<\/p>\n Ultimately, some agriculture, mining and defense niches are where the Level 4, fully autonomous vehicles will find a foothold.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not saying driverless trucks when they come in 2035 are going to take over the world,\u201d Kar said. \u201cBut be prepared for a future where some trucking vocations will not require drivers.\u201d<\/p>\n Derek Rotz, a manager in advanced engineering at Daimler Trucks North America, said the key for manufacturers is \u201cfull vehicle integration,\u201d or harmonizing all driving operations. Therefore, the traditional a la carte<\/em> approach, or picking and choosing from among various component systems, will need to be reconsidered with an eye toward using all the pieces working together.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026Technology is really one piece of making automated driving a reality. It really requires all hands on deck: the industry, regulators, legal aspects, and infrastructure,\u201d Rotz said.<\/p>\n Regardless, whether the future brings fully autonomous truck or platooning trucks<\/a>, the technology experts here agree that human oversight will remain critical.<\/p>\n