Driverless trucks

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

To me it still comes down to liability. If there is no driver, collision avoidance falls to the manufacturer and ain't nobody got the stones to eat that.

Eh, saving $75k per year on every driver's salary would let you buy a hell of an insurance policy. That seems like a problem that's far easier to solve than the self-driving tech itself.

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Eh, saving $75k per year on every driver's salary would let you buy a hell of an insurance policy. That seems like a problem that's far easier to solve than the self-driving tech itself.

Not to mention the efficiency gains from the trucks not having to stop every so many hours to allow the drivers to sleep.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

Not to mention the efficiency gains from the trucks not having to stop every so many hours to allow the drivers to sleep.

Yep, drivers have to log their hours and the can only drive so many during the course of the week. I’ve had many a freight company cancel on me because their drivers had too many logged hours for the week.

[wazu]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Eh, saving $75k per year on every driver's salary would let you buy a hell of an insurance policy. That seems like a problem that's far easier to solve than the self-driving tech itself.

Right. And somebody is already paying insurance for drivers that will crash far, far more than robot trucks will.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Eh, saving $75k per year on every driver's salary would let you buy a hell of an insurance policy. That seems like a problem that's far easier to solve than the self-driving tech itself.

I don't think it is.

Currently the manufacturers employ not one driver. Not a single one. And the insurance guys are telling me more and more that all these scum sucking ambulance chasers are starting negotiations for injury settlements at the balance sheet.

Now, Manufacturers have good lawyers, but going from 0 to unlimited downside liability is material.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I don't think it is.

Currently the manufacturers employ not one driver. Not a single one. And the insurance guys are telling me more and more that all these scum sucking ambulance chasers are starting negotiations for injury settlements at the balance sheet.

Now, Manufacturers have good lawyers, but going from 0 to unlimited downside liability is material.

Sure. I'm just saying that insurance coverage isn't exactly rocket science. You calculate the risk and build it into costs.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Sure. I'm just saying that insurance coverage isn't exactly rocket science. You calculate the risk and build it into costs.

That's arguable.

Semi insurance is profoundly expensive. I'm not even commercial and do very few miles, 0 accidents and still want to **** punt my insurance company. Plus, if you listen to them, some of these ambulance chasing ****wad lawyers don't give a **** what your liability coverage is, they're going to sue for the whatever's on your balance sheet. And that's them talking to my puny little ass. A big company, you know they're going to try to prove negligence and go around the liability coverage.

I'm no insurance guy and certainly no lawyer, but that's what I'm hearing.

Moreover, I don't think that totally absolves the operator of carrying insurance. If there is an accident that is deemed to be a maintenance issue the operator would be liable for that.

Maybe it's all doable, but from my perspective I'd be sweating the liability if I was anywhere near manufacturing autonomous.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Eh, saving $75k per year on every driver's salary would let you buy a hell of an insurance policy. That seems like a problem that's far easier to solve than the self-driving tech itself.

You're missing one important component of this whole push: a driverless truck can run nonstop except for fuel stops and maintenance since they are not bound by keeping electronic logs of your hours driving.

Big efficiency.

[ChiliConCarnage]

Originally Posted by scho63

You're missing one important component of this whole push: a driverless truck can run nonstop except for fuel stops and maintenance since they are not bound by keeping electronic logs of your hours driving.

Big efficiency.

Think about the truck stop and lot lizard economy!!

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by scho63

You're missing one important component of this whole push: a driverless truck can run nonstop except for fuel stops and maintenance since they are not bound by keeping electronic logs of your hours driving.

Big efficiency.

That is one huge benefit, they can also probably be programmed to obey the speed limits.

I spent a few years driving coast to coast demoing automation equipment and I remember when getting close to a destination, my speed would increase. Especially when getting close to home after a long trip.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Eh, saving $75k per year on every driver's salary would let you buy a hell of an insurance policy. That seems like a problem that's far easier to solve than the self-driving tech itself.

Then lets take into consideration that 10,000 drivers (a very modest estimate) get put out of work. That's 750,000,0000 million dollars taken out of the economy and AI doesn't buy groceries, take out loans, or buy vehicles or need furniture and can do their own statistics faster than you.

Caveat emptor