So, I haven’t spoken about what going on the in the trucking industry for a while. About 18 months ago, we discussed autonomous trucking concepts and about two years ago when I gave some ideas for folks entering the trucking business sector. (The three-part series began here.)
But, one trucking firm has been quietly, sustainedly, proceeding with its autonomous trucking concepts. Starsky Robotics.
Starsky will go out of its way to let you know that these trucks are not autonomous- just unmanned. Sure, the truck makes a lot of its own decisions, but like those drones around the word, there’s a human being locked away in a control room (far away) that shows the specialist what the truck sees and has a (remote) steering wheel to control the truck. The founder, Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, believes that a trained driver with reasonable electronic aids can outperform the best truck drivers and/or the best AI (artificial intelligence) driverless vehicles.
Let’s make this a little clearer. An AI driven truck is superior at driving the vehicle along long, unimpeded highways. Because the driver gets bored and stops paying attention, while the AI stays spot-on- focused on the boring macadam in front of it. But changing lanes, exiting off the highway- that’s where human performance shines.
Starsky’s goal is to control the freight business in the Southeast. (Yes, they do eventually plan to expand their horizons- after they’ve conquered this region.)
And, given the fact that most trucking firms are not paying decent wages, there is a shortage of qualified truck drivers. (I have seen numbers claiming that more than 50,000 are needed to keep our freight moving. You’d think that would have the trucking firms raise their compensation above $ 50K- where it’s pretty much been since 2013; private fleets do pay 50 to 60% more. But, that logic seems beyond their ken.) Which may explain why the average age of a US truck driver is 55 (and more than 90% of them are male). Thankfully, our clients are younger, but they, too, are predominantly male.
Which brings up Starsky’s philosophy. The remote truck driver gets to leave work at the end of the day and spend time with his family. (Our BTI entity promised our truck drivers unimpeded weekends, great pay, and three weekday nights a month to be back home, too.)
It’s a pretty sophisticated model. Starsky sends out trucks on various routes to determine which routes are best for their unmanned models. And, these drivers who learn the routes will be the folks working in those control rooms running the unmanned trucks once the routes have been firmly established.
The other technology firms (Waymo [Alphabet], TuSimple, etc.) are developing elaborate computer systems, vision sensors, and software to better control the tractors. But, Starsky’s remote operator (who is connected to the truck via cellular networks) controls the lane changes, merges, load pickups and drop-offs. All of which are maneuvered at lower speeds. The long stretch of highway, where higher speeds are the norm, are all autonomously controlled.
Moreover, without drivers, there is no need to equip the tractors with sleepers (which extends the size of the tractor cab, cutting fuel efficiency), air conditioning (also an economy killer), more comfortable (and expensive seats), etc.
So, when you are driving in Florida or Georgia and are passing a truck, don’t panic if you notice there’s no one behind the wheel. (While they currently only operate 3 unmanned tractors, they plan to explode that number to 20 – and maybe 25- this coming year.)
I’m not sure if I would like to drive next to a driverless 18 wheeler.
Compared to some of the morons that are on the roads right now, Martha? Are you sure?
I think what I like most about the idea is controlling for boredom and sleep during long trips. I can see how it could potentially eliminate those deadly accidents.
I agree, Jeanine!
It is the wave of the future but what do I think? I realize you are the expert and my second hand experience is many years old. I lived for four years in rural Arkansas in the early/mid 80’s. A lot of people there made their living driving over the road trucks. You didn’t need much formal education. They drove for companies such as JB Hunt and ABF (Arkansas Best Freight.) A woman I worked with at my office job actually quit to join her boyfriend over the road as the money (this was in the early 1980’s) was so good. It’s sad that this entry to the American Dream apparently changed (for the worse) years ago. But even then, I knew enough to know it was a hard, hard life. And oh yes, the trucker who bought our land after we left was in a terrible accident several years later driving his truck (he drove with his wife and I have no idea what ended up happening to either one of them). Perhaps what is happening now is all to the good.
The biggest issue is that trucking firms see driverless operations as an easy means to augment their bottom line, Alana.