Trucking Transition Part 2

It seems that technology is creeping into every aspect of our lives. My father-in-law was in or near the trucking industry his entire life. He could maneuver an 18 wheeler like it was a child’s toy. I bet he never ever dreamed that a computer guided driverless truck would be invented.

Well, here we are in 2016 and technology has begun the transformation. Trucking technology upstart Otto, who has developed a retrofit package that allows heavy trucks to drive autonomously on the highway, was recently acquired by Uber. This move signals the prospect of freight movement capabilities for the San Francisco-based ride sharing service. Not only can the Uber model shake up the flow of information in the existing freight moving industry, but the concept of driverless trucks could cut substantial costs out of the transportation cost model.

We already have location and temperature monitoring, along with some remote control of refrigeration equipment. Autonomous trucks are a natural extension of the technology that is being developed. Those trucks could move 24 hours per day, covering the 3000 mile trip from Salinas, CA to New York, NY in just over 2 days. How would that revolutionize the produce industry? Order Monday morning, load Monday afternoon, get delivery Wednesday night. And at a lower cost than the current 6 day trip!