If you are paying close attention, it appears that #autonomous vehicle #trucking may be winning the race to widespread AV use

If you are paying close attention it seems that the autonomous vehicle trucking market may well be winning the race to widespread use.

AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International) held their Automated Freight Summit Conference over two days, July 7-9th. There were hundreds and hundreds of participants.

The panels included regulators, academics, startup companies, seasoned automotative companies, techies, and organized labor. The real takeaway from the conference was that all these disparate groups were ready for collaboration to make the autonomous vehicle trucking industry successful.

Of course, the panel that I can speak to specifically was the Truck Workforce Panel (Truck Operators of the Future), where we addressed the impacts to the professional driver labor force from autonomous vehicle trucking. This was the one that I moderated. Panelists included Missy Blair from Pima Community College, Jeff Hickman from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Finch Fulton from Locomation and Sam Loesche from the Teamsters. Talk about a dissimilar group. While the discussion was vigorous it was clear that all expect that there will be autonomous vehicle use in the trucking industry. While Fulton asserted that no truck driver today should worry about losing their job to automation, all panelist agreed that it was important to be concerned about any potential negative effects on workforce and all stated that was an opportunity to improve the status quo.

The trucking industry is an $800 billion dollar a year enterprise. In 29 states in the nation, it is the #1 employer. So, it stands to reason that anything that would appear to create a major disruption in this industry is and should be cause for attention. In that backdrop we also have to mention the driver shortage. The professional driver pool is not being replenished as it used to. Trucking can be a difficult job both physically and emotionally with significant government regulatory parameters. The ability to drive for hours and hours at a time and perhaps moving cargo from one side of the country to another is a lifestyle that fewer are willing to embrace.

Each panelist’s perspective is something that the industry needs to hear and respond to. Loesche’s concern about unionized labor and the impact to those jobs should not be swept under the carpet. There are millions of people who as professional drivers stand to be impacted by widespread autonomous vehicle usage. The good thing is that Loesche did not dismiss advanced driver technology in its entirety, in fact, he appreciated that where the technology works correctly it can save lives. As it was noted, when the Teamsters were at their high point in the 70s they proactively used technology to increase revenue for industry and drivers alike.

Both based upon the political economy and if past is prologue then we would do well to keep union labor involved in the conversation and participatory in the transition to wide use of autonomous vehicles. Loesche respects the advancement but in his role of senior policy advisor has an obligation and a duty to his unionized members.

Hickman’s view is a wakeup call. As a research scientist he has been studying the perceived impacts to the workforce from this new mobility and the answer is; there is no answer - at least not yet. We are still in the early stages, still trying to figure out what the pros and cons will be. We know there will be disruption, but like other industrial revolutions Hickman can see the potential benefits from new jobs in the trucking industry. 

As Hickman pointed out, there is no mistaking that the professional driver does more than just get us from point A to B. They do a lot more than drive and are responsible for a significant portion of customer engagement. The professional driver is on hand to address any potential malfunctions or in the event of a crash. These are things that AI (Artificial intelligence) cannot do at this time. Those employing autonomous vehicle technology as their primary movement of freight will have to address how those interests are handled.

Having a person from an autonomous trucking company, Locomation, was immensely productive for the discussion. Finch Fulton provided his thoughts on the direction for the industry. His background at the Department of Transportation seems to have provided him with a perspective on the implications for the labor force based on his efforts on the Workforce Study conducted by the department in connection with autonomous vehicles. Fulton acknowledged the anxiety in the industry and shared his concerns about exacerbating inequities. Of critical commentary was his belief that you can start as a professional driver in the industry today and have a full career in that position. For a number of reasons, based on these USDOT studies he argued that autonomous trucking is not in the position to displace drivers in the industry today. 

Fulton also stated that working with other Autonomous vehicle trucking companies was a good thing. That there was room in the industry for them all and that collaboration made them better. That autonomous vehicle trucking companies across the board, from his own Locomation to Embark, and Kodiak, TuSimple and Pronto and so forth would all benefit from problem solving for the current ills in the industry and that some of the regulatory structure in place may ease with autonomous vehicle technology. Hours of Service rules could be changed, detention time could be eased, and on-demand delivery can continue to grow.

But perhaps most poignant and effective from the discussion was the efforts to address the workforce from Missy Blair, at Pima Community College. Missy is the Manager of a Certification Program that was created in conjunction with TuSimple ‘s autonomous vehicle trucking company. The 12-credit certification course is an effort to upskill workers in a short amount of time. The program allows workers to understand the autonomous vehicle technical jargon and speak the same baseline language as the engineers. Also, by introducing workers to the technology it creates a comfort and a trust, which is key to widespread deployment. Blair, a military veteran sees the benefit to the labor force for the dedicated cross-disciplinary education. Of great importance was her emphasizing the need for funding to support this type of training.  Blair has her finger on the pulse of the industry and sees the need for training as a key part of the strategy to address the trucking workforce of the future.

Of course, with an eye toward my favorite topic of equity in transportation each of the panelists expressed an understanding of some of the roadblocks to women and minorities entering the field. Constraints from the cost of purchasing a truck for an owner-operator to needing to be home at night for a primary-child care-taker are all being taken into account when assessing ways to bring more people into the trucking industry.

This lively and interactive conversation is hopefully continuing in boardrooms, mechanics bays, and union meetings as well as the halls of government. We see the benefits to the mobility ecosystem from autonomous vehicles and the opportunities to change the status quo for the better… and we should all be working together to be sure to leave no worker behind.