Drive on a highway pretty much anywhere in America and you’re likely to see truckers and their trucks. Even though there’s plenty of talk about automation taking over to the point where there will be “all driverless trucks” on the roads in the future, does that mean truckers will be out of jobs? Nope. Truckers will still be in demand, regardless of automation. And there’s no guarantee that all trucks will be driverless.
Why Truck Drivers Will Play a Vital Role For Years to Come
Why will human truck drivers still matter in the years to come? Well, drivers do more than just drive. They look over their vehicles to check for issues that need attention. They secure cargo with ropes and chains. They maintain logs. And they provide good ol’ fashioned but always needed customer service. Machines can’t do everything! Not everything is automatable. What if a truck gets a flat tire or breaks down? Someone has to physically fix it. And what about paperwork? Sure, much of it will end up on screens rather than paper, but humans still have to check things like logbooks and invoices.
Computers have definitely had an impact on the trucking industry in the past couple decades as certain tasks become more automated or computerized… That said, trucking involves enough variables and physical demands that humans still need to be involved to make the industry work and it doesn’t seem like the whole “automation” thing will happen anytime soon.
Will all trucking someday be fully automated? Who knows? We could have flying cars/trucks in the years to come. Or some other invention for transporting goods. We can’t predict the future. That said, companies are working on developing automation for autonomous trucks to handle long-haul/interstate trips, so that is likely in the years to come. Meanwhile, short hauls and local truck moves aren’t as likely to see autonomous trucks in the years to come, if ever, unless there’s a demand for it and it’s cost effective, etc.
Truckers are needed now more than ever. If you or someone you know wanted to get a job, the trucking industry is hiring– now’s a good time to become a trucker.
Whether you need a reliable truck driver or you need help finding a truck driving job, learn how Platinum Drivers can help.