TECHNOLOGY: A Truck Driver’s Ally or Rival?
Technology has been proven helpful to man since the digital era was born, truly making lives easier and simultaneously efficient. Its accelerated development has transformed the direction of businesses dramatically -- to which the industry of transportation is listed as one of the influenced sectors of the progression. Though as how everything exists to be, there is no surprise that technology has its own set of bonuses and downsides. And with a lot of factors to consider, let us weigh all of those in and see how it will impact the future of trucking.
To start on a positive note, the summary of the trucking industry’s competence and capability has made great improvements because of such advancements specifically in the areas of tracking and communication. From Google Maps, Google Earth, Samsara, CB Radios, phones and so on which drivers can utilize and operate as needed.
However, because of the supply chain’s serious bottleneck issue of driver shortage, some companies start to lean towards the direction of automating truck driving. Pioneers like Daimler by Mercedes-Benz and Torc lead the commercial innovation for reasons of safety, sustainability, and cost-efficiency.
This is what surrounds our question: Is technology an ally or a rival? Though we cannot deny how it has changed our lives, systems, and businesses most especially for trucking as aforementioned, would it be worth recognizing as an alliance when the replacement of the arms and legs of the industry – our hardworking truck drivers - already seem viable?
During this course of the Covid-19 pandemic, almost every company faced difficulties in battling workplace infections while keeping low operational costs which led to the forming of a strong stimulus of automating humans’ jobs. Presented similar results with reliable outputs became the reason why around 40 million jobs faltered at the peak of the outbreak. A few were able to bounce back, and the rest were never able to. The drive to digitize workforce is on highspeed since companies see no need for isolation or time off as AI is unconquerable by the illness. Now, on account of our generation’s outstanding engineering milestones, the replacement of man to machine does not give the trucking industry an exemption.
There are a lot of contradicting ideas and bullet points when it comes to self-driving trucks because while the replication of human input and senses can operate a ton-pound truck down the highway with less accident risks due to lack of sleep, or mere negligence, there is still so much more work to be done than just the autonomous functionality of steering wheel and brakes alone. From keeping up with logbooks and status records, to paperwork submissions, truck inspection report filing, communication with dispatchers & freight receivers, down to changing tires and minor truck maintenance. Not to mention fueling up, pulling out to docks, hooking up to secure cargo, taking irregular route trucking if necessary, and a whole lot more.
On the other hand, automated trucking is said to be advantageous for long haulers as it has an exhausting route. Drivers will benefit from it by being dispatched to short-haul routes instead that are much closer to home. In defense, it is also stated that machines will not make opportunities obsolete and leave workers jobless but rather, it would open more doors to new roles to play. There would be a spike on the graph of transport utilization, expansion of transport labor force making room for additional capacity available for freight shippers, therefore acting as aid in easing the pressure of the capacity crisis that’s clenching the whole US trucking industry.
There are countless activities today that are all attainable with technology established alongside it. For truckers, some tasks like safety checks & warnings, keeping a close eye on loads for balance as well as low tires are somehow not impossible to eventually automate but these mentioned examples still necessitate intervention of human control.
In contrast to, automating driver’s to-do list will yield open doors to rookies and newcomers, resulting to the job role becoming more appealing and enticing to discover for the next batch or generation of truckers to come. More jobs, more employment opportunities for everyone, and more tools to withstand the US crisis on truck driver shortage. These self-driving trucks will ultimately make such significant metamorphosis to our society in unimaginable ways, and the fruits of advancement labors being dealt with today will be earned & benefited by the children of the future.
At the present time, there are still a handful of big Ifs. Since current technology is only capable to automate driving the trucks alone, it is well-known that a truck driver’s role is beyond just the aspect of rolling down the road with a cargo. Therefore, we can safely conclude that full automation will not happen in an instant. There are still several variables concerned with truck driving that is not present in the general public’s knowledge that’s why transition may look easy than it actually is.
Needless to say, it is far to more than just driving, because as much as how impressive man’s digital capabilities are, a driver’s input presence and intuition is still irreplaceable.
Here at AJG Transport, we embrace the inevitable change because that is how we thrive, adapt, and strengthen our foundation in this industry. Evolution will always happen, which makes continuous learning, a strong sense of awareness, and ample preparation being two steps ahead of great importance to the road of sustainability; and that is what we apply in this business.
Standing by our team especially our truck drivers is nevertheless our full commitment. The work and dedication they put into this profession is valuable beyond estimation being the reason why our company sees to it that their needs are sufficed with proper attention and action. That’s the AJG Guarantee.
“A tool is but the extension of a man's hand, and a machine is but a complex tool. And he that invents a machine augments the power of a man and the well-being of mankind.”
- Henry Ward Beecher
AJG Transport Operation Team