Driverless Semi Makes First Commercial Run
Uber, the online ride sharing company, is best known for transporting people and food. But now, it wants to take its services to the next level by getting into freight transportation.
Uber is trying to change the trucking industry as we know it. Earlier this year the company bought the self-driving truck fleet, Otto, in hopes to combine self-driving trucks and on-demand freight brokerage to change the game.
Uber Making Moves in Freight
Recently, Uber and Otto made its first real its first commercial run. On October 20th, an Otto self-driving truck ran 120 miles to deliver 50,000 cans of Budweiser beer.
It marked the first time in U.S. history that a commercial shipment was made by a self-driving vehicle.
You can watch the video of the trip here:
Truck Drivers Not Going Anywhere
As you can see, just because the truck drove itself doesn’t mean there wasn’t a driver in the cab. It only drove autonomously for a portion of the trip.
Autonomous trucking technology doesn’t mean the end of the truck driving profession is near. Like many other technologies in the industry, we think it's intended to make highway driving safer and more efficient for everybody.
An Added Comfort
It also means that truck drivers will have a more comfortable work and rest environment. Additionally, autonomous trucks may be a way to attract the next generation of drivers, which has been a topic of discussion across the industry as the truck driver shortage is expected to worsen in the coming years.
Catch Up On Driverless Semi News
It's important as a future or current truck driver to stay on top of current trends in the indsutry. You can catch up and refresh on driverless semi technology by reading our previous post on the topic below.
Trending Topics: The Driverless Semi
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Story Sources
http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-to-launch-uberfreight-for-long-haul-trucking-2016-10
http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2016/10/25/ottos-self-driving-semi-truck-made-beer-run.html