By Reagan Payne

Drivers all across the nation hear treacherous tales of self-driving trucks. Carriers that carry themselves down the interstate threaten driver job security, despite the current high demand.

Good news: these trucks are not truly autonomous — and might never be. If drivers are still required to be in trucks, then jobs are secure, MIT Technology Review reports. 

While it is obvious that these “autonomous” trucks need a driver and maybe an engineer on board for safe trial runs, could the truck ever do without? According to the Society for Automotive Engineers (SAE), a Level 5 self-driving truck is truly driverless. In these, AI is driving the machine and there is no need for a human driver.

As a society, we are decidedly not there yet. The trucks touted in these popular press pieces are Level 4 driverless vehicles at best. These Level 4 machines can drive themselves in very specific circumstances.

For example, a Level 4 truck may be able to drive on a pre-defined highway route in dry weather conditions only. Theoretically, this pre-defined route could include getting on and off the highway or interstate. The “backup driver” often drives the truck onto and off the highway to the delivery destination.

Misleading media

This happened with the Uber Otto “self-driving” semi-hauler that made a 120-mile run to deliver Budweiser. Not only do these souped-up cruise control vehicles need help getting on and off the highway, but a guild of guardian cars ensuring safe travels.

Some self-driving stunts employ human drivers to form a shield to keep traffic from interfering with the “autonomous” truck. Truckers handle this every single day, all on their own with no extra hands.

Surely these AI systems can be of use to truckers; productive rest time is a possibility with these developments. However, trucks still cannot accomplish these tasks fully autonomously. 

This development is currently a privately-held goal. Only companies are racing to achieve this level of technology; the government has only stepped in to regulate it. Not to mention the public’s reservations with the topic: does it maintain a safe highway and local environment to bystanders?

It is undeniable that things will go wrong with these developments. For the sake of public relations alone, trucking companies are sure to keep traditional drivers behind the wheel to gain points with the public. Not to mention sales: no one wants to drink beer from a delivery that killed a family of five on the way.

Reagan Payne is a staff writer for Wright Media. She can be reached at rpayne@wrightmediacorp.com.