[oflannabhra]

The most difficult problem for semi-trucks and their drivers are delivery and pickup. Full level 5 autonomy for a truck would need to include navigating busy parking lots, backing up to bay doors, loading docks, and loading lots. Other tasks simple for a human, but difficult for machines would be identifying where the delivery/pickup point is, and actually unloading/loading goods. All these can be solved, but will require some level of standardization. I expect they will be easier and cheaper to solve with humans for some time.

I see a future where drivers get in the truck, handle the hard bits at the beginning and end, the truck handles the tedious A->B without stopping, while the drivers can rest, and then the drivers take over at B.