[SEJeff]

And 9% of the fatal driving incidents with big trucks are caused by distracted drivers betweent 2014-2016: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/saf...

Interesting compilation of stats: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-t...

For every single liquid load, there are likely 50 non-liquid loads that can be better if automated. Perhaps humans only did the "dangerous" loads such as gasoline, or barrels of oil, etc? I think this isn't so black and white, but really is more of a shade of grey. Some things humans can do well autonomous trucks will do poorly. Some things humans do very poorly autonomous trucks will do very well. One of the other things is simple economics. There will likely never be autonomous truck unions picketing for shorter hours or higher pay. Note that I've got nothing against truckers unions, but think the sheer economics of the issue to carriers will inevitably force the issue eventually. The first carrier to seriously use autonomous trucking will likely be capable of delivering products to customers for cheaper, creating an imbalance in the industry. Every other company will be forced to compete, with a downward race on wages.

An approach like this for coal miners in Appalachia could work: https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/05/06/47...