The age of the autonomous truck is here

Freightliner has recently been granted a license by Nevada to test out its autonomous tractor-trailer truck on state roads. The large truck manufacturer has been testing out this truck on private roads, but is now ready to debut it on public streets.

For those of you worried this development will signal the end of your job, never fear. The Freightliner Inspiration, as it’s called, is still designed to require human input. It’s equipped to drive itself only on limited access interstate roads. The human driver takes full control when the truck is in city, suburban and heavy access road and highway situations.

According to Freightliner, the truck is able to stay in its lane and avoid collisions with zero input from the driver. Considering Freightliner is owned by Daimler AG, which has been busy testing driverless cars for years, this advanced truck should be no surprise.

Reducing driver fatigue is one of the main selling points of a vehicle like this. Not only would drivers have more time to rest, but when they aren’t resting they can be more productive doing paperwork, trip planning or even relaxing to a movie in the cab.

Automated trucks could also save fuel by communicating electronically with each other and driving in platoons. This setup could yield huge aerodynamic benefits for tightly packed groups.

So before you worry autonomous trucking will put you out of a job, remember that humans are good at making things more comfortable for themselves without depriving themselves of purpose. And therein lies the future of autonomous trucking.