Rural towns already scared

Some towns in rural America subsist on truckers and travelers getting off the highway for a short stop. Just like the railroads and the interstate highway system boosted some towns and caused the disappearance of others, no doubt driverless vehicles will do the same. 

One Nebraska writer is already trumpeting the disaster that will ensue when vehicles go driverless. He is envisioning a significant loss of jobs for truckers, truck stops and restaurants. 

I'm not sure the reality will be as bad the writer fears. Even a traveler who is not driving wants to get out of the vehicle once in a while and the whole point of traveling, in my mind, is to experience local flavor. However, there is no doubt that the loss of driving jobs will have a huge impact on immigrant communities and rural America, where the basic skill of driving can provide a living wage for a family. 

For the past few decades, rural communities have been losing population. Now it is true that the loss of trucking-related jobs will most likely continue that cycle, except in places that have found other ways to attract business, mostly through education and tourism.