AV Trucking at a Highway Near You

Dear truck drivers,

The argument truck manufacturers and tech companies are making in favor of autonomous vehicle technology driving trucks - and to replace your jobs - are that it is impossible to hire and retain enough drivers and that truck driving is the most dangerous job in America, so AV technology will save lives - unemployed lives.

Read below and get working on Plan B because that big rig job might not be there in a few years.

Already happening

Uber has been sending AV trucks on Arizona roads for the past few months. Why it has taken this long to hit the airwaves, don't ask me. Arizona has been completely off hands, no pun intended, on AVs from the beginning.  I am listing two articles that give details. about the trucking testing, again on regular roads.

1. https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/06/uber-self-driving-trucks-deliveries-arizona/ and 
2. https://www.usnews.com/news/technology/articles/2018-03-06/ubers-self-driving-trucks-haul-cargo-on-arizona-highways

Ford - Miami by 2021

Ford is going for colorful, loud Miami to test its AVs and pilot its "business model with human-driven vehicles doing things like delivering Domino’s pizza and Postmates."

Japan could beat bad pizza to the punch. This week, Japan has a pilot of AV delivery trucks on public roads for its post office company. Actual service is planned for 2020.

Starsky without Hutch

Just a little bad 70s humor there with Starsky and Hutch. I'm not talking 70s TV, but autonomous trucks. Starsky Robotics, a startup AV trucking technology company, is not really producing AV tech, though it is enabling driverless trucking. According to a good article in the San Fransisco Chronicle, Starsky has produced a system for remote-control - by humans - operation of trucks.

This is really partially autonomous, Tesla-autopilot with a remote driver hired to take care of those driving situations that the technology is not up to at the moment. "Starsky’s plan: Hire truck drivers to sit in a remote control center, using video-game-like controls to navigate trucks from distribution centers to highways and vice versa. The remote operators would also oversee the long-haul part of the trip, helping with lane merges and navigating between different roads, for instance."

Yes, now I am compelled to put in the intro video from the TV show.

Pizza and AVs? And other tales of delveries

1. Pizza rant

Image from Yelp of Freddy & Peppers.

As a native New Yorker, I'm outraged. Should I start an advocacy effort or PR campaign to halt the spread of bad pizza? And what is it anyway with bad pizza and autonomous vehicles (AVs) for delivery? Doesn't everyone know a local dive with a good oven is where you get decent pizza?

But your typical neighborhood pizzeria doesn't have big bucks for AV investment. In the city - by which I mean Manhattan, Brooklyn, and parts of Queens - your local pizza place has a bicycle or a delivery person with a bike.  Beyond the Island, New Haven and New Jersey, there is some, but little, good pizza, Sorry, that's reality.

2. Back to AVs and pizza

Dominoes and Pizza Hut are investing in AVs, presumably to get rid of delivery gig workers, who, I'm guessing, show as much loyalty to those companies as these companies show to them. But these deals demonstrate a new round of musical chairs, with large retail and food corporations lining up to integrate service and get rid of drivers - and vehicle manufacturers playing both producer of AVs and future fleet managers,

Ford’s early partners for its AV service platform include Domino’s, Lyft, and, as of today, Postmates. The idea is that Ford will eventually launch and operate its fleet of autonomous vehicles, and that partners including those listed above will be able to essentially plug into the fleet and use it as they would their current delivery drivers and vehicles, with communications protocols and intelligent dispatch built into Ford’s vehicle management system.

Only Postmates is a new partner. Ford is touting the technology as a universal operating system as well as bragging about the impressive partnerships. The legacy auto manufacturer is wisely making its bets to diversify its car-(or truck)-in-every-driveway business model.

Toyota, on the other hand, is partnering with Pizza Hut. More below about the vehicle. Apparently, Toyota has no teens or 20-something dystopian fans in its design shop because the AV with the Hut logo brought to many minds a TV show episode's negative connotations. Much freaking out was reported.

E-Pallette concept

Image from theverge.com

Toyota's technology is not out in front, but I like the design idea. I actually had this idea, but it was coffee talk. Toyota introduced the AV design of the empty vessel that can be tailored for different purposes. "Called e-Palette, the concept vehicle has no windshield and no fixed seats but is designed for use as a passenger-carrying minivan, a parcel-delivery truck, or even a mobile office or hotel room."

Getting close to my personal AV tiny house fantasy.

More than pizza

Screenshot from Udelv.com

A California start up is working on the first-mile/last-mile piece for deliveries. "Udelv plans to unveil Jan. 30. Its self-driving van will bring consumers food and kitchen goods from the high-end Draeger’s Market chain in the Bay Area city of San Mateo."

One can ask why. Who can beat Amazon in this space? Amazon is investing big time. Chutzpah and a wish to cash in when Amazon or some other company snatches it up?

As a Trucks.com post wisely points out, no word on the delivery vehicle-to-front-door piece. The whole point of ordering delivery of bad pizza is to not go outside one's door. More so for deliveries of consumer goods. No one even wants to be home for that.