Is AI Revolution Threatening Your Job as a Professional Driver?

You have heard of driverless trucks and now you can see them in your industry. How will this development change your career outlook? How long will it take to force you out of employment? Can it even replace you at your job?

This post will answer these questions for you.

Risk Element

The most reassuring piece of information for HGV drivers is the high risk associated with these vehicles. On average, these trucks and cars cause 100% more accidents per traveled mile as compared to human-driven cars.

After all, as an HGV driver, you have passed the hazard perception test even before starting to practice your HGV driving skills on road under supervision to prepare for your HGV practice test.

Regulation

The government has decided to allow trucks, cars, and buses with automatic features to operate in the UK. Yet, these trucks will take some time before gaining the trust of local authorities for all models and delivery purposes.

At the same time, the regulations that will oversee the performance of these vehicles will accompany this permission. These regulations and regular maintenance and check of these safety functions will raise the costs of operating these vehicles, making them relatively less beneficial than they appear right now.

Reliability and Trust

Today’s business world depends heavily on speed. E-commerce has dominated the market and will continue to do so for foreseeable future. In other words, the world will continue to rely on a just-in-time inventory model, relying on the fast pace of logistic companies even more.

Because of the accident rates accompanying driverless vehicles, this reliability will be seriously damaged. Consequently, driverless vehicles will only entertain well-planned deliveries with extended delivery times.

Upfront Costs

The last reason that may prevent the loss of job opportunities for thousands of truck drivers is the upfront cost of buying these trucks. Initially, only a few companies will adopt the revolution followed by more.

Considering this trend, drivers should diversify their skills in related fields including scheduling the trucks, checking the safety features of the trucks, and communicating with the interface of these trucks.

Take Away

Driverless trucks are here to stay and they may mean intense changes in the job market for HGV drivers. For now, this change will be slow, but it will speed up in the coming years. Although the driving jobs will diminish with time, related jobs will surface. Drivers need to diversify their skills to fulfill the skillset required by future staff.