Driver-less Trucks taking over the world? How do they refuel?
Sharing a note sent to staff:
Team –
An article in Tech Crunch got re-posted by Quartz, which has a lot of readers, and so one can figure a lot of eyes have seen it now. Here’s a link:
Rapid synopsis: So a convoy of self-driving trucks has made it across Europe. Removing drivers from trucks would lower costs by 75%. While there are obstacles, you got to figure the likes of FedEx, UPS and Walmart will find a way to make it happen here. Economic impacts are huge, potentially. Goods get cheaper. 1% of the workforce will be threatened. Things that cater to truckers will suffer. Motels, truck stops, highway diners were mentioned. Lot Lizards were not, but should have been.
But here’s a question for all you bright folks to ponder: Say this really happens. How are we going to fuel these bad boys? Here are some ideas to consider:
- Trucks are modified with extreme fuel capacity, with the goal of going non-stop.
- Existing truck stops are modified to allow driver-less trucks to safely negotiate to pumps where humans fill them.
- New land is set aside, like rest stops, for driver-less trucks to park. Businesses pay for concession rights to wet-hose them, kind of like airports fuel planes.
- Technology will allow driver-less fueling trucks to work sections of highway to refuel on the move, much as tankers refuel jet fighters in flight.
So, if you were a jobber on I-40 hoping to corner the market on this, say, around Gallup NM, what would you build?
Bill Smallwood