As soon as Daimler released the self-driving Freightliner Inspiration, an autonomous class 8 truck, this past May, a conversation that had been slowly growing on the margins of the industry was instantly rocketed into the spotlight.
The technology that they’re built on and how they’ll affect the role of drivers in the years and decades to come have sparked some intense debates throughout the freight world. It’s easy to balk at any change to the status quo, and newer isn’t always better, but savvy owners and drivers don’t want to get left behind by the changing landscape either.