Thread: Professional truck drivers?

Originally Posted by Corgie Carrier

B double couldn't do this! They must be fitted with FUPS.

FUPS?

Originally Posted by weeds

FUPS?

Front Under run Prevention System.

Originally Posted by weeds

FUPS?

Oh, the big solid bar down low at the front. Always figured it was owners protecting the underneath of the truck from roos and alike.

A few weeks ago I went up to Wellcamp airport (saw about 8 mothballed jetliners) on the new Toowoomba Bypass Toll road which has a section that is 80/90 I can't recall, but also warns of time lapse/speed averaging cameras. In the hilly section we passed a grain carter crawling up the mountain, however near the airport turn off he came roaring up behind us, so not wanting to exceed our average speed I pulled over onto the shoulder to let him pass, he obviously fancies himself as a mathematical genius, that can work out his average speed/time/distance while driving, or knows where the 2nd camera is, I didn't notice it, and ignores the consequences for anyone in his path!

Maybe some grain carriers are just different like this bloke, The Only Witness - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) ?

Had a bit of a WOW reading self driving truck growth projections this morning.



What will self-driving trucks mean for truck drivers?

"The industry, however, may be on the cusp of a seismic change. Nearly a dozen companies around the world are working on developing autonomous trucking - in which a variety of sensors feed data to a computer that controls the vehicle."

"According to data from Acumen Research and Consulting, the semi and fully autonomous truck market is expected to reach approximately $88bn (£64bn; €74bn) by 2027, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 10.1% between 2020 and 2027.


The technology, experts say, has the potential to revolutionise the $700bn (£500bn; €590bn) a year trucking industry that touches every corner of the global economy - creating new business opportunities and saving companies millions.



"

This is clearly not a good our look for Truck Drivers if projections are correct.

The thread re grain truckers had me thinking about an incident on the South Coastal Hwy in WA recently. Between Esperance and Ravensthorpe lots of them use it going to and from the port and some of their driving is not of the best and nor was their on air language if anyone dares get in their path.
I had a empty B Double in front of me for quite a few kays and he was all over the place then started indicating left..... but was he going to turn left? Or was he saying he was staying to the left? Or was he telling me to overtake as the road ahead was clear?
I had no idea but as I take no notice of others when it comes to it being safe to overtake, stayed where I was about 30 metres back. Apparently I'm a four eyed ****** ****** who shouldn't be allowed on the roads according to his or the bloke behinds over the air description.
The road is not a good one for such heavy traffic and should be upgraded but as I held up no one and was not sitting up close why should he react like that?
On the road a lot they may be, but some of them aren't that much better than the average motorist in my opinion.
AlanH.

If they cannot get a Tesla to safely self drive on Aussie roads I doubt they will be able to get a truck to do it - though even then it will probably be safer than our supposed "professional drivers".

Originally Posted by NavyDiver

.....


The technology, experts say, has the potential to revolutionise the $700bn (£500bn; €590bn) a year trucking industry that touches every corner of the global economy - creating new business opportunities and saving companies millions.



This is clearly not a good our look for Truck Drivers if projections are correct.

If you've been in the trucking industry, even for a short while, you will truly understand the level of BS these tech experts have in their proposals!
They've been at it since day one in this so called digital age, and instead of making it more streamlined, it's made it far more complicated in reality(on the whole).

Transportation is not simply about: vehicle in -> unloaded -> vehicle out.
It takes no consideration for environmental impacts in any way, and how those impact on day to day operation.

What I'm currently doing is impossible in a self driving truck. Not to say that I'm some kind of expert driver, which I'm not. Just that every load, unload has so many variables that go with it, even an Ai system of 100% reliability won't do it.
Self driving trucks can't unload themselves and clear debris immediately post the unload(tipper) .. can't strap down loads of pallets themselves .. etc.

For some situations one could easily see where self driving trucks could be useful(say in container work from one dock to another) .. but to sideload a container into a narrow street with all manner of obstacles strewn around the place, and with the necessity of driving over footpaths/gutters etc, which are technically illegal.
Steering a 'walking floor' dump truck into position after a sprinkling of rain at the landfill site .. self driving truck would just BSOD after BSOD after BSOD .. and the front end loader will just push the retarded thing into landfill, and be done with it.

Only way for self driving trucks to operate with this pie in the sky idiotic delusional level of efficiency that these tech experts believe will be the result .. is in computer simulations.
In the real world .. pretty much no hope ever!

the necessary industries will never adapt themselves to accommodate self driving trucks .. space and cost requirements will put them out of business in quick time.

And the notion of relying on sensors to get you through ... really? Are we not primarily LR owners and operators here .. how many failed sensors do we come across in our own personal lives and via forums from other's experiences.