The world’s first autonomous truck was recently rolled out under the watchful eye of the Nevada Trucking Association, which is concerned about the safety of the technology and the potential loss of human truck driver skills.
“We are watching it and we’re going to have to figure out the public policy to ensure safety and ensure that this technology works,” said Paul J. Enos, CEO of the Nevada Trucking Association.
He is excited about the new development of technology in his home state, but says it’s too early to tell whom the winners and losers might be. “It’s a game changer potentially, if they can prove that this technology works,” he said.
The world’s first autonomous 18-wheeler was introduced at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Tuesday, supported by Gov. Brian Sandoval, who released an official Nevada license plate for use of the new truck on public roads, according to NBC News.
German car manufacturer Daimler AG is behind the new innovation, and its American subsidiary Freightliner Trucks will test the new truck, dubbed Freightliner Inspiration Truck, on Nevada’s public roads. Daimler AG board member Wolfgang Bernhard sees a number of potential advantages to a driverless truck, including a fleet of trucks that have no humans on board.
