Autonomous Semi Trucks

RRY16 · Feb 26, 2017

Handle123 said:
Last company I drove before I got ill was paying me 49 cents a mile, 44cpm base and I would take all the bonus loads as they were the most fun, ave 7.5 miles per gallon on flat and 5 on mountains, and almost always 750 miles circle around Columbus, Ohio and this covers like 80% of population of USA. So trucking companies charge more per mile for short runs and the trucker gets screwed cause NOW truckers get $15-25 an hour past 2 hours shipper or receiver has 2 hours to put in/take freight and then they go by minutes of paying $100-$150 an hour, so gets small amount, also companies no longer allow trailers to be used by other companies for free as storage, plus much more JIT(just in time) loads instead of moving more product than they need and leave in free storage containers.

Felons, some companies mostly hire felons, felon must get job when they get out and get screwed even on outside cause constant parole officers make sure they working, so companies offer 17cpm(Cents per Mile) which is close to nothing, and U.S. government pays the company half of this, health insurance is like three times what I would have to pay for BCNS and $15 a week. Often these other companies make felon sign documents that allow company to collect on flat tires, steer tires have to be brand new and go for $800-1500 each, whereas rethreads like $500 each, don't know cost of one huge tires that are rated like if trailer had 2 tires, they might be cheaper tire, but trucker not allowed to drive if he gets a flat then you have to call road service to come out to replace on the shoulder. So many tricks to screw overall uneducated truck drivers where they can't take any time off to pay the bills at home.

The big money in trucking is not where most think. Very very dangerous, I did 4 months in Alaska, took ten years off my life, those shows on TV are bullcrap, with polar bears that come out of nowhere to minus 80 degrees, you have to change flats, if you pass a truck on the road and don't check it out, Troopers put you in jail, don't take long to freeze to death, you can make pretty fair over $100k, but everything there is fricking expensive. Beautiful skies, a good 2.5 months you just learn to drive on ice everywhere, weeks go by before take off the chains and you have to learn how to put in links, learn how to piece thing back together on plastic ties and duck tape. Almost went through ice on lake, steer tires got stuck fifteen feet from shore, was lucky as two trucks chained from trailers to hooks on truck and pulled it out, man I was shaking. Yea, bad idea that would be fun, but did learn how to drive on ice better and got real good at chaining. But first several times thought I was having a heart attack, they have double chains you have to drag across both tires and if you lack upper body Muscles, you will build them up fast, man they are heavy, always dirty when taking them off and glad you have 24 bungee cords to tighten them up, even put cables on steer tires and smaller bungee cords. Before this never did flatbed, I have appreciation for guys that do that now, don't remember all the times got hurt putting on tarps cause of the wind, tarp become like a sail. Dock workers make bets on who they going to call EMS to take to hospital, LOL, you get $200 to put on tarps, hell if I could find someone to put them on, I would, but $200 in Alaska isn't much in some areas.
Some of the bridges were so steep, you start at ten miles an hour, never touch the gas petal and at bottom you tapping brakes every so little and going 110mph cause you have to go back up on other side and of course it is ice road, not all trucks make it up, then slide backwards all the way down or jackknife.

Car hauling pays well, you make most putting cars on/off trailers, often times to just go to railroad yard in city then to car dealers in same city, another dangerous job of climbing on the rails of trailers when icy, windy and raining, praying that nothing falls down, you chained down vehicles hard enough to be able to get under 13'6" bridges, if half inch too high, will have convertibles. Did that for six months, I am 6'6" tall and was 350lbs, so hard for me to fit through the side windows, and not all cars running and owners no where to be seen, have to push damn thing up lower ramp, pay guys to help push it 30 feet like you back playing football. Hauling for government was fun, no logbook, always an escort of jeeps, solders with guns, stop every 2 hours to check trailer, sleep in motel each night, company making huge money as I was salary of 2 G's a week. that was fun, never knew where I was going till I got there, wow, mountains carved out and helicopters take entire trailer into the mountain. And yet hauling explosives, not much money there........ I didn't do it but drivers do well hauling wrestling shows, they usually have double sets, so next town is being set up while playing in town at one location, drivers usually help put up sets.

I love driving, love the freedom, being home for so long can't stand it, I love just getting away and so much of America is so different from another state right next door, some parts of deep South is still confederate, they flying just the Confederate flag out front, better not be AA and go inside to ask for directions. Some places are like they never went past 1938.
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Jan Michael Vincent has nothing on you.

rolando87 · Sep 1, 2017

So does the new Cummins short range truck use an Eaton transmission?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joannm...ty-truck-powered-by-electricity/#2bed212078f1

themickey · Sep 1, 2017

In Australia there are autonomous trucks and trains, but on these are on mine sites...

http://www.riotinto.com/ourcommitment/spotlight-18130_18328.aspx

http://www.riotinto.com/australia/pilbara/mine-of-the-future-9603.aspx

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/nobo...ps-jimblebar-iron-ore-mine-site-ng-b88529442z

vanzandt · Sep 1, 2017

rolando87 said:
So does the new Cummins short range truck use an Eaton transmission?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joannm...ty-truck-powered-by-electricity/#2bed212078f1
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The Cummins in the article is electric but its not autonomous. That being said, the answer is no, electric semi's would not need a transmission like Eaton's. They would be of a direct drive type setup.

The Eaton transmission would be used with a conventional diesel engine in an autonomous (no driver to shift gears) long haul truck.

rolando87 · Sep 1, 2017

Yea right I almost forgot they don't use transmissions.

Surprised they put such a tiny battery. I guess it probably makes sense as they figured the truck would be load and unloading frequently thus giving it the quick recharge opportunities.

DeltaRisk · Sep 1, 2017

vanzandt said:
Think self driving cars are the next wave? Odds are it will be trucks first. I figured that would be the case...., this article seems to confirm my beliefs.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-driverless-trucks-will-come-before-self-driving-cars-2016-9

And it makes sense. Highway driving is a more conducive environment in the early stages of this metamorphis.
The market will be HUGE. Companies like Fedex, UPS, Yellow, Schneider, JB Hunt.... the list goes on and on.

Soooo ... I was thinking about that.

18 Speed manual transmissions are pretty much the industry standard.
Well thats not going to work. They're not going to have a robot sitting there in the seat pushing the clutch and changing gears. So I started doing a little patent research into automatic transmissions for semis.

There's one worldwide leader out there. Google "Eaton's AutoShift and UltraShift" products. Volvo has an entry (but even they are using Eaton's), Mercedes is working on it.. that's about it.

The Eaton chart looks pretty good too. And they are definitely a Trump stock. The beauty of it is...for the most part, they haven't really enjoyed the rally. They're still cheap. And they pay a 3.16% dividend.

Do your own research but this one sure sounds like one you can put in your 401K and forget about. Every self driving semi in the world will be using their transmissions and or their patents. And self-driving semis are going to be king of the road. Pun intended.

"See your future Danny.... Be, ....be your future"
-Ty Webb
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I've done extensive research on the product, and similar self driving software.
I'm afraid, in a few decades we will have a new normal.
A growing populace with even fewer jobs and opportunities will result in........?

Turveyd · Sep 1, 2017

DeltaRisk said:
I've done extensive research on the product, and similar self driving software.
I'm afraid, in a few decades we will have a new normal.
A growing populace with even fewer jobs and opportunities will result in........?
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No bugger can afford fancy tech and 99% of us will back to cycling around, with only the rich able to still drive anything.

That's going to be the result 20years out.

My MPC is quite low likely produce more co2 than modern cars per mile, C = Cake.

DeltaRisk · Sep 1, 2017

Turveyd said:
No bugger can afford fancy tech and 99% of us will back to cycling around, with only the rich able to still drive anything.

That's going to be the result 20years out.

My MPC is quite low likely produce more co2 than modern cars per mile, C = Cake.
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D=Donuts.

On a more serious note, it is hard to imagine that world. Prehaps it's for the better, but I don't know what'll happen in the transitioning period. Big businesses will of course adopt it, but the truckers union is one of the strongest in the country.
We shall see how it all plays out...

ironchef · Sep 1, 2017

DeltaRisk said:
I've done extensive research on the product, and similar self driving software.
I'm afraid, in a few decades we will have a new normal.
A growing populace with even fewer jobs and opportunities will result in........?
More...

Every self driving truck will have a captain, a first officier watching the computer screen. They will need special training, a college degree and pass a special board examine managed by a Professional Board licensed by the State and Federal Government..... There will be more people employed than is now.

DeltaRisk · Sep 1, 2017

ironchef said:
Every self driving truck will have a captain, a first officier watching the computer screen. They will need special training, a college degree and pass a special board examine managed by a Professional Board licensed by the State and Federal Government..... There will be more people employed than is now.
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Keep believing that. The internet is not a safe zone.

Remember.... "no new taxes?"