Electric trucks have been on the minds of industry leaders for quite some time. The prospects of self-driving autonomous vehicles have not only been the focus of many EV cars, but also industries that require driving full-time. If (and that’s a big IF) we see EVs move to the forefront of the trucking industry, what will we expect?

EV Trucks Will Replace Drivers

One of the biggest problems facing America right now is COVID-19. This has affected almost every industry across the world. From restaurants and small businesses, to global oil empires, everyone has felt the hard hit of the virus.

Unfortunately, one of the most over-extended workforces (next to doctors and nurses) is the trucking industry. The trucking industry has run into a few problems. Starting with the lack of skilled drivers. Many have left for retirement, and this made a big gap to fill. The second was COVID-19. This is currently hitting the industry hard. With so many truckers working extended hours with little to no hazard, pay, rest stops and supplies, they are left fighting an uphill battle.

Electric Trucks Remove The Need For Drivers

President Trump held a press conference last Thursday while truck drivers from across the country gathered to show protest for low freight-wages and pay. Unfortunately, the president took it differently. During the press conference, the President adressed the honking protests as an act of support for him. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Now, with the industry under intense scrutiny, many industry leaders are solving the problem. The problem, to them, isn’t that workers are being over-extended with long hours, no rest stops and lack of safe equipment. Its that they are starting to view the drivers themselves as the problem. What is their solution? Self-driving trucks.

Self-Driving Trucks Do Not Require A Driver

Here, we have a perfect example of bleeding an industry until its workers become an issue. Instead of helping those who have worked valiantly to help the country, the focus of where the industry will head to in the future does not worry themselves with the potential of having no workers.

Self-driving trucks do not protest. They do not need to eat, they have no families to tend to, and they have no emotions. They are simply a robot meant to do the job that they are programmed to do. If many industries have the potential to hire less people, they will. If those people decide they are being treated unfairly, they will speak out. Robots can’t do that.

The country relies on drivers in order to restock heavily emptied stores and pharmacies. They have worked day and night in order to help those in need. Despite their own safety, they have a job to do. Now, the industry is looking to squeeze them out completely.