Ripe For Disruption > The Trucking Industry

Here's how Tesla, Uber, and Google are trying to revolutionize the trucking industry

Danielle Muoio, Published 9:07 am, Tuesday, June 20, 2017    

Source: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com

Silicon Valley has its sights set on the trucking industry, and for good reason.
Every time we receive a package of randomly assorted Amazon items, it was likely delivered on the back of a massive big-rig driven by one of 1.7 million truck drivers in the US. It's important, and grueling, work that was thrown into national focus for a brief moment when President Donald Trump climbed into an 18-wheeler in March.

But the job, the most common one in 29 states, is also ripe for disruption.
Medium- and heavy-duty trucks generate 23% of the US transportation sector's overall greenhouse gas emissions, and long hours combined with paltry wages lead to an extremely high turnover rate of 81%.
So when tech behemoths discuss electrifying or automating the trucking industry, it's easy to see why there's room for change. 
READ MORE for a breakdown of the companies trying to break into the space and what it all means

"Self-driving technology can transport people and things much more safely than we do today and reduce the thousands of trucking-related deaths each year," a Waymo spokesperson told Wired.
In 2015, 4,067 people were killed and 116,000 people were injured in crashes involving large trucks, according to the latest figures provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:

• Elon Musk is getting closer to making his Los Angeles tunnel network a reality
• Mercedes is quietly ramping up its efforts to become Tesla’s biggest battery rival
• Some owners could be invited to the unveiling of the Tesla semi-truck

SEE ALSO: A startup has a grand vision to make hydrogen trucks a reality by 2020 — here's its plan