Driverless trucks will soon be taking over the roads across the Lone Star State.
Texas is quickly becoming the epicenter of the self-driving vehicle industry. Companies like Embark, Aurora, and Waymo are testing driverless trucks, operated using radars, lasers, cameras, and GPS. However, owner/operator Paul Pavilionis, a longtime driver, says he's concerned an automated vehicle will not be able to adapt quickly to changing road conditions.
“How’s it going to stop when there’s ice? How’s it going to know to react? The temperature might affect the way a computer works. So, if it’s too hot it could burn it up. It could malfunction,” Pavilionis said. “It could be just sitting there in the road, and somebody come up behind it. Motorcyclist, car, even worse, another truck.”
Innovators across the state have been hard at work on self-driving trucks, due in part to the nationwide shortage of quality truck drivers. Pavilionis says he likes technology, but at this point, he doesn't think a computer can replace a real human behind the wheel.