“There’s no question that finally putting driverless semi trucks into regular interstate runs will be a turning point for the industry. A driver’s salary is 26 percent of the per-mile cost of operating a truck, Truckers Report says, while other studies have found it to be around 40 percent. Going driverless would result in considerable savings for the U.S. freight-truck business, which generates more than $900 billion in annual revenue.

An acute driver shortage — frequently mentioned as a motivation for going autonomous — is no longer a major factor in the United States, though some cite a global shortage last year of 3.6 million drivers. ‘Currently there is not a big U.S. shortage,’ said Bob Costello, chief economist at the American Trucking Associations. ‘We’ve seen demand fall so much in recent years.’

A consensus is emerging that fully autonomous Class 8 trucking on major highways will arrive in 2027, with multiple companies prepared to roll out fleets, mostly in Texas, beginning later this year. (Trucks are classified from 1 to 8 and 8 is the biggest.)”

From New York Times.