Autonomous trucks are delivering goods for customers, and they’re ushering in a world with safer roads and stronger supply chains. But as self-driving fleets commercially scale, what effects can we expect on jobs and the economy?
The U.S. Department of Transportation studied this issue closely and, in 2021, issued a report on the macroeconomic impacts of automation in long-haul trucking. The report concludes that any decreases in trucking jobs will likely be due to natural occupational turnover rather than significant layoffs. What’s more, the report estimates that autonomous trucking will create 26,400 to 35,100 new jobs per year on average.
So what will these new jobs look like? And how might existing jobs change?
