> For all the clients that have asked me about the political and economic problems associated with the rise of autonomous vehicles and more unemployed truckers, I keep telling them they’ve got it backwards: the US has had a trucker shortage for the last few years, and it’s projected to get worse.
In addition to the need to point out that "shortage" just means "I don't want to pay market rate", a shortage of truck drivers does not negate the concern of automation causing mass unemployment of truckers.
The concern is that the 450,000 truckers will lose their jobs. "We want to have 500,000 truckers who would lose their jobs" doesn't addresses that issue.
To be clear, I'm still very much in favor of automation, but people aren't "getting it backwards" here. These are two different problems.
In addition to the need to point out that "shortage" just means "I don't want to pay market rate", a shortage of truck drivers does not negate the concern of automation causing mass unemployment of truckers.
The concern is that the 450,000 truckers will lose their jobs. "We want to have 500,000 truckers who would lose their jobs" doesn't addresses that issue.
To be clear, I'm still very much in favor of automation, but people aren't "getting it backwards" here. These are two different problems.