SYDNEY:MANY OF US ALREADY FEEL
A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE
SURROUNDED BY WALLS OF
TRACTOR-TRAILERS ON THE
HIGHWAY.BUT WHAT IF THE TRUCKS
WERE DRIVING THEMSELVES?ROBERT:
THE COMPANY WAYMO STARTED
TESTING OUT SELF-DRIVING SEMIS
ON TEXAS ROADS THIS
WEEK.CHRIS DAVIS IS LIVE IN
AUSTIN.. CHRIS, WAYMO IS
INTERESTED IN MAPPING OUT THE
TRIP FROM TEXAS TO NEW MEXICO.
CHRIS:THE COMPANY CALLS THAT
AN "INTERESTING AND PROMISING
COMMERCIAL ROUTE."SO YOU MIGHT
NOT BE SEEING THESE TRUCKS
HERE ON I-35 ANY TIME SOON..
BUT TRUCKING INSIDERS SAY IF
THIS TECH IS GOING WORK..
I'LL HAVE TO BE TESTED HERE
SOONER OR LATER.
TRUCK DRIVERS SPEND THEIR
LIVES ON THE
ROAD.DAY AND NIGHT.REPORTER:
"YOU DID'T MAKE YOUR BED
THIS MORNING."MASSAER DIAGNE:
"NO, I JUST WOKE UP, JUST WOKE
UP, MAN."MASSAER DIAGNE HAS
BEEN BEHIND THE WHEEL SINCE
2012.HE WORRIES ABOUT SHARING
THE ROAD WITH A SELF-DRIVING
TRUCK.. THAT DOES'T SHARE
HIS SAME
INSTINCTS.MASSAER DIAGNE:
"THE'RE NOT GOING TO
NECESSARILY REACT LIKE A HUMAN
BEING. THEY WILL REACT
ACCORDING TO A
PROGRAM."WAYM'S LONG-HAUL
TRUCKS WILL HAVE SOMEONE IN
THE DRIVE'S SEAT FOR THE
TESTS..AND INDUSTRY INSIDERS
SAY THA'LL BE THE CASE FOR A
LONG
TIME.JOHN D. ESPARZA:
"AUTOMATED TRUCKING IS A GREAT
BUZZWORD, BUT IT IS DRIVER-
ASSISTED TRUCKING."THE TEXAS
TRUCKING ASSOCIATION HEARS
FROM A LOT OF TRUCKERS..
CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING THEIR
JOBS.JOHN D. ESPARZA: "YOU
WO'T HAVE TO GO FAR TO FIND
ONE."BUT THE GROU'S
PRESIDENT DOES'T SEE THAT
HAPPENING IN THE FORESEEABLE
FUTURE.IN FACT.. HE SAYS
AUTOMATION WILL MAKE THE ROADS
SAFER... BECAUSE IT CAN DETECT
MORE THAN A HUMAN CAN TAKE IN
ALL AT
ONCE.WAYMO IS TESTING ON TEXAS
INTERSTATES.. LIKE I-10, I-20,
AND I-45.NO MENTION
SPECIFICALLY OF THE
DELAY-PRONE I-35.JOHN D.
ESPARZA: "BUT YOU WILL
ULTIMATELY HAVE TO TEST THOSE
PRODUCTS IN THOSE AREAS."
MASSAER DIAGNE: "TRAFFIC IN
AUSTIN IS JUST A KILLER."
DIAGN'S REGULAR ROUTE..
LAREDO TO DALLAS.. IS ENTIRELY
ON I-35.. LUCKY GUY.HE
DOES'T THINK ROBOTS WILL PUT
HIM OUT OF A JOB ANY TIME SOON.
BUT STILL..MASSAER DIAGNE:
"I'S A CONCERN. I GUESS YOU
WONDER WHA'S GOING TO
HAPPEN."
CHRIS:WAYM'S - WHICH IS
OWNED BY GOOGL'S PARENT
COMPANY ALPHABET - HAS ALREADY
TESTED THESE TRUCKS IN
CALIFORNIA, GEORGIA, AND
ARIZONA.
SYDNEY:"WAYMO" SAYS IT GAVE
THE FIRST RIDE EVER IN A FULLY
AUTONOMOUS CAR IN AUSTIN IN
2016.THOSE CARS ARE NO LONGER
BEING TESTED HERE.
IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR,
FORD ANNOUNCED I'S BRINGING
DRIVERLESS CARS TO AUSTIN.
HUMAN DRIVERS WILL HELP THE
CARS MAP OUT EVERYTHING IN THE
AREA AND OVERRIDE THE CAR WHEN
NEEDED AS THEY ROLL THEM OUT.
THE CARS HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT
TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY TO HELP
THEM SENSE SURROUNDINGS.THAT
INCLUDES LASERS, CAMERAS,
RADAR AND ULTRASONIC SENSORS.
THE FORD CARS ARE EXPECTED TO
HIT THE STREETS NEXT YEAR.
JIM
