Automation is a specter that hangs over the modern worker. The pace of technological advancement makes it difficult to keep up with certain careers. In the past 20 years, fields like web design and programming have exploded, while other fields are in danger of disappearing.
One such field is that of the professional driver. Truckers, cab drivers and delivery drivers are all at risk of having their jobs rendered obsolete by automation. What kind of time table could such jobs be working under, and how will automation impact them?
Automation and Drivers
Obsoletion
The average truck driver makes upwards of $50,000 per year, a great rate for a field that doesn’t require a high school diploma. As such, the threat of having their job vanish is mortifying for some truckers. While some truckers may be able to transfer into programming jobs, such a pivot certainly won’t be possible for all of them.
The average truck driver is 55 years old, which means that continuing education would be difficult. Needless to say, the average trucker isn’t going to take up web design. Cab drivers, delivery drivers and the like are also subject to this new technology deleting their jobs.
Timetable
Self-driving cars aren’t exactly happening tomorrow. There are still numerous kinks that need to be worked out, and the technology is still in a formative state. There are often reports of self-driving tech getting into accidents and misreading situations. What’s the likelihood that this formative technology is taking anyone’s job any time soon?
Frankly, it’s low. However, four or five years might be a reasonable timetable to keep in mind. There are a number of companies that are looking into self-driving cars, but even the most optimistic of guesses has proper self-driving tech hitting the market in 2021.
What to Do
What is one to do about this situation? If you’re currently a driver, you have time. Perhaps now is a good time to look into expanding your skills into a different field. Learning to code might seem tough, but jobs in programming are only becoming more desirable as time goes on.
Outside of programming, there are tons of jobs you could look into. Continuing education, if you’re able to pursue it, is a great option if you’re worried about obsoletion. However, many people are apprehensive that not all hard-working drivers will be able to pursue this path and could be on the way to financial disaster.