Lack of drivers - then the trucks drive themselves

-- As long as I've been in the industry, people have been talking about self-driving, but now it's really getting closer, says Karin Rådström, CEO of the global truck giant Daimler Truck, in "Alex meets" on SVT Play.

The manufacturers point out that the driver shortage is driving the development towards trucks that drive themselves. According to the industry organization IRU's latest report, almost three million truck drivers are missing in the 18 markets surveyed. Recruitment is becoming increasingly difficult, and especially for younger generations, long-haul trucking has become less attractive.

Everyday life in China

China is a big market for self-driving vehicles. There, they are already being used in mines and ports, and small driverless delivery vans are running in city centres.

- The main driving force is the cost. In China, it is half as expensive to operate a self-driving vehicle. The other driver is accessibility. Without a driver, it can run around the clock, notes Yong Gessner, European manager at Neolix, which invests in such smaller autonomous transport vehicles.

USA first

For Volvo and Daimler, the US is the first market for self-driving trucks. There are long stretches of highway between logistics hubs, and several states, such as Texas and Arizona, are more permissive than Europe when it comes to releasing self-driving vehicles onto public roads. The EU has opened up for driverless trucks, but in several countries, including Sweden, it is still unclear who is responsible if something happens.