Robots could replace 1.7 million American truckers in the next decade

Carmaking giants and ride-sharing upstarts racing to put autonomous vehicles on the road are dead set on replacing drivers, including truckers. Trucks without human hands at the wheel could be on U.S. roads within a decade, analysts and industry executives say.

At risk is one of the most common jobs in many states, and one of the last remaining careers that offer middle-class pay to those without a college degree. There are 1.7 million truckers in the U.S., and another 1.7 million drivers of taxis, buses and delivery vehicles. That compares with 4.1 million construction workers.

NATALIE KITROEFF Los Angeles Times

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