Welcome to Automation and the Workforce, a new blog series from the AUVSI Advocacy team focused on one of the most pressing questions around unmanned systems: workforce.  
 

The evolution of autonomy is exciting and full of promise. As with every technology, however, comes questions about how its downstream use will affect the status quo. One of the largest questions around the deployment of autonomous solutions revolves around workforce, and how things like drones, autonomous vehicles, and unmanned maritime vessels will affect the American worker. In this series, we will be diving into this question headfirst, highlighting solutions providers, open questions, and public misgivings. Tune in to the AUVSI blog each week for a new angle on the intersection of autonomy and the workforce. 

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What will the truck driver of the future look like, and what will he or she do? If you are involved in the automated vehicle industry, work in higher education, or simply enjoy thinking about future workforce questions, you have probably asked that question before. 

Innovative administrators at Louisiana’s Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) have also given a lot of thought to that question, and recently announced a partnership with automated truck developer TuSimple to launch a training course in artificial intelligence. According to the TuSimple press release, students who enroll in this new offering “will be able to specialize in areas that complement the unique needs of the transportation industry in Louisiana.” 

In June, the two entities hosted an event to announce the new relationship, and worked with various state stakeholders to answer questions, clarify expectations, and above all present the new course offering as one that will uniquely benefit Louisianans. Participants included the Louisiana Motor Transport Association (LMTA), the state Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), state legislators, and LCTCS leadership.  

This partnership with TuSimple continues the commitment LCTCS has made to working collaboratively with industry to create a robust worker pipeline in the state. Students have the option to enroll in a variety of programs across the system’s 12 schools, and LCTCS is always soliciting industry partnerships to continue providing value. 

"Our community and technical colleges are responsible for meeting Louisiana's workforce needs," said LCTCS President Dr. Monty Sullivan. "One of the things that all of us recognize is the need for more CDL licensed drivers, but what we are also responsible for is looking over the horizon at new technology and how we can bring opportunities for places just like Baton Rouge Community College to convene that next-level technology." 
 

The specific focus on future transportation jobs is particularly notable given the trend towards automation within the long-haul trucking sector. Multiple news outlets have reported on how this specific use case is a more feasible application of automated driving systems, or ADS, given the relatively limited operational design domain (ODD) of driving on interstate highways. Technology developers have been signing deals with vehicle OEMs, or original equipment manufacturers, including TuSimple and Navistar and Torc Robotics and Daimler.  

A massive question around the increased automation of the trucking industry revolves around workforce, and how this eventuality will affect truck drivers and associated workers. Companies like TuSimple understand these concerns, and continue to proactively assure truck drivers and their advocacy organizations that if you start your job today as a driver, you will be able to retire as one. Jim Mullen, the former Acting Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) discussed this issue at length in a recent interview, and emphasized that ADS for long-haul trucking will improve road safety, increase efficiencies, and allow human truck drivers to prioritize first- and last-mile delivery, thereby ensuring evenings are spent at home with family instead of week after week on the road, away from home. 

TuSimple and other ADS industry players take this workforce concern very seriously, and just a few weeks ago AUVSI organized a panel discussion about this topic during our inaugural Automated Freight Summit. A representative from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters spoke frankly about the need for proactive industry outreach to drivers, a point that was taken well by industry representatives and other community colleges seeking to help provide that training pathway. Part of that panel was Missy Blair, who administers the Pima Community College Autonomous Vehicle Driver & Operations Specialist program in Arizona. Her team has blazed the way forward in this space for education professionals, and yet again TuSimple is the driving industry force behind that program.  
 

If your interest has been piqued at all, there will be a workforce panel at AUVSI’s upcoming trade show in Atlanta in two weeks, and LCTCS’ very own Tiffany Howard will be speaking about the various ways to train workers for commercial ground automation jobs. It would be great to see you there – click here for more information.