While the prospect of self-driving trucks is exciting - and a little scary - it also raises the question, what happens to truck drivers?
As Colorado Public Radio reports, a self-driving semi-truck, just a few months ago, transported beer from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, Colorado, setting a Guinness World Record in the process.
Greg Fulton, president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, which represents trucking companies isn't ready to sound the alarm.
But Gov. John Hickenlooper told CPR News that “technology is eliminating entire professions, in giant, leaping steps,” adding that he questions what will happen to truck drivers if the technology takes off.
Republican Sen. Owen Hill, who views the technology as an opportunity, said the technology “actually frees people up to do what they do best.”
Hill co-sponsored Senate Bill 17-213, aimed at regulating self-driving vehicles. The law, which takes effect this week, mandates that automated driving systems follow the same state and federal laws that apply to human drivers.