Autonomous trucks would pave a path for small business benefits

OPINION – The sense of normalcy that emerged as a sigh of relief during the tail-end of the COVID-19 pandemic was short-lived. Californians continue to grapple with staggering inflationary costs, environmental threats and supply chain challenges despite leadership efforts to bring stability back to hard-working Americans. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of multiple major global trading ports, state policymakers have the opportunity to revive California’s diverse economy and global supply chain. The Port of Los Angeles alone moved goods valued at $294 billion in 2021. Although certainly a feat, national labor and truck driver shortages leave the economic revival of California’s workforce and global supply chain at serious risk.

A formal rulemaking to authorize autonomous trucks on California roads would pave a path toward a highly efficient transportation and delivery system for Hispanic-owned businesses and the consumers we serve.

Removing humans from the driving task entirely reduces the delivery time of goods while dramatically improving road safety. Equipped with advanced technological capabilities, autonomous trucks are never distracted nor face the risk of falling asleep at the wheel. Autonomous trucks are also specifically designed to operate for extensive periods of time, while human drivers are limited by required resting periods. Long-haul trucking can also take drivers away from their families and homes for long periods of time.

Trucking jobs are hard jobs – a significant factor contributing to the current 78,000 driver shortage. Because of the shortage, many small businesses in the Hispanic community have suffered. Products pile up in warehouses, shelves stay empty, items are removed from menus, and prices go up. Autonomous trucks would help fill in the gaps of the existing shortage – which is predicted to double over the next six years – without resulting in mass driver layoffs.

The truck driver shortage not only impacts large-scale imports but also heavily impacts the success of small businesses. Hispanic small businesses make up around 10% of all businesses in the state, so our members are particularly familiar with this dynamic. The delivery time for a small business owner’s shipped goods significantly impacts their relationship and trust with consumers. Longer delivery times could result in consumers relying on larger corporations for their goods instead, which would ultimately decrease diversity and competition in the marketplace and wreak economic havoc.

With existing automated inventory management and omnichannel fulfillment technology expediting the flow of goods from receiving to outbound and autonomous trucks  increasing delivery speeds between warehouses and consumers, AV technology would exponentially shorten delivery times. With 48.5% of California’s workforce being employed by small businesses, autonomous trucks would positively impact more than half of the state’s workforce, offer an attainable solution to the supply chain crisis and help small businesses thrive: a win-win.

A formal rulemaking to authorize autonomous trucks on California roads would pave a path toward a highly efficient transportation and delivery system for Hispanic-owned businesses and the consumers we serve.

One study has shown that over time autonomous long-haul trucks will increase California’s economic output by upwards of $6.5 billion and add 2,400 jobs without mass layoffs. The U.S. Department of Transportation projected that autonomous trucks would raise wages for all workers and spur $111 billion in investment across all sectors – drastically improving the economy and, most importantly, the financial stability of hard-working Californians.

States like Arizona, New Mexico and Texas are already home to safe and successful AV truck operations. California is well-suited to be a leader in autonomous trucking jobs and economic growth because of its close proximity to existing AV hubs.

That’s why it’s especially concerning to hear that some lawmakers are considering a bill which would require human drivers behind the wheel of all AV trucks in California. The record shows that AVs are operating safely in other states, and furthermore, there simply aren’t enough drivers to bolster the supply chain our businesses and communities rely on to prosper.

The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce in California support the deployment of autonomous trucks in the Golden State, and policymakers and government leaders should as well. The benefits autonomous trucking will bring to California and the global supply chain are too great to ignore.