Will Drone Deliveries Disrupt Trucking?
Will drone deliveries disrupt trucking? That’s the question.
The transportation industry has been buzzing about drones for quite some time. But just how big of an impact will these flying robots have?
As big players such as Amazon, Google, UPS and DHL begin to enter this space, only time will tell just what the capabilities will be. Many retailers and delivery companies are predicting that this will allow drivers to make more delivers, quicker without covering as many miles. This opens the door up for some huge cost savings.
Imagine this as a Fleet Manager…
Your driver loads up multiple packages and begins his route to a central location. Once there, the back hatch opens and a drone/multiple drones are deployed to deliver packages within a certain radius. Meanwhile, the driver is able to continue the route by delivering the heavier packages.
eCommerce is only going to continue to grow and customers are quickly becoming more accustomed to speedy deliveries. And let’s face it, no one likes “paying” for shipping. Drone deliveries could open the way to companies being able to meet (or even exceed) customer expectations, and do it while on a more manageable budget.
What Does It Mean for Jobs?
Much like the autonomous trucks, it all depends. It depends on how far the technology will progress. It depends upon how “safe” these drones will really be and what type of regulations will be put in place.
Rather than replacing jobs, there’s also the potential for drones to make the job easier and workers more efficient. Ultimately, this might result in happier drivers. And potentially, technology like this could attract younger drivers into the industry.
In the end, there will always be some limitations on technology such as drones and autonomous trucks. This also means, there will always be a need for CDL drivers. There’s just way more to being a professional driver than simply driving a truck.
Answering the Question
So, will there be some disruption? Yes. How much and how soon? That remains to be seen.
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Dickinson Fleet is the nation’s leader in mobile truck maintenance and repair. We currently have 230 mobile trucks equipped with state of the art technology visiting our customers nightly in nearly every major city in the country.
