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Self-driving truck delivers butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days

santacruzsentinel.com

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Re: Self-driving truck delivers butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days

#31
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment and the parent's are snarky and ungenerous. The accomplishment is the self-driving truck crossing 3k miles, not the butter contained within.

Actually the butter is the important thing in this article. The self-driving revolution isn't going to enable beautiful and wondrous accomplishments. Instead, it's going to enable international megaconglomerates to more cheaply exploit the desperately poor migrant workforces of far-away places. That's all you're going to get out if it: butter at the same price, but from Tulare County and the butter company saves ten…

When my family immigrated to this country I was told I was here to take "their jobs". I started by taking an engineering job but I'm only one person that's not good enough, so I automated everyone around me out of a job... but I could do better. Make AI that does people's jobs and I the immigrant can take a lot more people's jobs.

Re: Self-driving truck delivers butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days

#33
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually the butter is the important thing in this article. The self-driving revolution isn't going to enable beautiful and wondrous accomplishments. Instead, it's going to enable international megaconglomerates to more cheaply exploit the desperately poor migrant workforces of far-away places. That's all you're going to get out if it: butter at the same price, but from Tulare County and the butter company saves ten…

Why isn’t this a great accomplishment? People don’t have to be long haul truck drivers or be alert the whole time.. Even if it entirely eliminates human beings, it means the person who’d be driving the truck will be able to do better paying or other fulfilling tasks. Who knows...study or become an artist or spend more time with children etc. I also don’t see how migrant workers are being exploited? How is anyone expl…

> I also don’t see how migrant workers are being exploited? How is anyone exploited if they are not driving long haul truck routes?

Because you are making it cheaper to transport from California agribusinesses who are known for violating labor laws to Pennsylvania who is known for enforcing labor laws.

This is in opposition to local manufacturing which becomes more economically feasible the more transport costs.

Re: Self-driving truck delivers butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days

#34
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. Imagine believing you have accomplished something by hauling butter 3000 miles to Pennsylvania.

That’s the reality of modern agriculture. All of this innovation and advanced tech just squeezing a few pennies out of butter. Check out this gentleman, a 4th generation onion farmer in upstate NY who cannot sell his onions at any price. Like many farmers in the northeast, he’ll be bankrupt in a few months. https://twitter.com/ChrisPawelski/status/1173339453332643840... Produce buyers use cartel tactics to suppress p…

Curious.. Do you not see any other upsides except saving a ‘few pennies out of butter’?

Better working conditions..less accidents..data collection. Fast delivery..efficiency?

Re: Self-driving truck delivers butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days

#35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment and the parent's are snarky and ungenerous. The accomplishment is the self-driving truck crossing 3k miles, not the butter contained within.

Your last sentence is something I never thought I'd read. There is a motivational poster in there somewhere.

Or maybe a "demotivational" one.

"Citizenship" A celebration of all the moments our children will remember as the beginning of the end, thanks to our desire to change the world for the butter.

Re: Self-driving truck delivers butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days

#36
post #19

“the truck drove mostly autonomously.” That last 10% is going to be a lot of work. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety-ninety_rule

I'll take a 90% efficiency gain any day. If they can drive I-70 from SF to NYC with no human, or the 10 from Florida to California, that seems like a win, even if the person has to drive in the city. Warehousing will just get shifted around to work with where the trucks can safely drive.

I'll take a 90% efficiency gain any day.

If you need a safety driver 100% of the time, the net gain in efficiency is 0%.

Edit: There's no comment in the article about there being period with no safety driver.

Re: Self-driving truck delivers butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days

#37
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually the butter is the important thing in this article. The self-driving revolution isn't going to enable beautiful and wondrous accomplishments. Instead, it's going to enable international megaconglomerates to more cheaply exploit the desperately poor migrant workforces of far-away places. That's all you're going to get out if it: butter at the same price, but from Tulare County and the butter company saves ten…

Why isn’t this a great accomplishment? People don’t have to be long haul truck drivers or be alert the whole time.. Even if it entirely eliminates human beings, it means the person who’d be driving the truck will be able to do better paying or other fulfilling tasks. Who knows...study or become an artist or spend more time with children etc. I also don’t see how migrant workers are being exploited? How is anyone expl…

I take it you are not a trucker who is providing for a family. Think about not only losing your job but losing your entire industry.

Re: Self-driving truck delivers butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days

#38
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why isn’t this a great accomplishment? People don’t have to be long haul truck drivers or be alert the whole time.. Even if it entirely eliminates human beings, it means the person who’d be driving the truck will be able to do better paying or other fulfilling tasks. Who knows...study or become an artist or spend more time with children etc. I also don’t see how migrant workers are being exploited? How is anyone expl…

> I also don’t see how migrant workers are being exploited? How is anyone exploited if they are not driving long haul truck routes? Because you are making it cheaper to transport from California agribusinesses who are known for violating labor laws to Pennsylvania who is known for enforcing labor laws. This is in opposition to local manufacturing which becomes more economically feasible the more transport costs.

Can you share your source for the above statements re ca agribusinesses violating labor laws etc. Thanks.

Re: Self-driving truck delivers butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days

#39
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. Imagine believing you have accomplished something by hauling butter 3000 miles to Pennsylvania.

That’s the reality of modern agriculture. All of this innovation and advanced tech just squeezing a few pennies out of butter. Check out this gentleman, a 4th generation onion farmer in upstate NY who cannot sell his onions at any price. Like many farmers in the northeast, he’ll be bankrupt in a few months. https://twitter.com/ChrisPawelski/status/1173339453332643840... Produce buyers use cartel tactics to suppress p…

Reading his posts it sounds like what he needs are futures contracts. He is complaining of the price dropping once harvest season hits. He is claiming there is a conspiracy that once supply enter the market prices drop. Sadly due to historic reasons futures markets for onions are illegal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Futures_Act

His plight speaks to why futures markets are important. His costs and production plans were set many months ago, yet his revenue is only decided now. With futures he could hedge downward exposure.

Re: Self-driving truck delivers butter from California to Pennsylvania in three days

#40
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. Imagine believing you have accomplished something by hauling butter 3000 miles to Pennsylvania.

Your comment and the parent's are snarky and ungenerous. The accomplishment is the self-driving truck crossing 3k miles, not the butter contained within.

The only one that sounds indefensibly vapid, is you. I thought they were thoughtful comments that would be valued in a more open-minded, and frankly more interesting venue. Certainly not worthy of being flagged. Not much latitude in thought at this site.
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