Mini Driver

There was a time last fall and winter when we got our mail delivered to the house as late as 10 pm. All the neighbors who stopped the poor letter carrier to ask why he was so late all the time found out that our 21234 PO was short staffed, so our route was covered by whoever felt like working a double shift that day (and not breaking any speed limits while doing so).

Meanwhile, there is this development: The Postal Service has started a test in which mail will be hauled across three Southwestern states using self-driving trucks. Self-driving trucks are also known as autonomous vehicles, which sounds so much better than "runaway trucks with no drivers."


A company from San Diego called TuSimple (and I'm sure it is!) says their undriven trucks will begin dragging your letters and birthday cards from Aunt Agnes between USPS facilities in Phoenix and Dallas as a test to see if it will cut down on costs and times. But they're hedging their bets! There will be a "safety driver" at the wheel in case the trucks needs something like braking or steering. Also an engineer will perch in the passenger seat, fooling with a slide rule.

“The work with TuSimple is our first initiative in autonomous long-haul transportation,” USPS spokeswoman Kim Frum says. “We are conducting research and testing as part of our efforts to operate a future class of vehicles which will incorporate new technology.”

Ms Frum says no tax money is in play here. The USPS rakes in their money from stamps and charging $39 to return a pair of pants to Mr Pants Incorporated. And TuSimple has found people willing to invest $178 million in this insanity.

To our friends in the great Southwest, these runaway mail trucks will be driving  on major interstates in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.  Maybe you should detour through Idaho for a few months.

“This run is really in the sweet spot of how we believe autonomous trucks will be used,” says Chuck Price, who holds the title of Chief Product Officer over at TuSimple.

“These long runs are beyond the range of a single human driver, which means today if they do this run they have to figure out how to cover it with multiple drivers in the vehicle.”

This is just another blow to organized labor.  Truck drivers will be getting their layoff notices delivered by unmanned trucks. But a dollar will be saved! Keep those investors happy.