02/16/2018

State's Push for Driverless Technology Leaves Truckers Fearing Job Security

OTA President Tom Balzer, CAE speaks out on industry concerns

The state of Ohio is at the forefront of driverless technology. The state has already spent millions of dollars on research. ABC 6/FOX 28 is examining the impact to the state's commercial vehicle industry, as well as jobs that could hang in the balance.

The city of Columbus is in the midst of a massive $50 million study examining the benefits of autonomous vehicles. As a part of another state project, a stretch of US Route 33 just outside of the city has been turned into a test track of sorts for driverless cars and trucks. But with these advancements come a few concerns.

"I think there has been a lot of talk about it in the industry and obviously a lot of our drivers out there driving have had a lot of discussion about it too," said Thomas Balzer, head of the Ohio Trucking Association. Balzer said there is a sense of nervousness about what the future holds. "Obviously, the threat of a completely autonomous fleet of vehicles is something that's always in the back of their head."

Please select this link to read the complete article from WSYX-Channel 6 ABC.