You’ve already heard all the hype surrounding self-driving cars — but what about self-driving beer trucks?
That’s right, Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD) just teamed up with the Uber-owned company Otto to send a self-driving truck carrying 50,000 cans of beer across the state of Colorado. It’s the first commercial delivery ever made by a self-driving truck. And it could have huge implications for businesses.
Anheuser-Busch says it could potentially save as much as $50 million each year by using self-driving trucks. Of course, there was still someone on board during the trip to help the truck get on and off the freeway. So it’s not a completely autonomous experience yet.
But since a self-driving truck likely doesn’t need to take as many breaks as a human driver — or even any — the company can potentially save that money via the business benefits of self-driving vehicles. Employees can be more relaxed on the trip and focused on the work that’s actually needed. And the company can use technology to save money in the process.
A Preview of the Business Benefits of Self-Driving Vehicles
Of course, there’s still a long way to go before this type of technology is adopted on a wide scale. But it does show what’s possible for businesses that are open to using the evolving technology behind autonomous vehicles.
Image: Otto
Aira Bongco
I am still a little bit concerned about these self driving trucks because of security. Sure, it may be convenient. But trucks alone pose a hazard. What more for self driving ones.