Employment of the Future Revisited

In 2015 I projected ahead rapid change in employment, which also included impact from autonomous cars in the post Employment in the Future .

From the post quote " Already this year (2015) Nevada is allowing trucks to run on highways that drive themselves.  At the moment a truck driver must be in the driver seat available to take over. But how long until its proven to be safer than a person?  2 years? 5? not 10! "

In 2021 , Walmart will begin replacing drivers with robotic driven trucks.  I stand by what I wrote in 2015, and in a little under 6 years later driverless trucks have arrived.   I had friends who said I was way too aggressive, that it would take 20 years or more before driverless trucks would be allowed.  Extending the prediction made in 2015, I think by May 2026, about 80% of the long haul trucks will be driverless, 10 years after that post.  If I am correct, the next 4 years will start to see escalating adoption.  Its true that local truck driving is next, but I'll raise this question, once long hail trucks are 80% driverless, how long until local trucks start to become 50% automated?  2 years? 5? not 10!.
So yes, severe impact all drivers may take 10-15 years from the 2015 post, but not 20+ years as others suggested.  And in 2021 there will be LESS truck driver jobs due to automation, and it will escalate.

In 2020, it should be apparent the dramatic change in our economy that was in progress in 2015 has been accelerated.   Due to COVID, we will see more automation, (robots don't get sick), more change (work from home using technology) and all of this will be a depression on the service economy.     There will be less gas stations, motels, fast food (servicing trucks or people going to work).

Consider going back and re-reading the 2015 post Employment in the Future .  It still applies, but the visibility should be more apparent for the decade ahead.  This country has structural problems that need addressing in 2017, and even more so in 2021.  I am hoping that America creates initiatives to find a way to save the lower 80% of Americans from a lower economic future.