{"id":17542,"date":"2016-11-18T18:20:11","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T23:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/a\/"},"modified":"2016-11-18T18:29:43","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T23:29:43","slug":"otto-automation-a-future-of-cost-efficient-productivity-or-the-death-of-the-blue-collar-worker","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/otto-automation-a-future-of-cost-efficient-productivity-or-the-death-of-the-blue-collar-worker\/","title":{"rendered":"Otto Automation: A future of cost-efficient productivity or the death of the blue collar worker?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As technology companies search for the next frontier in innovation, a lot of attention has been given to the development of autonomous vehicles. Companies like Google and Tesla have captured the attention of the public through their investment in the creation of fully automated cars for the everyday consumer. Even traditional players in the automotive industry like Ford and Volvo have announced plans to enter into this space.1<\/sup> Alongside these efforts, many companies in both auto and tech are working to integrate that same technology into commercial transportation vehicles, particularly commercial trucks.<\/p>\n

Approximately 70% of all freight in the United States is transported by trucks, with roughly 4 million truck drivers traveling an estimated 430 billion miles each year.2<\/sup> As the industry represents such a crucial part of the transportation business, there\u2019s a strong push to develop and apply automated driving in order to drive progress within the industry.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where Otto comes in.<\/p>\n