Archive · 7 Oct 2026
China’s AI Push Raises Questions for Trucking Workforce
A truck driver in China is travelling with a lorry that can drive itself in some situations.
He says the job feels more comfortable now, but also lonelier.
The lorry still needs to get better at joining highways.
The driver says people can help when tyres go flat or the vehicle has other problems.
He also says drivers may need to handle accidents on the road.
He thinks he will retire before trucks can drive without a person.
In China, truck drivers often retire at 50 or 55.
The story shows how self-driving trucks could change drivers’ work.
A lorry driver picked up a correspondent at a rest stop in Suzhou on a trip toward Shanghai.
The driver now works alongside a self-driving lorry, making the job more comfortable but lonelier.
He says the lorry still needs to master highway driving before it is ready.
He lists flat tyres, air leaks, engine failures and road accidents as problems requiring human help.
He expects to retire before lorries become fully driverless; Chinese drivers often retire at 50 or 55.
- Who
- A lorry driver and a correspondent.
- What
- The driver described working alongside a self-driving lorry and the situations where he believes human drivers remain necessary.
- When
- On a recent Monday morning.
- Where
- At a rest stop in Suzhou, on the driver’s last leg to Shanghai.
- Why
- The driver says human help is still needed for highway driving and problems such as breakdowns and road accidents.
Automation’s potential
The driver’s concerns
Whether human drivers remain necessary
Automation’s potential
The lorry is self-driving, and the driver says that if it masters highway access, it will be ready.
The driver’s concerns
The driver argues that people will still be needed to handle breakdowns and navigate around road accidents.
- Vehicle
- A self-driving lorry
- Pickup location
- A rest stop in Suzhou
- Destination
- Shanghai
- Driver’s view
- The job is more comfortable but lonelier.
- Problems cited
- Flat tyres, leaky air pipes, engine failure and road accidents
- Typical retirement age mentioned
- Drivers in China often retire at 50 or 55.