………well maybe not.
However….lately there’s been a whole lot of talk about how bad it is in the trucking industry. This is no doubt true. That being the case I find it highly interesting to run across the following articles on various websites.
A World Without Trucks
Chicago’s Freight Subway does the work of 5000 Trucks
Roadless Trucking for the World
And the favorite of Science Fiction readers from way back….
………..The Driverless Car. ……with a driverless truck to follow shortly.
Trucking is changing rapidly. High fuel prices are lending impetuous to those changes. Individual truckers are caught in the gears.
What other impending changes are below the radar?
Popularity: 41% [?]
These concepts look great but I don’t think we will see them any time soon. These concepts are merely subway transportation models but only for freight.
The same problem will happen to these concepts as what is happening to subway systems in most metropolitan areas. It takes a decade to decide on weather to add a spur to an existing subway line. It takes an additional decade to complete it. To top it all off, the costs are enormous for the added value that you gain. If you wish this model to succeed, put freight in the subway trains in existing cities. Add a couple underground docks who shuttle the freight up to ground level and deliver it around the corner. If you can do that efficiently, then it may stand a chance.
Jim
Yup…what you said.
You might notice that the Chicago freighthauling subway was quiet some time ago. It appeared to work for some time before cheap surface transportation (cheaply FUELED surface transportation) among other things, made it no longer feasible. Then it was abandoned.
Surface transportation isn’t so cheap as it was a couple or three years ago.
I’m not saying it will happen…..nor am I saying that freight hauling Zepplin’s will make a comeback. I merely noted that things change…..wonder what might blindside us next?