North American Railroads: Autonomous Trucking Threats & Economics
Former VP at the Canadian National Railway Company
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North American Railroads: Autonomous Trucking Threats & Economics(October 23, 2025)
Former VP at the Canadian National Railway Company
Interview Transcript
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I'd like to give you some background on what got us interested in railroads and how we're looking at things. Our interest in this call was sparked by wondering about the impact of autonomous trucking on railroads and its effect on the movement of rail-centric goods like bulk commodities, agriculture, and industrials. We're trying to understand the pricing power railroads have within this rail-centric business. Essentially, we're curious if trucking rates decrease due to autonomy, would railroads maintain their rail-centric business with a healthy margin, or would that business shift towards autonomous trucking? I'd be interested in your thoughts on the impact of autonomous trucking on rail.
I envision autonomous trucking initially being implemented in shuttle services, such as between a port terminal and an inland terminal. If you've ever been to the Port of LA and Long Beach, you'll know the 710 Highway is jammed with trucks from Monday to Friday. These are mostly independent drivers who aren't making much and are paid per trip, making it a miserable experience. Autonomous trucking could be beneficial in these situations, especially for inter-terminal moves. There are already autonomous straddle cranes at two terminals in the Port of LA and Long Beach, so I can see it happening there.
This is a snippet of the transcript.Contact Salesto get full access.
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