Port of Long Beach, berth 17, cargo rig, 2047.

While the safety benefits of autonomous vehicle control were impossible to ignore, certain aspects of human drivers were difficult to replace. A careful balance of autonomous accident avoidance and traffic optimization coupled with the security monitoring and site work (loading/unloading, recharging) ensured the careers of drivers throughout the 21st century.

Electric battery technology made great strides in the late 2030s, vehicle drive, regenerative braking and steering was wheel centric, allowing miraculous small space navigation with 6 wheel steering and parallel scrub crawling.