The autonomous trucking sector has found itself at the epicenter of the global mobility revolution, driven by increased freight demand and powered by advancements in sensing, behavior algorithms and machine learning. Not only are governments around the world preparing for it, but commercial firms are growing more enthusiastic about the prospect of fully self-driving trucks on the road.

Thanks to this growing excitement about self-driving trucks, businesses will look for qualified workers to fill various autonomous driving jobs. If you’re searching for a position in the autonomous vehicle sector, get ready for a challenging and exciting opportunity.

How to Find Self-Driving Truck Jobs

Some autonomous vehicle jobs are focused on research and development, driving new capabilities for advanced driving and corner cases. Others develop and hone the software crucial to driving skills such as simulation, machine learning, perception components or mapping. Some focus on the day-to-day operations and testing vehicles on roads or test tracks.

Those interested in working as a self-driving truck engineer should have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, System, Industrial Engineering, Robotics, or a similar discipline. While educational qualifications are vital to companies, finding talented individuals with real-world experience is crucial. Employers will also demand knowledge of machine learning processes, Python and C++, as well as Linux. It’s crucial to know how to develop clean, manageable, and extendable code and an ability to navigate vast codebases.

If you’re considering autonomous vehicles careers, depending on the specialty, you’ll need to demonstrate experience with industry software, sensing hardware such as Lidar and radar, distributed computing, or distributed machine learning. While prior expertise in autonomous trucking, traffic simulation, or control and estimation algorithms testing is not necessarily required for these positions, it’s a desired skill set for possible applicants.

A successful self-driving vehicle engineer will need excellent verbal, writing, and interpersonal skills, as well as a willingness to learn, outstanding problem-solving abilities, and most importantly, the ability to operate successfully as part of a tight-knit team.

Prerequisites for Driverless Truck Jobs

The following skills are the most in-demand in an autonomous vehicle profession:

  • Python
  • C or C++
  • Image processing
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Machine learning
  • Git
  • Java
  • MATLAB
  • Shell script
  • Embedded software

Top Jobs in the Self-Driving Trucks Industry

Perception Software Engineer

One of the most highly sought-after self-driving truck jobs is that of a perception software engineer. This position presents the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology and machine learning models for self-driving trucks. A self-driving truck must be aware of fixed and moving objects in its surroundings and be able to self-navigate safely and correctly around them. Lidar, cameras, and radars are among the most common sensors used in this technology. Companies in the autonomous trucking development sector require researchers and software developers to be familiar with machine learning algorithms.

Computer Scientists

Autonomous Systems and Computer Science experts are needed to design and create software for intelligent systems for driverless trucking. Computer scientists seeking open autonomous trucking and self-driving trucks jobs will need to have a current understanding of one of the fastest developing and most dominant technical changes in transportation. These experts will need to display essential knowledge and skills in:

●      Artificial intelligence
●      Autonomous systems security troubleshooting
●      Computer graphics
●      Computer imaging
●      Data mining
●      Deep learning
●      Industrial mathematics
●      Process control
●      Real-time systems
●      Robotics
●      Signal processing
●      Software technology

Strategic Account Manager

Autonomous truck jobs within the trucking industry require a large number of technical experts and talented software engineers, but it is important that the final product meets the needs of customers. That’s why a strategic account manager is just as vital as an engineer. An account manager is someone who helps a company launch a new autonomous truck by developing, defining, and executing profit-generating initiatives. Companies will need a strategic account manager that works closely with sales, marketing, business units, and cross-functional teams.

Field Service Technician

A field service technician is one of the most important self-driving truck jobs because they assist with self-driving system testing. This includes extensive testing of operation, maintenance, and evaluation. The field service technician reports to the autonomous vehicle operator’s supervisor, who oversees assuring and maintaining the vehicle’s safety during operations. Customers are the focus of the field service technician’s work, which includes:

  • Operations and maintenance training
  • Installation supervision
  • On-site system commissioning
  • Fielding customer calls
  • Acceptance testing

Industrial Engineer

An industrial engineer oversees the process and system to improve material flow, design tools, strategies, and various other jobs. Autonomous vehicles industrial engineers are primarily concerned with finding methods to make the manufacturing process more efficient for the trucking industry. To do this, industrial engineers use their expertise, materials flow, project management, order fulfillment procedures, and WMS.

Customer Success Field Representative

A customer success field representative is hired to serve customers and works with the sales and marketing departments to help them sell more highly technical products to target audiences. While representing the company, this crucial position maintains personal contact with consumers and gauges the needs of customers. Autonomous trucking requires a lot of attention not just to the machines, but to the product itself.

Autonomous Vehicles Jobs: Future Requirements

As the need for autonomous vehicle jobs advances, additional positions will be required to support the operation and maintenance of self-driving trucks. As more firms develop self-driving fleets, their recruiting needs will include additional positions supporting self-driving car maintenance and operation. The following are some of the most essential autonomous downstream jobs:

  • Automotive Service Technician
  • Recruiter
  • Accountant
  • Marketing Manager
  • Technical Writer

Join us!

If you enjoyed learning about autonomous vehicles jobs, we would love to hear from you. At Torc, you’ll have the ability to build a rewarding career with opportunities to learn, innovate, and contribute to a world-changing mission. Torc is a leader and pioneer in the field of autonomous vehicles with over 17 years of industry experience.

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