This white paper project will develop several scenarios to assess possible impacts of automation in the freight sector, including changes in business models, job opportunities, and skill needs, as well as the potential employment effects of sector-wide growth due to cheaper freight. The project will include a historical assessment of past examples of labor automation, identifying policy solutions that have helped transition workers within and outside of the freight sector. The research team will assess what freight subsectors are most vulnerable to job losses from automation, and will build several scenarios for envisioning freight labor markets through 2045. Finally, the research team will assess how policy solutions might aid in worker transitions within and outside of the freight industry and how these solutions may affect the scenarios.
