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The industry will change/disappear overnight. Trucking will be 4x cheaper with 2x the transportation capacity when you remove the trucker. Doesn't matter how much unionized, etc. the industry is now. No group survives that.

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How are costs divided between fuel, driver, vehicle capital?

I'm not sure the driver is the most expensive part...

But it's the part that limits the usable hours of a truck most.

A self driving truck can pretty much drive 24/7 but the driver has to rest more than half the day.

Truck drivers are allowed to work 70h per week.

I assumed all trucks stop at a truck stop and the driver sleeps while another driver continues the journey? That way the valuable truck and cargo never stop moving.

Is that not typically the case?

In the US, sometimes truckers drive in teams and switch off, but I've never heard of them not sticking with their trucks. Trucks frequently sit idle while the driver sleeps.

At least in continental europe single drivers are the vast majority.

Per mile 2011

Vehicle-based

Fuel & Oil Costs $0.590

Truck/Trailer Lease or Purchase Payments $0.189

Repair & Maintenance $0.152

Truck Insurance Premiums $0.067

Permits and Licenses $0.038

Tires $0.042

Tolls $0.017

Driver-based

Driver Wages $0.460

Driver Benefits $0.151

TOTAL $1.706

So driver ~ 36%

Big chunk!

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