Some of the technology that would be utilised is already in service today. Sensors to keep your distance from the vehicle in front, applying brakes when you get too close.
Warning systems that tell you when you’re too close but most people seem to like tailgating so would probably switch that one off.
Lane adherence systems, to prevent you from changing lanes.
I would certainly expect cars to reach that stage where they want to be driverless, where the driver, like Michael Knight could perhaps be doing paperwork or ‘other things’ whilst sat behind the wheel not needing to be actually driving.
However, for PCV and LGVs I would expect the driver to be retained. Manoeuvring a truck, especially an artic is harder than the car. OK, with PCVs that stick to a particular route, they could be automated somewhat.
But how would an automated truck react when some BMW driver decided to go from the O/S to N/S lane to take that exit where the slip has already started. By use of the above systems mentioned the truck would probably slam on the anchors, using the horn and the hazards and the wave effect would start, assuming no one hit him up the back end.
I would think it is more possible that before driverless trucks came along the rules and regs would be changed so that that double trailers could be used, although I guess at this point in time if they had lower slung and lower height trailers they could be used during windy weather.
I have seen plenty of quite tight and really tight delivery areas and would think that with a computer doing it you would need sensors on the trailer’s four corners as well as the actual unit too, then of course there are those where you have people walking around the truck pulling out or reversing back. Safety would dictate that the vehicle stops and would probably never get going.
Nearby they are dismantling a long term construction yard and they had about 10 flatbeds waiting for loads down a side road and when it came to load them up the trailers had to reverse out of the side road, down the main road, and then at a tight U and then an S to get into the yard because of where everything was laid out. Leaving was easier but on the road even with hivis yellow bods standing in each lane of the road on either side to stop the traffic and some on the pavement too, people still tried to walk in front of or behind the truck and drivers pass those standing in the road by pushing the yellow bods out of the way. This stopped when those yellow bods started carrying ‘some large tools’ with them. Clearly being construction people in hivis I am sure they were allowed to be carrying a 4ft long hammer, right?
I think it’ll take some time before truckers are completely replaced. A regular trunk run on the same route with sizeable yards at either end would be the first to go. Then again, if you had a truck driven by a computer without any need to observe driver hours, do you think the managers would be so keen to have these expensive vehicles sitting idle at the RDCs waiting to be tipped? Or how about parking up overnight? The truck would probably be more valuable than the cargo? Parking in lay bys could be a thing of the past. Even more if they didn’t need breaks 
I think I’m safe for the next 40 years of driving. I’d be more concerned about running out of fuel to run these vehicles but I think the other post I made last night about the possibility of non diesel trucks would be more of a sooner possibility.
