The Dangerous Economist: Are robot vehicles replacing workers in freight yards, warehouses and seaports or are they being used because it is hard to find workers?

This an on going issue. Capital has been replacing labor since the beginning of the industrial revolution. But when companies add more capital (like robots) it does not always mean that they are letting workers go. It might be hard to find to find workers in the first place. In my related posts listed below on robots there are some on this topic.

See Self-Driving Vehicles Are Finding a Home in Industrial Operations: Robotic trucks may face an uphill climb on public roads, but automation is claiming a place in freight yards and warehouses by Paul Berger of The WSJ. Excerpts:

"Kimberly-Clark credits hundreds of autonomous forklifts with helping the consumer-products company keep Kleenex facial tissue, Cottonelle toilet paper and other goods flowing to stores despite labor shortages during the Covid pandemic. Sharpie maker Newell Brands says the vehicles are helping deliver safety improvements and cost savings across the company’s operations.
Logistics executives say autonomous vehicles that lift and move heavy pallets are becoming more common as companies find it harder to hire workers."
"the market for autonomous trucks . . . will grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 53% from 2022 to 2030."
"Autonomous vehicles within industrial operations are more attractive now “just because wages have gone up so much, availability of labor has gotten a lot more limited and [the technology has] become a lot more reliable,” said Kevin Patterson, president of distribution at NFI Industries, a logistics provider"
"Newell Chief Executive Chris Peterson said robotic vehicles have reduced incidents of damage to goods and are delivering “significant cost savings.”"
"At seaports, autonomous guided vehicles are ferrying shipping containers across docks in Southern California, at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. At the most advanced facility, Long Beach Container Terminal, some vehicles drive themselves to a nearby building where automated machinery switches out their battery packs so they can quickly get back to work."

Sweetgreen Hires Kale-Shooting Robots to Speed Up Service (2023)

“Why did the human stare at the glass of orange juice?” “They were trying to concentrate.” (2023)

Will technology cost artists their job? (2023)

Rent a robot for Christmas? Makes sense if you are a logistics company (2022)

Walgreens Turns to Prescription-Filling Robots to Free Up Pharmacists (2022)

Answering the Call of Automation: How the Labor Market Adjusted to the Mechanization of Telephone Operation (2022)

Many Jobs Lost During the Coronavirus Pandemic Just Aren’t Coming Back (2021)

Can computers write poetry?Could they replace poets? (2020)

Will computer programs replace newspaper columnists? (2020)

McDonald’s Tests Robot Fryers and Voice-Activated Drive-Throughs: Burger giant wants to speed service as competition for fast-food diners mounts (2019)

Is Walmart adding robots to replace workers or because it is hard to find workers? (2019)

Robot Journalists-A Case Of Structural Unemployment? (2010)

Structural Unemployment In The News-Computers Can Now Tell Jokes (2013)

WHAT do you get when you cross a fragrance with an actor?

Answer: a smell Gibson.

Robot jockeys in camel races (2014)

Are Computer Programs Replacing Journalists? (2015)

Automation Can Actually Create More Jobs (2016)

The Robots Are Coming And It Might Not Be A Case of Structural Unemployment (2018)

Broncos to debut beer-pouring robot at upcoming game (2018)

Robots Are Ready to Shake (and Stir) Up Bars (2018)