Charlie’s got a gold watch
Don’t seem like a whole lot
After thirty years of driving up and down the interstate
But Charlie’s had a good life
And Charlie’s got a good wife
And after tonight she’ll no longer be counting the days
Eighteen wheels and a dozen roses
The song “Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses,” by Kathy Mattea is about a truck driver who is retiring. After 30 years on the road, he’s coming home to his wife, where they’ll trade the semi-truck for a Winnebago and head off to see the country together.
It’s a classic staple of a distinct sub-genre of country music that’s about as American as apple pie: the truck-driving song.
But that song hits differently in 2025 than it did in 1988 – especially after the latest self-driving car news.
Because today, that romanticized dream of a long, steady, good-paying career, followed by retirement, is under threat.
In today’s Market 360, I’ll discuss why the latest development in the race to self-driving vehicles is a game-changer – and also potentially devastating news for millions of Americans. I’ll detail exactly what’s going on, and how this is a part of a much bigger shift… and what you can do to prepare and profit.
Hit the Road, Jack
Last Thursday, Aurora Innovation Inc. (AUR) became the first company to launch a fully commercial, self-driving trucking service in the United States.
Aurora’s autonomous semis are now running driverless deliveries between Dallas and Houston. These are not test runs – these are revenue-generating operations happening on public highways, right now.
According to TechCrunch, Aurora has completed 1,200 miles in a single self-driving truck without a driver so far.
Their system, called Verifiable AI, uses radar, lidar, cameras and sensors to assess road conditions and execute driving decisions. The tech is even built with “invariants” – hard-coded rules the truck must follow, like stopping at red lights or staying in its lane.
Here’s more from TechCrunch:
Aurora’s plan is to start its driverless trucking operations by owning, maintaining, and insuring its own trucks for customers. The company is working with its strategic partners Volvo Trucks and Paccar to develop self-driving trucks for high-volume manufacturing. Aurora expects its customers to buy those trucks directly from manufacturers starting in 2027 or earlier.
Uber Freight is already a client. And by the end of the year, Aurora expects to expand its driverless routes to El Paso and Phoenix.
And just like that, after years of talk… years of trial and error… AI-powered autonomous semitrucks are officially on our roads.
Your Services Are No Longer Required
Now, this rollout won’t happen overnight, but it will happen sooner than you think.
The implications of this technological leap are profound.
All of a sudden, we’re talking about a potential pink slip for every long-haul driver in America.
That’s a chilling thought.
Trucking is one of the most common occupations in the U.S. As of the latest data, there are roughly 3.5 million truck drivers in America.
The average full-time trucker earns around $52,000 per year.
For high school-educated men, it’s one of the single most common jobs in the country.
Some, like experienced owner-operators, earn a lot more, well into six figures. Walmart Inc. (WMT) offers up to $110,000 for new drivers in their first year.
Now, imagine what happens when driverless tech expands coast to coast.
You’re talking about stripping millions of working-age men (and women) of their jobs. Their dignity.
It’s the kind of thing that tears families and societies apart.
Revolutions have started over things like this, folks.
What Happens When Every Job Is on the Line?
Now, I don’t say this to scare you, but rather to warn you of what’s ahead.
Because whether you work on a factory line making cars or behind a desk writing code, the ground beneath your feet is starting to shift. You may have even already felt it.
Slowly but surely, working people are being told their services are no longer needed. Not because they aren’t willing to show up. Not because their work isn’t quality.
But simply because AI is cheaper, faster and in many cases, better.
Also, AI doesn’t take days off. It doesn’t ask for raises, either.
The early signs are everywhere, folks.
Factory lines that once needed 50 workers now run with five. But it’s not just blue-collar jobs. The hidden truth is that the AI layoff wave stretches across every major sector of the economy.
Take the tech sector, for example. Between 2022 and 2024…
- Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) eliminated 21,000 positions
- Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN): 27,000
- Alphabet Inc. (GOOG): 13,000
- Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): 16,000…
It’s not just tech, either. AI is already coming for accountants, paralegals, designers, analysts – even doctors.
And it’s accelerating.
While workers face career displacement, the companies providing AI technology are experiencing explosive growth. In 2024 alone, NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) added more than $2 trillion in market value, a windfall created by the same chips that are erasing people’s paychecks.
This is what I call the Economic Singularity.
It’s the moment when AI crosses a threshold and makes most human labor economically irrelevant.
Let’s be clear. I’m not talking about a robot uprising, like you’ve seen in the movies.
I’m talking about a systematic, top-down reshaping of the economy. One where millions are left behind while a few at the top reap the rewards.
It will rewrite the social contract between companies and employees, governments and citizens.
And it’s already underway.
Get on Board, or Get Left Behind
Here’s the reality: AI is building dynastic wealth for tech company executives and shareholders even as it erases household income for workers.
While workers face career displacement, the companies behind AI are raking in record profits.
That growth was driven by the very same chips that are now enabling companies to replace people with machines.
The numbers back this up.
McKinsey’s 2024 State of AI report says 65% of companies now use generative AI (AI that’s capable of creating original content, analysis and decision making) in at least one core business function.That’s nearly double the 33% reported in the previous survey from April 2023, just 10 months earlier.
And here’s the kicker: McKinsey estimates this tech could unlock $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion in annual value, mostly in customer service, banking, retail, logistics and software development.
So, yes, what’s coming is a profound, fundamental shift in our economy. But it’s also an incredible opportunity. And because of that, it’s practically inevitable, folks.
The Choice Ahead
So what do you do in a world like this, where AI is reshaping every corner of the labor market and changing the rules for who gets ahead and who gets left behind?
We can either choose to ignore it… or prepare and profit.
Let me be crystal clear: You need to get positioned on the right side of the Economic Singularity.
Because while this technology is displacing millions of jobs, it’s also creating an enormous opportunity for investors who understand where the money is flowing.
AI isn’t going away. And frankly, trying to fight it is a losing battle. But learning how to profit from it? That’s a different story, folks.
That’s why I’ve put together a full video briefing on what’s happening.
In it, I’ll tell you more about the companies at the forefront of this transformation – firms already seeing exponential growth as the Singularity unfolds.
These are the kinds of businesses that can turn this economic upheaval into serious long-term wealth.
Click here to watch the full presentation and see how you can position your portfolio now.
Sincerely,
Louis Navellier
Editor, Market 360
The Editor hereby discloses that as of the date of this email, the Editor, directly or indirectly, owns the following securities that are the subject of the commentary, analysis, opinions, advice, or recommendations in, or which are otherwise mentioned in, the essay set forth below:
