Freight Automation: Dangers, Threats, and Opportunities for Health and Equity

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What are the health and equity implications of increasing automation? For example, currently, the freight system concentrates pollution in low-income communities and communities of color. Will automation clear these skies or bring more pollution into overburdened communities? What will automation mean for employment and wage levels for the many low-wage workers in the freight system? 

Freight Automation: Dangers, Threats, and Opportunities for Health and Equity explores these and other questions. A collaborative effort between Regional Asthma Management and Prevention, Human Impact Partners, Moving Forward Network and community partners, the report 1) analyzes the state of automation of the freight sector and anticipated health and equity impacts, and 2) recommends policy and programs to promote health and equity. 

Through extensive literature review and in-depth interviews with frontline community members and occupational experts, this report details the anticipated effects of freight automation related to employment, air quality, traffic safety, and noise and vibrations. Within each of these determinants, the report details current freight-related dangers, future automation-related threats, and possible opportunities. Overall, increased freight automation will have significant, and largely negative, health and equity impacts on frontline workers and fence-line communities. Addressing these impacts is essential.

As the report explains, the pace and extent of freight automation offers a critical window of opportunity for policymakers, industry stakeholders, frontline workers, fence-line community members, and the public. Together we can make decisions—through policies and programs—that promote health and equity. 

To access the full report:

To access individual sections of the report, see below. Please note the references in the individual sections are explained in the full version.