Formally educated as an economist, Dr. Kristen Monaco (Associate Commissioner of Compensation and Working Conditions @ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) has a unique pulse on the U.S. transportation labor market. In this episode, Chris Caplice gets a chance to discuss her latest industry research, including the questions that must be answered before the shift to autonomous vehicles can become reality. Kristen goes on to explain the effect that good, bad, and frictional unemployment has on the driver shortage. Their discussion closes with Kristen giving us all sides of the autonomous trucking phenomenon and walking us through some key takeaways from her past research. Inam Iyoob then joins Chris for this week’s market update and rate forecast.