But the truth is also more mundane and, occasionally, dark: for all the camaraderie of truckers, most are solitary souls who find themselves bored to death on the endless Interstate. Riding the rigs means fighting sleep and strained eyes; riding out cramps and kidney-punishing roads; occasionally getting jacked up on stimulants or running tighter-than-ever schedules to beat the logbooks; and feeling not just lonesome but lonely. And of course there are all those four-wheelers out there speeding, tailgating, cutting in front, flipping the bird or not paying attention to anything except their smartphones. Now robots.