Looking Into The Future - Part II

There's a lot talk about the future of long haul and how younger generations won't be interested in that kind of work. The thinking seems to be that Gen Y (and the kids coming after them) need to be connected to their communities, aren't interested in being separated from their lives for long periods, see work as something that happens around their lives not vice versa, and various similar things.

All of those assessments of younger generations are correct, but I don't think that means long haul is doomed. Tying the "connectedness" of Gen Y to the demise of long haul only works if you use a traditional, narrow definition of "connected".

Gen Y needs to be connected to their friends and peers, but that connection doesn't necessarily have to be face-to-face. That connection can happen just as easily online.

I wrote in a previous post that in 10 years the Internet will be like electricity is today - available everywhere and essentially free. Look at where laptops, smart phones, and other technology are heading and think about what kind of communication tools will be available to drivers 10 years from now. They'll not only have fulltime Internet access for their entire trip - wherever they're headed - but they'll likely have video-conferencing, virtual socializing and online representations of their entire social lives as well.

If any of you have tried Second Life, you've seen the future for this generation. More Second Life type environments will pop up, letting tomorrow's drivers socialize with their friends online from anywhere in North America. They won't need to be there in person. 

And that's just the stuff that's on the market today. Who knows what new, supercool thing is going to be invented 3 years from now that will change the game even further.

I certainly don't think long haul is going to suffer. In fact, it may be healthier in the future than it is now.