75-foot-tall crane this is it. going to be 100% humanless operation. i m actually grabbing the rails right now. the trains will come in right below here? correct it will continuously move around all day long. reporter: the only humans to work on the crane won t be anywhere near it. you re telling me the potential solution to the supply chain crisis could look a lot like playing a video game maybe not the full solution, but more efficient. reporter: just as the factories went overseas and the supply chains lengthed, the changes here have their consequences eric pulley has been hauling cargo as a truckdriver since his grandfather taught him the trade. they want to automate they want to get you guys in and out as fast as possible. you want to hear the bad side you lost your job. reporter: right inside locomotive trainer tom moses, has faith everything will work out what do you want the american people to know that are thinking about their christmas presents showing up on
this was a manufacturing hub blowing blowing thousands of workers. now what is produced there, ends up here. it wouldn t exist if it weren t for the contraction of domestic manufacturing? right. reporter: 40% of goods traveling long distance move by rail. they expect demand to grow by 30% by 2040, which is why union pacific is banking on autonomous technology, including this 75-foot-tall frame. this is going to be 100% humidless operation. reporter: you see how tight i am grabbing the railings right now. the trains come in below here? correct. it s going to continuously move around all day long. reporter: and the only humans to work on the crane won t be anywhere near it. you are telling me that the potential solution to the supply chain crisis could look a lot like playing a video game? maybe not the full solution,
2030. which is why union pacific is banking on autonomous technology, including this crane. this is it, huh? this is it. this is going to be 100% humanless operation. can you see how tight i m grabbing the railings now. wow. so, the trains come in here. correct. it s going to move around all day long. reporter: and the only humans to work on the crane won t be anywhere near it. you re telling me the potential solution to the supply chain crisis could look a lot like playing a video game. maybe not the full solution, but it ll be a lot more efficient. reporter: just as the factories wednesday overseas and the comply chains lengthens, the trains here have their own consequences. they want to automate. they want to get you guys in and out sfas possible. you want to hear the bad side about that? yeah, tell me. you lost your job. right. reporter: inside his locomotive, tom has faith everything will work out. what do you want the american