*By Michael Teich*
Trucking company U.S. Xpress's return to public markets Thursday puts it in position to keep pace with the industry's latest innovations, the company's chief executive said.
In its first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange since 2007, the company's stock was up over 4 percent.
The CEO Eric Fuller said in an interview with Cheddar that access to capital market allows U.S. Xpress to better manage rising costs and invest in emerging technologies.
"The biggest cost is no drivers," Fuller said. The dearth of drivers is among the biggest challenges facing the entire trucking industry
Unpredictable schedules and an uneven work-life balance scare off potential truck drivers, but Fuller said technology can help drive trucking business forward. He said he was optimistic about the development of "driver-assist" innovations that can provide drivers with precise routes and more stable working hours. That technology should be available in 5-10 years, he said, adding that the trucking industry will have to wait a lot longer for fully autonomous vehicles .
"I believe it will happen sometime, but probably 20 years out," he said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/u-s-xpress-gears-up-for-next-gen-trucking-with-ipo).
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