The trucking industry is ripe for major disruption - here are 10 projects in the works

Silicon Valley has its sights set on the trucking industry, and for good reason.

Every time we receive a package of randomly assorted Amazon items, it was likely delivered on the back of a massive big-rig driven by one of 1.7 million truck drivers in the US. It's important, and grueling, work that was thrown into national focus for a brief moment when President Donald Trump climbed into an 18-wheeler in March.

But the job, the most common one in 29 states, is also ripe for disruption.

Medium- and heavy-duty trucks generate 23% of the US transportation sector's overall greenhouse gas emissions, and long hours combined with paltry wages lead to an extremely high turnover rate of 81%.

So when tech behemoths discuss electrifying or automating the trucking industry, it's easy to see why there's room for change. Scroll down for a breakdown of the companies trying to break into the space and what it all means: