There’s a lot of talk in the auto industry about the potential for autonomous cars to upend much of life as we know it, and this is far from just idle chatter. Automakers and parts suppliers from Audi to ZF are getting in on what could be a hugely lucrative market, and some of the concepts they’re coming up with were once the realm of science-fiction.

Returning to ZF, the German auto technology and transmission company has been developing a system that allows semi-truck drivers to remotely operate their vehicles via a tablet. No longer will drivers be able to rely on blaming blind spots for dinging company property.

OverdriveOnline reports that the Smart Truck Maneuvering System (STMS), which debuted last year, offers a glimpse at the future of semi-autonomous and autonomous driving. The hybrid-electric drivetrain is integrated with a complicated remote control system that uses a tablet to slowly and accurately guide the truck.

In places with limited maneuverability, the STMS would allow drivers to get out for a better look, and then move the truck into place without having to do the old in-and-out routine. Sure, using a remote control to operate a big truck is far from autonomous, but companies like Freightliner have already developed fully autonomous prototypes ready for testing on real roads.

It may be awhile before they’re ready (and affordable enough) to be rolled out en masse, but in the meantime technologies like ZF’s Smart Truck Maneuvering System will fill the gap until we get there.