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The cab, sensors, and compute are also expensive, not to mention other variable costs like staff for remote assistance, maintenance, and first/last mile

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Sensors and compute will get rapidly cheaper over time, because they are on the cost curve of electronics. (And they are getting cheaper even if autonomous trucking has only small production numbers, just like batteries will continue to get better, even if nobody builds electric cars: the whole electronics industry is working on those technologies regardless.)

The cab can be a lot cheaper, if you don't have to keep a human comfortable and safe inside. Also keep in mind that an autonomous truck can drive 24 hours a day, and doesn't need to take regular breaks throughout the day nor sleep. (They will need maintenance, but probably not more than a manned truck.)

You are right that the costs are real. Things like first/last mile (or loading and unloading) would probably need a major reshake of the industry, if the truck doesn't bring its own labour, in the form of a driver, with it.

The cab, sensors, and compute are also expensive

Amortized over the life of the truck they really aren't.

Not sure what the true lifetime of these sensors is in the real world of trucking.

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