I went into the office today after dropping the trailer and hooking up to another one, asking about this new Quaalcomm and the fact it took me quite a while to figure the thing out. The manager eventually changed the subject to that surveillance system that has cameras facing forward and inward. "Did anyone tell youi about that".
I was quite blunt about my feelings of inward facing cameras. He then said "off the record" and said they were trying to figure out how to silence the microphone. "Oh, I already shut off the camera and the microphone", I replied, since we were "off the record". The lead mechanic across the hall busted out laughing and said yes, with duct tape!
Well I figured they knew I had the thing covered up with it. I don't take it off now. I did at first, but then I thought: why? If they don't like it, I don't care! My manager informed me that the microphone could probably hear me through the tape. Perhaps, I replied, and hence I have been acting like and insane person making noises and speaking gibberish, singing, ,etc etc etc to the thing.
They all busted out laughing at that. Yup, well he then said he'd take a look at some of my recordings and see. Yeah, don't tell me that, I thought, from the way he was talking it was obvious he had already looked. So, the next thing will be several - and I mean several - layers of Gorilla version of duct tape. Probably 4 layers and covering the entire rear of the damned thing.
If you believe that I should have a camera and a microphone viewing me 24 hours a day while I'm in the truck, I invite you to set up a camera in your bedroom, your living room, your workplace and have a body cam - and make sure you don't turn any of it off for personal conversations. Or while you're eating. Or drinking. Or smoking. Or whatever. Please do that and then post links to online access. Then I can watch YOUR ass living YOUR life and then come back and tell me about how companies should have access to it.
I want to hear every conversation. Mate, work, friends. All of it. I want to see your face, all day long.
Yeah, I thought so. This is communist China bullshit. Don't tell me it's in the name of "safety". I've been driving trucks since 1985, I don't need your intrusion in to my private life.
I started looking at videos, one in particular has a guy taking the thing apart and showing the guts of the thing, including the things that show everything in darkness - hidden behind giant blue tabs. This is all done to make a person think in the darkness, they can't see anything. I didn't believe that for a nano second, but some drivers will.
I've been looking at driver comments about these inward facing cameras and most of it is in my line of thinking. I have choice words for all of this s*** but I will refrain. Y'all don't want to read that kind of stuff, I'm sure, keep it to myself. I flat out told my manager I quit my last job for inward facing cameras.
I was then informed that they don't review the inward facing stuff. Lol my ASS they don't, but let's hear it. WHY did they buy units with the inward facing s*** to begin with? That's not what they want to know. Oh, I see, they want lily white, perfect little driving angels that never make mistakes. Might as well fire the entire fleet. It's a foregone conclusion any of us driving through Houston will get "dinged" and I don't want to hear about it.
I'm already looking for new driving jobs. It's inevitable. Looking local first. They aren't going to pay as much as I'm making now but if I can make 75k at least I'm good. Just have to scale back on "recreational" expenditures.
Y'all can have your autonomous trucks. Then you can blame computer software for killing people instead of truck drivers. And, you will watch thieves stealing everything inside of those trucks. Don't even try to tell me that isn't going to happen after watching several news reports of thieves emptying out rail cars and dumping the contents all over the place in the news. They aren't going to be able to keep up with that many trucks and driverless trucks will become instant targets for far more than your average, every day thief. Organized crime will get techs involved with it and try to find ways to take over the computers that are driving those trucks. Whatever they do, thievery is high tech now, these thieves have upped their game in tech and thievery.
Terrorists from foreign nations could also try to figure out how to over a truck and drive it into into - whatever. A crowd, a nuclear plant, into other vehicles, buildings, etc. But truck-jackings will definitely become a thing to common thieves. What's going to stop them from simply getting in front of one of these trucks, slamming on the brakes and stopping it? A stolen car, license plate numbers won't matter. The truck isn't the Batmobile, it's going to sit there and obediently have everything lifted off of it.
A strange new world we live in, indeed. I'm ready for a simple lifestyle and let's get on with it.
This stuff - companies scrutinizing your every move - irritates me so much that as much as I abhor the thought, I am actually considering trying to get an SBA loan NOW. God have mercy on my soul. Yes Lord, please do have mercy on me, but also just the idea of going through all of that yet again.
Yet, it would get me out of this trucking s*** and I could join the ranks of the older generation hanging up the keys permanently - and continuing to screw the trucking industry which in turn screws the nation. Truckers don't want to screw the nation, they just want to end this bs. I find it hilarious and outrageous at the same time that people think we should have this kind of scrutiny. Oh really? Why aren't you advocating for everyone driving cars to be put in the same kind of scrutiny? You know, the majority of the accidents - and hellish ones at that - that are their fault? Oh, those evil TRUCKS! But those angelic cars! Bullshit. I watch what people are doing in their cars and it's a wonder there aren't millions of accidents a day. But those BIG trucks!
GOOD, GET RID OF US!! Vote us out of our pathetic existence! Something like Defund The Police, it will be "GET RID OF TRUCKS, THE DRIVERS ARE DANGEROUS!". Yes!! Yes Yes Yes!! get rid of all of us RIGHT NOW!!! We are so inherently bad and maligned, and stupid!! Shut trucking down now! Advocate for it, right now! Call you senators and representatives! Get on social media! Talk to the media! Start a drive to get rid of truckers! I beg you to do that! Please do that! INSTEAD OF SITTING ON YOUR HIGH F***** HORSE, LOOKING DOWN YOUR DAMN SNOOTS AT US. I am SO sick of this bs and so are so many of my fellow drivers. They won't be able to get autonomous trucks out fast enough to equalize the numbers of drivers that are quitting NOW.
It's SO bad that Congress is authorizing a pilot program to allow teenagers to drive trucks across state lines. You don't trust me, an old dude that's been driving 37 years but you'll trust a kid? LMAO!!! YES< GET AS MANY OF THESE 18 YEAR OLD AS YOU CAN, LET THEM TAKE OVER THE INDUSTRY!
Why is there a shortage of truck drivers? It's not only that they have trouble recruiting people into a loner lifestyle, segregated from society. It's also because long time drivers are quitting in droves. It's either early retirement or they're finding something else to do. I have read countless posts where drivers that own their own trucks have hung up the keys and their truck is sitting at their house, idle and not hauling freight.
Oh, but it's such an easy job! I'm not even going to try and defend that anymore. I'll tell you where to stick it rather than attempt to go into the entire detail of what a truckers life is - most of y'all couldn't stand it. Don't tell me about money, either, are you willing to go out there and trade your life for the road? If you say yes, your ass better be getting into a truck and then come back after you get trained, get with a trainer in a truck and the out on your own for at least 6 months and then come back and tell ME how freaking EASY it is.
This s*** pisses me off.
I know the hellish thoughts I had going through these last two loans yet I can't escape the idea of just getting a huge loan, developing it all at once, get it over with and start a new life . The cons of such a proposition in attempting to get such a loan are so high, however, that it's a giant obstacle in my mind to try and get over it.
Yet, I can assure you, that in the next coming days, I'm going to try and overcome that mind jumble and see if I can find it within myself to just go ahead and do it.
Not going to write too much about that because I certainly haven't convinced myself that I need to do that. With only 14 lots, however, I can't live off of that.
SBA is back in my mind again.
Far from decided on, just in there. And will be thinking about it - as well as looking at that infinite paperwork that's still there in my email account - and pondering.
This post started out with the camera crap and I guess digressing into other negativity that has been eating at me. Disdain for truckers got old long ago. You hate trucks and truckers but you would have meltdowns and your way of living would come to an abrupt stop if we all just quit and said fine, live your life how you want to live it without our input : )
Whatever the case, I still have work tomorrow - dunno how long that's going to go on with this particular company - but as long as I have the job, I'm going to do with excellence.
