Former head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced that he will be joining one of the largest self-driving truck companies in the world. TuSimple has named Jim Mullen to a leadership role.
Mullen was Acting Administrator from October of 2019 until he announced he was stepping down in August of 2020. He served for such a short period of time that he was never officially made the Administrator – he served in the “acting administrator” role after former administrator Ray Martinez stepped down.
During his time at FMCSA, Mullen shepherded through the most recent HOS changes. He was also head of FMCSA when the DOT announced their Automated Vehicle Transparency and Engagement for Safe Testing (AV TEST) Initiative. The program was supposed to increase communication and transparency between autonomous vehicle- and systems-makers and regulators.
The initiative apparently worked as Mullen is now going to be employed by one of the companies he was previously in charge of regulating. TuSimple is a Chinese-founded company which bills itself as “the world’s largest and most advanced self-driving truck company.” They currently operate self-driving trucks on public roads in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. They plan to scale that service nationwide by 2023 and have level 4 autonomous trucks for sale to the public by 2024.
Mullen has been hired as the chief legal and risk officer for the company.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jim to the TuSimple team,” TuSimple President Cheng Lu said in a press release. “His experience leading the FMCSA will prove to be invaluable to our company as we work to introduce [Level] 4 autonomous trucks to the market by 2024. Additionally, Jim brings over 15 years of legal experience in the trucking industry and that wealth of knowledge will support public and private partnerships as TuSimple continues to scale autonomous operations.”
Source: tusimple, ttnews, freightwaves, freightwaves
So a guy responsible for HOS rule changes goes to work for an eventual driverless truck company. No conflict of interest there of course.
American Express used to be one of the largest covered wagon manufacturers in the world. Now they are a credit card company. We can ride this out until the end, but whether its 10 years from now or 25 years from now, the driverless truck revolution is coming. Maybe not tomorrow, but you have to prepare for it. Horse Breeders, Ox Breeders, Wagon makers, Lamp Lighters, Chimney Sweeps, Movie Rental Companies, Encyclopedia Publishers… you have to prepare & adapt.
Its going to happen, you have had at least 1 decade of warning, and probably another decade to prepare. Don’t be the driver who lived in denial until the last second and has to pretend to be surprised when the last OTR Trucker is replaced by TrUKBoT324567456 for cross country freight delivery.
Look back at history, you’re trying to fight the same fight the wagon makers and rail workers made against these new horseless-carriage builders. They saw new technology with the ability to carry passengers and freight across the nation more efficiently than they could, and with a few exceptions like American Express, most died on the hill of “stopping progress for my own selfish reasons”, which is a really stupid cause for martyrdom.
And yes, I say this knowing that in places like Texas, Nebraska and many other midwestern states, ALONG with places like California – the most common job in the state is Truck Driver. If we don’t prepare, the job market is going to run THICK with ‘former long haul truckers’…
Most Common Job Per State:
Alabama-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Alaska- Primary school teachers
Arizona- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers, Customer service reps,
Arkansas-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
California -Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Colorado–Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers & Software developers
Connecticut-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers & Primary school teachers
Delaware-Secretaries
District of Columbia-Janitors & Lawyers
Florida-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers & Primary school teachers
Georgia-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Hawaii-Cooks, variously defined
Idaho-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Illinois-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Indiana-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Iowa-Farmers & Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Kansas- -Farmers & Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Kentucky-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Louisiana- Secretaries & Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Maine-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Maryland- Secretaries
Massachusetts-Primary school teachers
Michigan-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Minnesota-Farmers & Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Mississippi- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Missouri- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Montana-Farmers(owners and tenants)&Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Nebraska-Farmers (owners and tenants)&Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Nevada- Retail sales clerks
New Hampshire- Secretaries
New Jersey- Secretaries
New Mexico – Secretaries
New York- Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
North Carolina-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
North Dakota-Farm managers, except for horticultural farms
Ohio- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Oklahoma- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Oregon- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Pennsylvania- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Rhode Island- Primary school teachers
South Carolina-Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
South Dakota- Farm managers, except for horticultural farms
Tennessee- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Texas- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Utah- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers & Software developers
Vermont – Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Virginia- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers & Software developers
Washington- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers & Software developers
West Virginia- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers & Primary school teachers
Wisconsin- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
Wyoming- Truck, delivery, and tractor drivers
They already putting more n more drivers out of work with their blood pressure BS when taking a physical. Can’t go 2 any doctor who spent years in school n got a degree n license. You have 2 go 2 one thats on a FEDERAL DOT list. And they keep lowering the number. Used 2B 160/90 then it was 140/90 now it’s 139/89. Just weeding PEOPLE out.
OH BOY!!!!!!!
He is the one who help push trough the autonomous truck regulations. Can’t tell me that wasn’t the plan from the beginning
I wonder if he really thought about it being a sound idea to allow a driverless truck hauling a flatbed load of steel coils in icy conditions.
This should be a criminal offense!! Go from law man to law breaker for money!! This is what makes our government not worthy of rule making!! If I had any say in this I’d have a special investigation on this matter. Were supposed to follow rules of law, but people like this aren’t?? Especially for the Chinese?? WTF???
OMG!
Isn’t a lot of the stuff we buy that doesn’t work by the time we get home from the store come from China.
USchina, that is the.new.name of USA, they own it.. and the fault is the lazyness and false sence of security americans give to them selfs.. take for exemple a undocumented imigrant. Gets here and work 16 hours a day. Make a living, ( no sir, illegal imigrants has no.help from goverment what so ever, please educate yourself before say anything stupid ) get help from other imigrants, they grow financially, just because we are to proud to clean our own houses, wash our own cars, maintain our own landscaping, cook our own food, recicle, etc.
And most americans preffer staying home, collecting unemployers checks, tham go out there and work for “less”pay.. fake sence.of pride. Chinese came, as most immigrants. Paid lot of money to get here, working for 1/3 and.getting exploited.by they country man, yet they dind a way to learn, get educated, pay what they.own, and go on working hard. Saving, and building they future. Westerns dont do that, false sence of riches wont allowed. And yet you.get jealous of any immigrant who has better than you. WE WORK.FOR.IT, WE DO NOT RECEIVE ANY GOVERMENT BENEFIT, AND PAY OUR TAXES IN ORDER FOR MOST OF YOU TO REFUSE TO.WORK. thats the reality. Wake up america. Globalization mean only.one thing.. communism,socialism, slavery. Take a close look on what the world goverment did. Lock everyone up on they own home, and throw some crumbs for.you to eat. And you are happy. Laghing hard.. i havent.stop working since i came.to this country back.in 1987, went and fought your wars , i drive and work 14 hours a.day. some days more. Didint got and dont want it Anyrhing from goverment, all my bills are paid in time, i became us citizen early 90s, i own.my assets, pay my taxes, even having the right as veteran and senior to no longer pay it. My children are well educated. And.you.complain about lock.of opportunity.. lockof ways to pay your bills.
You americans are hipocrites, and.the worse thing is. YOU.KNOW IT.. WAKE.UP GO.TO.WORK BUY USA MADE. TAKE YOUR COUNTRY BACK
Thats why I see illegals in the grocery line ahead of me whipping out the EBT card, because they get no help? Every foreigner legal or not gets on the dole. Take your garbage and bury it some place else chief. Squatemalans with 5,6,7 kids litter South Philly where Im at, ALL on the govt dole.
Here’s your sign.
A True sell out of the American people. Here is a prime example. A legal expert and setup man to kill the American truck industry. This needs to be investigated. Big conflict of interest.
About like Elaine Chao, the wife of Mitch McConnell, being the secretary of transportation. Her father is the head of a China shipping giant. Fox in charge of the henhouse. Everything is upside down with trump in charge. $$ sellout!
Shhhh… that doesn’t fit the narrative the angry folks are talking about…
Nothing to see here folks move along. Any appearance of impropriety is simply coincidental and not based in any fact. Move along now.
JUDAS
I wonder… how a person with no knowledge at all( proven by the naive rules dictated by FMCSA) can do any good for the trucking industry, never the less, for us truckers.
Instead, better pay, better benefits, better working conditions, they just decided to find a way to get rid.of us. Laughfable indeed. No wonder why this industry are worsing by rhe minute.. dispicable globalization
The key word in the whole report is CHINESE. Get it?
He’s a effing Traitor. Working for the very same people that brought us the Covid virus which has turned the world upside down, What a scumbag.
These trucks will be available for sale to the public in 4 years. That’s everything you need to know about the trucking industry forecast. This guy has been in bed with this technology for a longer time than reported.
But will them truck’s be able to open the doors and back them into the docks?
And the current administration proclaims to support ” the working class.”
Right!
This didnt just pop up with the current admin, smart guy.
In the article this guy spent the least amount of time, never voted in and left before he got the nameplate for his desk
When the guy made the HOS rules was preparing the field for a robots standard. There’s some interest conflict, that’s why on the emergency this rules were an obstacle. Robots don’t get covit19, they have antivirus software.
Screw the Chinese they trying to take over our country . From the inside ! They are all about control they are communist ! Sabotage self drive trucks ! Trucking is all we have people ! If they take our trucks then what ? Freedom ?
Fight for our job ! Trucking ! Don’t let them take it !
A Chinese company no less! Dang traitor if you ask me. All about the Benjamin’s!!
He’s a bureaucrat and now a quasi lobbyist that’s what they hired him so he can navigate the swamp. It’s coming driverless trucks means there won’t be shortage of long haul drivers and eventually the demand for truck drivers will diminish along with the pay.
This dude did 12 years at Werner as Chief Executive.
Then he did 10 months as the acting FMCSA Chief until they found a replacement. He did so little, you’d be jealous.
Now he goes to another trucking company (owned by the Chinese! Just like General Electric* -yes, GE is a Chinese company, and Smithfield Pork*, also a Chinese company…) and suddenly, he’s the boogie man who made driverless trucks happen to sell out truckers to the Red Chinamen?
Nothing important happens in government in less than 10 months.
And if you eat bacon or perhaps cook bacon on a GE appliance…isn’t that worse? At least in Mullen’s situation here, China is paying an American instead of an American giving $$ to the Chinese…
Why the need to make up and create a boogeyman? I know it sucks when reality doesn’t fit the narrative you want to believe, but we have to get past this bologna.
* A Chinese company, Haier, bought GE for $5.4 Billion a few years back. Back in the 90’s, GE had actually tried to buy Haier, but the deal fell through.
**China’s Shuanghui Group, the world’s leading pork producer, bought Smithfield for $4.7 billion in 2013.
A list ,A book , A novel A truckers guide book to success.
Chinese buying up our postal services. Don’t you all feel safer now?
Driver less trucks computer operated fork lifts no human needed. Tesla might very well be your next job.
Nikolas hydrogen fueled trucks. A better truck with a couple draw backs. But seems to be worth the effort. Driverless or not.
Dude Chinese were here in the USA already they did alot of our mining. They were also in Mexico. And as far as you fighting Our Wars no one asked or forced you to. You said Our not Yours. No one drug your a.. across the border and demanded you join the Armed Forces or live here. Since you don’t unload trailers you should shut it up. Your in My country My Reservation. If you don’t like This country get off My Reservation.
New technologies are inevitable. I am a current driver-driverless technology is coming whether we like it or not. Decades ago I used to be in the printing industry, which was also changed by technology, you adjust, you learn new skills & you find another job or industry. Complaining about it is not helping you! You’ve known that this technology is coming-you have plenty of time to figure out what to do, no excuses!!!