Camera? Not on my watch

I dont want just a "driver" thats the entire problem with most trucking companies...I will have zero issues finding a 5 plus year veteran driver, who wants way way more than being a driver...

Be Safe Out There

Captain Dave

 

Great Buffalo Springfield tune... And very befitting: 'step out of line and the men come to take you away.'

 

What is more than just a "driver"?
This term is so hard to nail down on this forum.
I'm not a real driver because I work for a company.
I'm not a real driver because I use a GPS
I'm not a real driver because I park at the big truckstops.
I'm not a real driver because I use Elogs.
I'm not a real driver because I didn't start trucking in the 70's and the list goes on and on.

You want a business partner? Someone qualified to be one? Then why wouldn't he just buy his own truck? I guess I'm not what you are looking for (over a million accident free miles, no service failures, no tickets ever) I'm just a "driver". One that would never accept a cam facing me. I just don't understand why you need that. It's like this. The driver facing cam records me to see if I do anything unsafe right. But anyone of us can be caught in a moment doing something unsafe. We all reach for a drink, scratch our butt, glance over at the other lanes etc... So I hard brake and get caught on camera looking away. Does that 5 seconds determine my entire career? Those seconds count more than my 10 year record? It's insane! That's my problem with it. Look it's you truck, your opinion and you're entitled to it, I just don't get it.

By the way before anyone replies that they always drive with two hands on the wheel staring straight ahead and checking their mirrors every 5 seconds please remember this is a trucker forum and full of truckers who....well won't believe you, primarily because it's not true.

 

When I say the word driver I mean a person that completely relies on the company to provide for them and for them to make sure they get from point A to point B to tell them where they need to fuel etc...when I say a partner I mean a person that thinks business like, is concerned about the
Truck and always does the right thing. Is courteous to shippers and receivers is courteous in traffic as we all know these trucks are expensive we can do a lot of damage very quickly.
Completely understand where you're coming from on the facing the driver camera and no 5 Seconds of bad driving does not dictate a career in fact it just shows that you're human we all get distracted out here we all make mistakes but I don't believe for a minute that any of those major carriers are looking in your trucks minute by minute to see what you're doing I don't think they have the resources or the bandwidth to dedicate to a project like that.

Be Safe Out There

Captain Dave

 

It's the companies and the insurance companies playing CYA at the drivers expense

 

It's not the spying that worries me. I know companies aren't going to pay someone just to watch me. I'm worried about being "caught". 5 seconds can look mighty bad in the wrong context. That's why I don't like them, it's too easy to be made to look unsafe.

 

.... Not sure what he means by "real" driver neither
.... We should just wish him well tho on finding someone to drive his truck for him with his creepy little cameras staring at the driver all day & night
.... He seems to think that's OK to do I guess

 

A camera can easily end up costing the company even more.

This is what I always say. Put on the on guard, the lane detection system and the cameras but if your truck kills someone you are still going to pay. All those safety features won't mean a thing to the jury.

Now I hear the argument about prevention and it's valid. I think there is a balance though.

 

You can also add "I'm not a real driver because the truck I drive has an automatic transmission" to that list.

 

I added the word "real" he didn't say that.