The stink of complacency

Falling into a routine of complacency is a well-documented danger on job sites. Not paying attention to details and not following checklists – those sorts of things lead to injuries. That makes sense. We’ve all lost our focus at one time or another and had it bite us, hopefully not too badly.

Complacency can also come from a place of frustration. There are many psychological conditions and terms you could attribute it to. But the gist is that you can be ignored or feel powerless for only so long before you quit trying – and just cruise along, day to day. Maybe, if you’re lucky, you’re in a state of blissful ignorance.

That’s a big problem right now for truckers.

The Board of Directors of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association met for its spring meeting a few weeks ago. Board members hosted representatives from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to discuss the problem(s) with brokers.

Associate Editor Tyson Fisher’s complete coverage of the discussion starts on Page 46. However, I’ll give you a very brief CliffsNotes version right here.

The FMCSA reps acknowledged OOIDA’s petition for broker reform. “We heard you,” was the message delivered to the board. “We granted the petition.” But as the meeting went on and issues with broker transparency were raised, OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh delivered a truth bomb.

“It’s been four years (since our petition was filed),” Pugh said. “Four years. That’s why truckers feel like no one’s listening.”

It’s probably felt that way for a while – and I stress “felt.” Hear me out.

Truck parking remains stalled at the federal level, and more funding is needed. There’s been lip service, but no meaningful legislation has passed. And you have more and more areas limiting truck parking – even at your homes. Check out Page 32 for the latest battle on that front.

Mandated tech is another area that has grown wearisome. Regulators fascinated by all the shiny bells and whistles aren’t looking at the reality of full-blown deployment. Speed limiters and automatic emergency braking are two such proposals. Fortunately, neither is barreling down on truckers like a speeding train. Catch the updates on Pages 20 and 21.

The Environmental Protection Agency is forging ahead on emission regulations that probably scare the hell out of any trucker who owned a truck with a 10/02 or 2007 engine. The early 2010s weren’t great, either. The EPA just isn’t listening, either to truckers or to engine makers. But there’s some hope on that front because some lawmakers are listening. Page 18 has that update.

The scariest one is the continued push for and deployment of autonomous trucks without real oversight. Blind trust in technology is dangerous for a number of reasons – and one that’s largely ignored is how technology can be turned against us. Enter a group of college students to point out the glaring danger. Our cover story shows just how easily a research team used an electronic log to hack in and take control of a big truck. Associate Editor Tyson Fisher and Senior Editor Mark Schremmer team up on a comprehensive package on the dangers of autonomous trucks starting on Page 14.

All these things can be overwhelming and feed a sense of complacency, which in turn becomes a lack of motivation to change anything.

The coverage of the board meeting, starting on Page 42, is full of headway OOIDA has made on critical issues with the help of truckers who refuse to lie down and become complacent.

Accepting that proposals are inevitable is the death sentence of complacency. Go to FightingForTruckers.com, shake off the stink of complacency and join the legions of truckers who refuse to be ignored. The power is in numbers. LL