ezydriver:
It sickens and depresses me how humans passively accept an ever encroaching totalitarian society. I began driving lorries in 2001, and the only surveillance we had were paper tachos. Now we’ve got digital tachos, telematics, trackers, forward facing cameras, random drug and alcohol tests, and of course inward facing cameras (sometimes more than 1)… with in cab microphones. That employers can peer at many aspects of your body, inside and out, and all your movements, sounds, and behaviours, at work, and to an extent out of work, at will, is is spine chilling. This has encroached on us in just over a decade. Think about that for a moment. The power relation between employer and employee these days is heinous, and most people don’t seem to realise how employers have become the frontline agents of social control. We’re being controlled like sheep. Can’t even have a single cheeky spliff on the first day of a 2 week holiday.
What of the next decade? What of all that recorded data? Not just from driving your lorry, but your browsing history, your political persuasion, your Fakebook posts, your ■■■■■■ preferences, to name a few. And what happens if a rather nasty government happens to land power, who, is totalitarian by nature? A government who take a rather dim view of dissenters, or those who they suddenly label dissenters. The point I’m making is, those who say “if you’re doing nothing wrong you’ve got nothing to worry about” are naive and fail to see that what is considered right today may not be by those who are in power tomorrow. Survelillance should always be resisted, because those who it is imposed upon are often not the ones who benefit from it.
As far as I’m concerned, knowing a camera with a live feed is pointing at me, my psychological state will be affected too much to drive. The reason I got into lorry driving is to be on my own, away from people, and prying eyes. The job represented freedom (of sorts) for a long time - a prime value of mine. But not now. For me, these cameras have overstepped the last frontier of privacy and freedom this job had, and I have recently taken the decision to leave the industry once I’m trained in something else. Call me a prima donna if you must, but I think deeply, and feel a deep sense of rage at the way people are apathetic about the exact things they shouldn’t be. In cab cameras are one of them - not in isolation, but as part of a wider agenda of social control.
Be very careful about mentioning civil liberties around me, I can fly off on a carryfastesque rant without much provocation. The sad fact is, we are probably the last generation to ever know privacy. People are so keen to put all their information into a website “to improve services” when what actually happens is that data is sold to target advertising. The government is one of the worst for selling information, just try over staying in a car park if you don’t believe me. All of our browsing history is stored “for anti terrorism reasons”, nothing to do with people downloading pirated films and tv. Oh sod it, I’ve gone off on one and not even noticed.
What I was trying to say before I got side tracked, you’ll do well to find a career where all your actions don’t have to be accounted for. Privacy is a thing of the past, and I doubt it’s ever coming back.
If the camera gets triggered at our place in an event such as a harsh brake we get called in the office for a chat with the manager who brings up the footage of the event (with audio) on the computer screen in front of you to humiliate you.
MrFaulconbridge:
If the camera gets triggered at our place in an event such as a harsh brake we get called in the office for a chat with the manager who brings up the footage of the event (with audio) on the computer screen in front of you to humiliate you.
In that case said camera needs ripping out and shoving where he can then look at the insides of his bowels on the computer screen. Humiliation isnt on…
ezydriver:
It sickens and depresses me how humans passively accept an ever encroaching totalitarian society. I began driving lorries in 2001, and the only surveillance we had were paper tachos. Now we’ve got digital tachos, telematics, trackers, forward facing cameras, random drug and alcohol tests, and of course inward facing cameras (sometimes more than 1)… with in cab microphones. That employers can peer at many aspects of your body, inside and out, and all your movements, sounds, and behaviours, at work, and to an extent out of work, at will, is is spine chilling. This has encroached on us in just over a decade. Think about that for a moment. The power relation between employer and employee these days is heinous, and most people don’t seem to realise how employers have become the frontline agents of social control. We’re being controlled like sheep. Can’t even have a single cheeky spliff on the first day of a 2 week holiday.
What of the next decade? What of all that recorded data? Not just from driving your lorry, but your browsing history, your political persuasion, your Fakebook posts, your ■■■■■■ preferences, to name a few. And what happens if a rather nasty government happens to land power, who, is totalitarian by nature? A government who take a rather dim view of dissenters, or those who they suddenly label dissenters. The point I’m making is, those who say “if you’re doing nothing wrong you’ve got nothing to worry about” are naive and fail to see that what is considered right today may not be by those who are in power tomorrow. Survelillance should always be resisted, because those who it is imposed upon are often not the ones who benefit from it.
As far as I’m concerned, knowing a camera with a live feed is pointing at me, my psychological state will be affected too much to drive. The reason I got into lorry driving is to be on my own, away from people, and prying eyes. The job represented freedom (of sorts) for a long time - a prime value of mine. But not now. For me, these cameras have overstepped the last frontier of privacy and freedom this job had, and I have recently taken the decision to leave the industry once I’m trained in something else. Call me a prima donna if you must, but I think deeply, and feel a deep sense of rage at the way people are apathetic about the exact things they shouldn’t be. In cab cameras are one of them - not in isolation, but as part of a wider agenda of social control.
Be very careful about mentioning civil liberties around me, I can fly off on a carryfastesque rant without much provocation. The sad fact is, we are probably the last generation to ever know privacy. People are so keen to put all their information into a website “to improve services” when what actually happens is that data is sold to target advertising. The government is one of the worst for selling information, just try over staying in a car park if you don’t believe me. All of our browsing history is stored “for anti terrorism reasons”, nothing to do with people downloading pirated films and tv. Oh sod it, I’ve gone off on one and not even noticed.
What I was trying to say before I got side tracked, you’ll do well to find a career where all your actions don’t have to be accounted for. Privacy is a thing of the past, and I doubt it’s ever coming back.
MrFaulconbridge:
If the camera gets triggered at our place in an event such as a harsh brake we get called in the office for a chat with the manager who brings up the footage of the event (with audio) on the computer screen in front of you to humiliate you.
In that case said camera needs ripping out and shoving where he can then look at the insides of his bowels on the computer screen. Humiliation isnt on…
Heard a story about a guy who was still in the yard with one of these inward facing cams. His hat slid partially covering the camera and they said he was deliberately covering it up. He was only doing yardwork. Anyway gross misconduct apparently and sacked. Be careful about covering them up but as for audio you can be ■■■■ sure i will give them the worst music and singing possible incase they ever check it.
ezydriver:
It sickens and depresses me how humans passively accept an ever encroaching totalitarian society. I began driving lorries in 2001, and the only surveillance we had were paper tachos. Now we’ve got digital tachos, telematics, trackers, forward facing cameras, random drug and alcohol tests, and of course inward facing cameras (sometimes more than 1)… with in cab microphones. That employers can peer at many aspects of your body, inside and out, and all your movements, sounds, and behaviours, at work, and to an extent out of work, at will, is is spine chilling. This has encroached on us in just over a decade. Think about that for a moment. The power relation between employer and employee these days is heinous, and most people don’t seem to realise how employers have become the frontline agents of social control. We’re being controlled like sheep.
I love these.‘’ If you’re doing nothing wrong what have you to worry about’’ guys , they just readily accept any liberty and ■■■■ taking scheme that their employers come up with, believe the official line and go on to repeat it like ■■■■ parrots
At the same time the employer pushes and pushes the boundaries amazed at how far he can go without someone saying ‘‘Stop, that’s overstepped the mark’’
The only thing left I reckon is body cavity searches on a Monday morning where these guys would willinglly provide their own rubber gloves and vaseline, telling all the rest of us ‘‘It’s ok, it’s for our benefit, it’s for insurance and h&s reasons’’
Watch this space, it may sound ridiculous but so would In cab cameras have seemed the same to me 20 yrs ago.
I am not one to accept the “offical line” thats it’s for our own good.
I am prepared for standing up and saying NO. The fact I post with my own real name should show that I will stand up and be counted, not skulking around under some pseudonym or fake qualifications.
Out driving alone, I sing along with the radio, I shout obsenities at other numpty road users. I pick my nose, HELL, I will even eat it if it’s a goodie.
I am human and I do some weird ■■■■ and it doesnt make me a bad person but to find my odd behaviour posted on the internet for general derission. No thank you.
If you are an employer and you feel this level of scutiniy is neccesary, perhaps it says more about your own shortcomings than mine.
I have said it before, dozens of times and I shall say it again. Psychologically it can be damaging to be observed at all times and in many ways.
Quite why some put up with it, is beyond my comprehension…I will not go into Nottingham, because of the proliferation of cameras in the place, I find it oppressive.
I am nearly there with my removal from this country, this country is no place for freedom, liberty and small business, it is finished.
all planners should have a cam on their desk and all calls and actions should be recorded. Of course they should clock in and out every day. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, and that goes for fat cat bosses too. I really wonder why anyone is bothering to drive trucks anymore. Drivers are easy meat for the old bill, the ministry, h&s, members of the public and many more. Why do drivers bother their arses with such a crap job ?
onesock:
all planners should have a cam on their desk and all calls and actions should be recorded. Of course they should clock in and out every day. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, and that goes for fat cat bosses too. I really wonder why anyone is bothering to drive trucks anymore. Drivers are easy meat for the old bill, the ministry, h&s, members of the public and many more. Why do drivers bother their arses with such a crap job ?
My old firm had them at every other base except ours. It would have only been a matter of time before our depot got them. Allegedly only two “compliance managers” have access to the footage, which was only available in retrospect. They had to physically download the footage from the truck after an incident (they claimed). They were unable to watch a live stream (they claimed). Our driver trainer even admitted that he knew very little about what the cameras were capable of, but from his research he knew the cameras were capable of providing a live stream.
What irritated was that any old “compliance manager” could look at the footage of an incident, and be as subjective as they liked. The driver being slumped over the wheel could point to fatigue, or poor driving style. Being too reclined could point to fatigue and lack of awareness. The driver being upright and alert could point to the driver “looking unsure of himself”. Can you see where I’m going? Pretty much any type of body language could be construed as being negative and the potential cause of an incident. Yawning, taking a sip of coffee, or unwrapping a humbug could be construed as a “catalyst” of an incident.
These managerial types love to play the “safety” card. “It’s for your own safety”, that sort of thing… As if safety justifies every over-zealous decision they make. I say throw it right back at them. Park up early, or take longer and more frequent breaks. When the management kick-off, just reply; “I feel tired. Should there be an incident, and the camera footage identifies me as being tired prior to it, I could lose my job, livelihood, and possibly face criminal proceedings. I am simply acting in the interest of the safety of myself and others”. I’d love to see them get out of that one.
At my old, old job I delivered at a place where the girls in the transport office were giggling at a particular driver because he liked listening to children’s audiobooks whilst driving (Harry Potter, that sort of thing…). They were just watching and listening to his dashcam footage, laughing at him. He had no knowledge at all they were doing this.
I’m kind of in the middle here. I can understand why the bosses, or the insurance, or for what it’s worth, Joe public, wants these cameras. Everytime a truck goes into the back of a stationary vehicle, at full tilt, it’s a driver on his phone. Tired drivers are more dangerous than drink drivers. Drivers drinking whilst driving.
I’m also old school. I grew up, and learned my graft, when rolling a ■■■, with your feet on the dash, and a CB Mike in your hand, was a rite of passage. I have boiled a kettle, made my tea, whilst going down the motorway. I have delivered in London, with my A5 sized road atlas across the wheel, trying to make sense of the one way systems…Whilst rolling a ■■■…
Times change. Cameras are inevitable. People working in a shop are watched. People in a bank are watched. People walking the street are watched. A camera whilst your driving should not be a problem. When you stop, simply cover it. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll accept the camera watching me drive (and sign badly and loudly), I won’t accept that camera watching me once I stop driving
And that is what I’ll tell my boss.
Onesock said drivers are an easy target for the authorities and the public , he is right.
That will explain why young people don’t want to drive for a living.
Can you blame them, no, why drive and put up with the tosh , when you can sit in a warm and dry call center for more pay .
Driving is rubbish, tip one pallet takes an hour then wait three hours for the POD due to their 24 ■■■ breaks and 6 shift changes.
Spend an hour cleaning the cab then sent to a muddy/dusty quarry or a farm.
Have you noticed the weather is ok when go in a truck wash but an hour later it rains or its dirty again from a muddy road.
Not quite as much as accidentally spilling your coffee on it does!
Carefully detach camera, place in microwave and cook on full power for 10 seconds or until thoroughly well done. Let camera cool for a minute (dont want to burn hands) and replace on dash…no need to reheat…
, they just readily accept any liberty and ■■■■ taking scheme that their employers come up with, believe the official line and go on to repeat it like ■■■■ parrots 
