What were you doing at 3:51 p.m. on Monday the 11th?

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Significant-Use-5136@reddit

Stop working at trash carriers with driver facing cameras

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

There isn't much choice in the car hauling world. Kind of hard to find another comparable job making $2,700 to 3500 a week like I do now.

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Ya can be a hard choice if you gotta have the money I do 1900 a week with no driver facing working 50 of my 70 hours there’s better pay out there but not willing to take the invasion of privacy and in cab audio recording is a no go for me as well but 17 years no tickets or accidents all endorsements gives me options

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12InchPickle@reddit

Open up ChatGPT and tell it to write a story based around that info. Then send the safety guy it. That’s what I do.

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Nozerone@reddit

Got to make it a funny read though.

It all started at precisely 3:49 PM on Monday, November 11th. Most people were stuck in a typical post-lunch slump, battling the never-ending cycle of emails and spreadsheets. But not me. Oh no, I was on the verge of greatness.

At that exact moment, I found myself in a deep philosophical debate with a bag of chips. The argument had started innocently enough — I was just trying to open it, as anyone would. But the bag? The bag had other plans. It refused to cooperate, taunting me with its crinkly, glossy resistance. I pulled, I tore, I cursed the very existence of snack packaging. It was like trying to break into Fort Knox, but with fewer rewards and more salt.

But the bag of chips, clearly a master of psychological warfare, had one last trick up its sleeve. It unleashed the perfect "crack." No, not the sound of plastic giving way — it was the emotional crack. The kind that made me question my life choices. I stared at the chips. The chips stared back. Was it worth it? Could I, in good conscience, continue to pursue this crunchy treasure? Had the bag won?

As I hesitated, a thought crossed my mind: “Why am I not making more meaningful decisions with my life right now?” And then, just as quickly, I dismissed it because the bag had finally opened — and inside, nestled like a secret treasure chest, was the most perfect pile of chips I had ever seen. I was victorious.

But my triumph was short-lived.

At 3:51 PM, disaster struck. My hamster, who had been watching the entire ordeal with judgmental eyes from the atop the dash, decided that I was no longer worthy of the chips. In a single, elegant leap, My hamster launched itself onto my lap, sending the chips soaring through the air like confetti at a parade. The universe, it seemed, had conspired against me.

In the aftermath, I was left sitting there in my seat, chips scattered around me like the ruins of a once-promising snack break. But I was undeterred. I calmly (or at least, semi-calmly) scooped up the chips, brushed off the fur, and ate them anyway. Life was too short not to enjoy a few hamster hairs with my potato chips.

As the clock struck 4:00, I finally took a deep breath and considered what I had learned: In the battle between man and snack, only the strongest (and most resourceful) prevail. And that, my friend, is I was doing at 3:51 PM on Monday, November 11th

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onetobeseen@reddit

Omfg. That is epic. Chat gpt wrote that?

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Nozerone@reddit

For the most part. I did go through and change things to make it read like I'm telling the story, and Chatgpt did have a Cat as the animal but I didn't think that was funny enough.

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onetobeseen@reddit

Thx. I am going to try this some

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pattih2019@reddit

Lmao this was great

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kane_eightee@reddit

This is the way. I was gonna say you gotta bury the actual time in question deep within the story to get them invested in it for at least a few paragraphs before they realize it’s all bs to waste their time.

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RoscoMD@reddit

Congratulations, driver! You’ve won the internet today!

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El_Maton_de_Plata@reddit

The moral of this story: if you aren't 🐹 hairin, you ain't livin

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omahameats@reddit

That is awesome. Any chance you request a 10,000 word story just to make it longer. lol

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Josh302@reddit

🤣🤣🤣

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Acrobatic_Ocelot_461@reddit

and...come on, don't leave me hanging.

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Fordluver@reddit

🤣😂🤣

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

Oh yes absolutely on the next message that is my reply oh absolutely

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SelfishLampShade@reddit

This is golden hahahaha xD

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Scriptapaloosa@reddit

Nofing officer….

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gottabecrazy111@reddit

TLI was great for this. When we were told they were installing driving facing cameras we said bye

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WeirdTruckGuy@reddit

I told my company’s head of safety that if they ever require me to take the inward camera lense cover off, they’d instantly loose a driver. No matter where I’m at, “where do you want the keys to the truck?” Would be stated. We’ve had these cameras now for a year and a half and I still have the inward cover on.

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dingdingdredgen@reddit

Google Maps uses the always on GPS function of 4G and 5G to track your movements, and mine says... I was completing eod, so I was probably doing back shots at the dock, dropping a load on some dock workers, or cranking one out before I pulled out. Yes, when asked stupid open ended questions, I will intentionally use phrasing to make the other person more uncomfortable than they're making me. It's as close to shitting on my boss' desk as I can get and probably not get fired immediately.

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NoBandicoot8047@reddit

The AI cameras are a hard no for me.

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Salt_Bus2528@reddit

I was doing paperwork with the windows down and the stereo up. Staring across the lot at...oh shit, I witnessed an accident! A white pick up truck utility body smashed and 360° spun a silver sedan in a head on collision when they both decided to use the middle turning lane to cheat traffic.

Monday at 3:51 was kind of entertaining.

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Quynn_Stormcloud@reddit

*bud. You “nip it in the bud.” It’s a phrase referring to cutting off the bud on a branch before it becomes an unwanted flower or branch, thus heading off a situation before it becomes a problem.

To answer the question, my dispatch seems to trust us pretty well, and I don’t get calls unless poor planning on my part is very likely to impact load delivery times. Other than that I get “keep doing what you’re doing.”

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GumbysDonkey@reddit

The answer is always pooping

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Nozerone@reddit

"Oh ya know, just the usual, doing what I'm suppose to be doing, paying attention because I know wtf I'm doing and trying to not kill or damage anyone/thing. If you think you can do it better or have a problem with me avoiding turning a person into a speed bump, or believe that I'm just stopping in the middle of random intersections to annoy people, then by all means, please come meet me and you can drive the truck".

Although, I do like the idea of using ChatGPT to make a story to send them.

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J-Kensington@reddit

I was earning the $100,000 a year that you pay me because of my clean safety record, while you were making half that to watch a $10 camera that you paid $200 for and make up ways to micromanage a professional driver with a perfectly clean record.

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Nozerone@reddit

It's like they think those of us with a spotless record are just really lucky idiots or something.

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JeepingTrucker@reddit

My company just installed Trimble cameras and ELDs, and after 15 years of driving, 3 years with this company, 1.5M miles, no tickets, perfect DoT inspections, hundreds of oversized loads, 50 wind turbine blades, and thousands of legal general freight loads, I got my first call from safety yesterday.

99% of the conversation was checking on me and wondering how I've been and what I was doing headed out of state (I usually drive TX only) and how life was. The purpose of the call was because the camera claimed I was within 4 seconds following distance because a car cut me off and I didn't back off and crowded the dumbass. That part of the conversation was all of 30 seconds of a 15 minute call with a safety guy I have grown to have a lot of respect for. He's always been laid back, friendly, understanding and never, ever treats a driver poorly.

I still hate these damn cameras.

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Hurricaneshand@reddit

My boss just sends me the video clip and says "they told me I'm supposed to coach you and not do X"

Me: thumbs up react

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Honest_Hat_3002@reddit

Do you prefer it for him to do coaching like this?

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Outlaw11091@reddit

Yeah.

Honestly, I don't mind. It's dumb, but...whatever.

They call and ask me why I brake so hard.

'Because I'm trying not to hit shit.'

Why did your rollover sensors trip 3 weeks ago?

'HELP! I'VE BEEN STUCK IN A DITCH FOR 3 WEEKS!'

Why were you following so closely last month?

'I was usin' his reflective doors to take a selfie, duh, can't you see me? I waved at ya'.'

Idk what they hope to accomplish....

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Agent-muun@reddit

I just tell them to screw off.

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JimBobPaul@reddit

I'm so glad I work for a small company. The only thing in the truck is my own dash cam. No sensors, detectors, cameras, nothing.

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nastyzoot@reddit

I don't recall. That's all you have to say.

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HexDanTHEWHALE@reddit

Reading some of these stories really does make me appreciate that i am a mom-and-pop company driver. Holy crap you guys have to put up with a whole lot of shit for not all that much pay in comparison. Cudos to everyone out there hustlin'!

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Choice_Pop3111@reddit

CC the micro-managers boss on every response and other people on management

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

I bcc my Union steward

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QuietRightSlick@reddit

That’s why I don’t drive for companies that use AI driver facing cameras

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

I've been here a couple years, this is a relatively new development. They just put these in a couple months ago.

Our Union said we can put tape on the inward facing camera, which I have as well as like 95% of other drivers have.

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QuietRightSlick@reddit

You should look for a different job, that doesn’t micromanage you. Then you should tell them the reason you’re leaving is because you don’t like the AI misinterpreting what is going on, and having someone call you to grill you on your alleged wrongdoing.

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

Pretty easy to say and type, I'm a union car hauler with a top-tier benefits package I don't pay a dime for. I gross between 27 and 3500 a week, and I'm regional so I'm home two or three in a 5-day. I work at 5-day and that's it, if I want to work additional it is optional and incentive

I'm willing to put up with a lot, we're not getting a lot of guidance out of the Union right now. Yeah changing jobs isn't really on the table, unless I want to take a 50% haircut.

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tvieno@reddit

What were you doing at 3:51 p.m. on Monday the 11th?

I don't know but I feel like you're gonna tell me.

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Haunting-Ad788@reddit

Unionize. We don’t have this bullshit.

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

I'm teamsters

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D-Ray1469@reddit

I got a text about a speed camera violation on 80 in Iowa. Just a picture of the citation.

The next text was from the owner. Slow down near that camera.

It cost me $65 for 9 over. Oh well. I know where they all are now.

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robexib@reddit

State that they got the footage and that they need nothing else.

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ignoreme010101@reddit

how many trucks in your fleet? I'll admit all these AI/'smart monitor' type things are really worrying me that they'll come to my company, so far as I have reason to believe they aren't using them yet... Have literally already begun thinking I may go owner op if my company starts this and I'm not able to easily find another comparable "24/7 OTR" company (am just barely satisfied with mine and I know mine is good "relatively speaking", if they go with AI I fear it will be the death knell for me being a company driver doing the types of drives I like doing for the wages I feel are appropriate!)

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

Like 50 car haulers.

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Prestigious-Current7@reddit

I’d never be able to drive for an outfit that had cameras and called me all the time.

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FileCareless@reddit

My 1st company I work for out of the DFW area use to do dumb shit like that. But they would call right away and eventually I just had 1 to many bs calls since they think they are saving the world. We don’t need to talk more then 2 min and I sure af don’t need a video of what I did 5 minutes ago since I’m the 1 that did it, like wtf. So I said stfu or I’m bringing your truck back. They in fact did not stfu so I hung up and got routed back the the yard and flew home. Had a new job within a week w/better pay

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Ok_Commission9026@reddit

My last safety issue was for having my seatbelt off. For 13 seconds at a truck stop parking lot. I'm a criminal I tell ya. CRIMINAL! I've heard a few of our guys got called in for going 1-2mph over the speed limit. I was called in for 5 over.

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soupsandwich00@reddit

I've never even met my safety manager, let alone talk to the guy. I know his name, but that's about it, couldn't pick the dude out of a crowd if I had to.

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

A little more strict here. Every year I have at least one load audit for each OEM. It's a surprise either on the load or an unload, to make sure that I'm following the 2-in thick shipping manuals to a T.

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Vahaemar@reddit

So far my company has called me twice in the couple weeks I've been here. One was a call I requested. The other last exactly 1 minute. I love it

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Responsible_CDN_Duck@reddit

If you have a specific clip or incident description you'd like to discuss I'm willing to engage with you, but asking weird gotchas trivia questions instead of providing a general area and time has started this off as a confrontation.

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Creative_Shame3856@reddit

One of the things I absolutely love about the company I'm with now is that every video from every camera gets watched by one lady, who happens to be a retired driver with over 6M miles under her belt. She's fn badass, do NOT try to BS her, but she knows what's up and tosses 90% of the crap that comes across her desk. The other 10%, if you get a call from Goldie you know you done messed up.

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karrimycele@reddit

That’s nuts. We have that shit but I hang my hat on the driver facing camera. They send emails every week, but I don’t open them. Safety isn’t calling me, though. I think they just have them to appease the insurance companies who rule the trucking industry.

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redditor012499@reddit

You see they want you to hit them instead of using your brakes. Safety is important after all.

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HeywoodJaBlowMe123@reddit

Spin it back on Safety.

“What was I doing? What were YOU doing at 3:51 PM on Monday 11th?”

Saftey: I asked you first..

“I asked you second”

Completely childish 🤣

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ATWAR68@reddit

I Got A Call Yesterday,Saying I Was Possibly Speeding In Bad Weather Conditions. I Was Driving Thru The Mountains In Snow/Slush Here In Oregon. I Told Him I Absolutely Was Not ! And I Would Share My Personal Dash Cam Video To Prove It. He Said No Need For All Of That, I Said Are You Sure ? I Really Don't Like Being Accused Of Something That I Haven't Done. I Really Wasn't Speeding & I Really Don't Have A Personal Dash Cam !

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

I got accused once of being 80 miles an hour going uphill on the 433 in Pennsylvania while I was carrying paper rolls.

No amount of common sense I was providing at the time was being listened to, the GPS on board was assumed to be 100% accurate.

I asked him to look at the previous minute or two before. And explain why the GPS had me at 30 miles an hour 2 minutes before, 80 miles per hour, then back to 30 a minute later.

When that logic fell on deaf ears. I sent a text to the owner of the company and gave them a heads up on the stupid situation, and I didn't hear about it ever again.

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Rasty1973@reddit

My camera gives me a red light violation about 25% of the time I go through a blinking yellow (no red light or green on the signal fixture) on US 17 between Georgetown and Charleston. I go through that light twice per day. I haven't gotten a call yet on that one.

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Ayrria@reddit

Before the AI cameras became a thing, I had a safety manager at my first company that loved calling me over every “infraction” - deer in the road and I hit brakes to slow down? That’s a call. Didn’t use my blinker at 3 AM to change into a truck lane to go up a hill? That’s a call. Followed too closely for .2 seconds when I was changing lanes to pass? That’s a call. I don’t miss that.

I’m so glad I don’t get the micromanaged phone calls anymore. It’s not worth it to me. Safety is my top priority, but it’s easy to think everything is wrong when taken out of context in a 3 second clip while you sit in your office and have never driven a semi before. I don’t think non-drivers are qualified to be safety managers, personally.

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vadroko@reddit

What ELD system do you use?

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

Samsara

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LongHaulinTruckwit@reddit

My company uses samsara, but they have the sensitivity settings turned waaaay down.

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

In my discussion that was my suggestion as well. I know that the AI settings can be super sensitive, and they could be tuned way down. City driving in a car hauler probably set it off at every intersection.

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moldschlager@reddit

Prime was like this. Only they would let over a month pass and be surprised and my genuine response of "beats me"

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halfcow@reddit

What's wrong with stopping in the middle of a turn?

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

That's what I said. I asked if I should have continued to turn and crushed the e-bike rider that drove off the curb.

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SelfishLampShade@reddit

Jesus, sounds annoying to deal with. I just started trucking with May Trucking, and they hardly ever call me, and when they do, it's just ask if I'm doing okay

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Cleveland_Grackle@reddit

I started with them years back. I remember one time they had me on an LTL load, four or five drops. One of them was end-of-line Costco clothing going to a thrift type store in Payette ID (on the left just up the hill from the Walmart as you go to the Payette yard). This place was a tiny shop, no dock or anything, so I had to break the pallets down and stack the boxes on the back of the trailer where the shop stuff would take them inside. It was summer and 95 degrees outside. I turned the reefer on to 35 in an attempt to not sweat my tits off. They were blowing up my phone asking why the reefer was on.

Also watch out for the guy in Safety at Brooks. Not Danny the superstar, a younger guy with a ginger beard. Ex Driver and complete company rat. I've seen him making fun of newbies on the backing course and on a public Facebook forum asking why a drivercwasnt logging any SB time. He'd obviously seen this driver's post then hone poking through their logs. Completely unprofessional to do that in public. I left seven years ago so I don't remember his name.

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Pitiful-MobileGamer@reddit (OP)

I've been here for years, I never get called. That's why this is an outlier. It also coincides with us getting new cameras from Sam Sara back about 2 months ago

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Nozerone@reddit

They saw you through the camera and was calling to make sure because no normal person does.... that....

What they fail to realize is that we are not normal, and "that" is normal for us.

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Mechanik_J@reddit

I don't mind cameras in the truck, but safety is getting too weird about them being set off. It's way to distracting. Let me drive. If you can't look at the footage, and figure out what happened. You should probably not be in safety. Now if the boss says to find something on the camera to fire drivers... you should be looking for another job, because they'll be closing doors soon.

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