How do we feel about all this new tech?

[-]

xxenoscionxx@reddit

I think it’s done with lidar , correct me if am wrong but I know the Amazon EDV’s and some of the FedEx Mercedes have it. It’s a top down live view of the truck, it’s generated but it shows the actual cars and obstacles as if you had a drone above you.

I thought it was pretty cool and would be pretty handy in this industry.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Yeah the new ford step vans have 360 cameras. Pretty handy for tight spaces. Wish more trucks had em

[-]

TruckeronI5@reddit

I only care about the paycheck.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Sadly it’s not great 🤣

[-]

pancho61917@reddit

For those of you complaining about truck driving pay, what is "not great" about the pay? How much are you making per week?

[-]

SchadDad@reddit

This can vary a lot depending on what kind of trucking you do. I do regional otr and can bring home 1300 per week. At face value, seems pretty good. But when you look at the hours that go into it, it's not great. No overtime, and most trucking is per mile pay.

[-]

American74@reddit

Alternatively as OTR, if a driver were paid around the clock minimum wage of $7.25 for all hours away from home, 7x24=168 hours a week. 168x$7.25= $1218 gross pay😂 now if we made $15x168=$2,520.00 a week gross.

[-]

Mountain-Stable4033@reddit

1300 take home ?? Kurwa

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

We’re hourly. Thankfully. Also local

[-]

its_not_merm-aids@reddit

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we're grossing $4200-4500/ week as a W2 driver.

[-]

Jaycool10@reddit

What Company? That's Fantastic for a Company Driver!

[-]

its_not_merm-aids@reddit

UPS.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

1k after tax

[-]

dylfree90@reddit

Damn that’s rough. I’m also local we have cameras on the side of our tractors but I just cover up the screen. I’m getting roughly 1500-1700 a week after taxes. 55-60 hours a week OT after 40.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

What company?

[-]

dylfree90@reddit

ADP, primarily NE LTL company

[-]

Mountain-Stable4033@reddit

1k after tax? Otr? 🤢

[-]

Mickey10199@reddit

Hard to judge net. Dude could be making $1800 a week and dropping hundreds every week on every benefit offered or is contributing a lot to his 401k. I’ve talked to guys that make the same money as me, but their net is hundreds lower because they click yes to every option during open enrollment.

[-]

DukeBradford2@reddit

$1300 after taxes, it was $1550 but my last fleet manager went to a different account.

[-]

B22EhackySK8@reddit

AFPs are local route. I work with TOM so our pay is a little less since we don’t get sent out on runs a lot. Plus our trucks don’t have blind spot cameras. I feel like those screens would distract me.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Local

[-]

dylfree90@reddit

Besides that I’d only be mad at a system that takes control of the truck or a camera that faces the driver. Either of those things are a no go for me.

[-]

Savagemocha@reddit

Spent it on tech so they could hire worse drivers

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Sounds like amazon haha

[-]

cofo@reddit

I thought it was swift.

[-]

TiddybraXton333@reddit

You’re the problem. Lol

[-]

Leading-Job4263@reddit

I’m here for the income not the outcome

[-]

ANiceDent@reddit

I already have enough cameras recording everything I do & everywhere I go.

We now have one in our mirrors….

wtf

[-]

Ok_Replacement5811@reddit

I'd rather have cameras in my mirrors than a cmera watching the inside of my cab. Actually be able to prove the @$$#0le cage crossed the line into me rather than I glanced away from the road 30 seconds before they hit me

[-]

yankee_chef@reddit

Just proves you're uneducated

[-]

arrynyo@reddit

Point blank period.

[-]

MCryptoWars@reddit

😄

[-]

Rick86918691@reddit

It makes EVERY truck out here an unreliable piece of shit that nobody really knows how to fix

[-]

JOliverScott@reddit

The mirrorless camera system is the least of my concerns. It cannot commandeer the truck's controls in an emergency situation. Those are the tech that bother me because if I'm having to fight the truck for control instead of dealing with the situation causing the emergency then I'm being blamed for the outcome. It's like why we still put pilots in airplanes that can basically fly themselves - they need the pilots for taxi, take off, landing, and scapegoats. If fully autonomous trucks ever actually arrive they'll still need steering wheel holders on whom they can blame all the failures of the technology.

[-]

L0quence@reddit

And they still need someone to go and hook up that fuel hose to put fuel in the tanks and shit. I hate the direction trucking has been going, even tho I only got my cmv 3-4yrs ago. Drove automatic for the first 2 and been in an 18speed now the last year n a bit. I think the standards make it so the driver has to pay attention more to what he’s doing and less to watching YouTube and checking his socials with his free hand like we see videos of that happening and causing accidents. I only got time to look at my phone if I’m cruising in 18th which means I’m on a straight stretch of road and I’m only checking it for work related shit or work calls. All companies now tho switching to automatics. I understand some of the perks and reasons. But the “to get new drivers behind the wheel quicker” just sounds like money hungry companies who don’t care what happens as long as that trucks out making them money. And then costing them money cause buddy flipped it 2 weeks into his job as a new cmv driver.

[-]

arrynyo@reddit

I love the manuals. Going down a steep hill I have complete control and uphill too. Autos are cool but you lose some of that finesse that a machine can't deliver.

[-]

UhOhAllWillyNilly@reddit

Autos are not cool, there is no satisfaction to be had like there is when you smooooothly float up through all the gears from a standstill to cruising speed, every shift an exercise in precision rev-matching with no jerking/lurching. Or when you have to drop a gear (or four) as you start up/down a grade. I’m telling you it is a nice feeling running up & down through all the gears with nary a hiccup and you just don’t get that sense of accomplishment with an auto.

[-]

L0quence@reddit

Exactly. Nothing more to say. Autos suck. They’re boring to drive and make you just put the blinders on and go.

[-]

JoshHatesFun_@reddit

Uh, good?

I'm not doing this for the sense of accomplishment or the thrills; I'm in it for the paycheck, and anything that makes my life easier is better.

Sure, manual has some advantages, but overall, auto is just easier.

[-]

L0quence@reddit

Well maybe that’s the problem with (some) truckers these days. They don’t actually like the job or driving, just do it for the money and going to work is a chore, so in turn they want everything to be as easy as possible, not learn new skills or care to learn standard in trucks. They care more about what’s on their phone and when they’re driving they’re just not really paying attention as if they’re in their own personal vehicle. I love driving and driving truck, especially the standards cause like buddy said, floating thru all 18 years nice and smooth, downshifting and using the engine brake to slow down etc. it’s all part of why I love it, so coming to work for me is more than just the paycheque, but I make good money for what I do as well.

[-]

TwoToadsKick@reddit

Bro just said he texts and drives

[-]

Snobben90@reddit

And blamed in on automatic transmissions...

[-]

L0quence@reddit

Plz show me exactly where I said that I text and drive..? I’ll wait

[-]

Agamemnon323@reddit

And said he'd do it more if he had an automatic.

[-]

L0quence@reddit

Where did I say I text and drive? I said I only look at my phone once I’m cruising on the hwy if I got a text from my dispatcher and it didn’t read it to me cause I was talking with a buddy. So yea I’ll read the text who cares. I have a nice flat spot in my western star on the dash that my phone always sits on cause it just never falls off and is the perfect place, and I’ll just stand it up and read it right there which is literally on top of the dash so I’m essentially still looking right out my window and glancing at it. The ppl I’m talking about are the ones who hold their phone on their leg with their free hand and are watching videos of scrolling thru socials paying more attention to that as they pull their trailer thru the city or around busy roads. I work for a small company tho and my dispatcher is old school. Even if I did text all the time as I drive he wouldn’t care. He doesn’t even check the videos the cams ping for.

[-]

_Tejaneaux@reddit

I mean... i do. But with like... voice commands.

[-]

Black000betty@reddit

Pilot and driver here. There's an industrial cultural difference that's important.

In aviation, the automation is a tool to help the pilot fly. In driving, there's a disturbing push to treat automation as a driver replacement, or a driver supervisor.

We can make driving easier and safer without compromising the driver's control or autonomy. But we aren't, and that scares me.

[-]

elernius@reddit

I have a collision mitigation system that constantly locks up the brakes in any amount of snow. There is no way to override it. They call it a driver assist but if the machine has final authority over use of the brakes, then I'm the assist. So driver supervisor does sound like a more accurate term. The poorly designed machine is in charge but bears no accountability for its dangerously poor performance.

[-]

arrynyo@reddit

Ours would slam on the brakes if we followed too close or if somebody cut us off. Bridges and highway signs would set them off more often then another vehicle. And this was in a 10 speed manual. Fun times.

[-]

Mindes13@reddit

Don't follow too closely, then.

[-]

_Tejaneaux@reddit

Idk y you getting negged. This is legit.

[-]

gfinchster@reddit

Getting downvoted because anybody here who is actually a truck driver knows that every damn day multiple vehicles change lanes right in front of your bumper all the while slowing down and setting of the collision avoidance alarms and activating the f’ing brakes. I personally love my following distance,, I’m just not allowed to keep it! Piss poor truck drivers do this as well. I get on the CB to bitch about it nut no one replies because they don’t have, don’t listen or just don’t give a flying fu€k.

[-]

_Tejaneaux@reddit

When im in big towns. Im on the right lane. Going slower then normal. Let folks merge and increase my distance. Adjust accordingly. The only alarm that goes off that fucks with me is when i try to go right lane and i turn on the right blinker and theres vehicles that the radar can see.

[-]

arrynyo@reddit

It's true, but doesn't apply in my situation. If I followed to close it would beep to warn me, then slam on the brakes and start recording both inside and outside the truck. It would send it to dispatch who would then send it to my supervisor, and by the time I got back to the terminal I would be in trouble or out of a job. It was dam near impossible to follow too close.

[-]

PM_ME_FLOUR_TITTIES@reddit

Because it's unrealistic and fucking stupid to act like it is.

[-]

FantasticAd410@reddit

I had an International with all that safety shit on it. It would read speed limit signs and ding if you went 5+ over. The stupid thing would read exit speed limit signs and it would apply the brakes. Going 65 and it sees the exit is 35 and the fucker would lock up. Not safe at all

[-]

arrynyo@reddit

Some idiot backed into my truck and busted the radar thing on the bumper. It was less of an issue after that.

[-]

Sir_Uncle_Bill@reddit

Had an idiot driving the truck I was gave prior to me being an employee. He ripped the entire front bumper off the truck. The way they repaired it made it go haywire all the time for no reason. After a week or so of driving I parked it and said told them find me another truck or I'd find another job. The next day I had another truck. But that thing eventually caused a wreck and they paid dearly for not fixing it.

[-]

arrynyo@reddit

I understand completely. That was my first job out of trucking school and my trainer said don't take any shit from management period. If you don't like the truck don't drive it. I got all the endorsements except doubles and triples I wouldn't have any problems finding a job. But to put a safety feature in and not fix it after being told about it, they got exactly what they deserved.

[-]

Sir_Uncle_Bill@reddit

I find it really hard to call some of this stuff safety features when it's so dangerous.

[-]

arrynyo@reddit

Facts. Make some shit that works when needed then put it on the trucks

[-]

FantasticAd410@reddit

Did you tell him thanks? 😅

[-]

arrynyo@reddit

Lol 😂 he took off before I could say anything

[-]

Fair-Recognition8245@reddit

I’d be out here paying guys to back into my bumper if I ever ended up in a truck with that bullshit.

[-]

arrynyo@reddit

Yes it still worked, but bridges and signs didn't set it off anywhere near as much as it did before. Win for me lol 🤣

[-]

Sir_Uncle_Bill@reddit

Had a Kenworth 680 that would pick up signs I never found and slow down. I paid attention to where it was slowing me down for a few days once and since it was within a reasonable distance from home I drove out there once and never found the speed limit sign it claimed existed. It was a ghost.

[-]

Broad-Ad-1015@reddit

Oh im glad it's not just mine I hate that damn radar detector

[-]

J3wb0cca@reddit

It’s a nightmare in rush hour when the only way to stop cars from cutting you off is to tailgate but then the truck is braking itself causing more cars to cut you off. I’ve driven underneath bridges in lookout pass and my shitty international has brake checked me on ice. It’s terrifying.

[-]

Sir_Uncle_Bill@reddit

Now try it in an automatic

[-]

Cardinal_350@reddit

Last generation Volvo's we had 2 guys get ditched on ice due to the system hard braking for nothing.

[-]

Lopsided-Move6309@reddit

Truck did it to me yesterday, I was actually slowing to come to a stop behind a pickup and it slammed on the brakes completely. This could be dangerous on the highway. All this babysitting tech is ridiculous. I think we're being put in greater danger. It's like having a backseat driver that can just take control .

[-]

XtreamerPt@reddit

I couldn't articulate it better, agree in full.

[-]

M0O53@reddit

Youre close.

We dont offer/force any retraining or reeducation. For whatever reason NA has given up on trying to improve drivers, we try to idiot proof the roads instead of training idiots to drive properly, or forcing them off the roads if they do not. Get ur liscence as a teenager and other than renewals we never want to see you again.

The vast majority of our "experienced" drivers would fail a road test 10x over before leaving the parking lot.... I bet most wouldnt be allowed to move before the instructor says "yer done"

the same test a 16 year old with no experience who studied/practiced for a couple months can pass no problem. And we all know most driver training regardless of license level never actually prepares you sufficiently, the primary focus of them is not to make you better, its to make you able to pass a test.

just how fucking broken is it compared to flying?

Our kids, our fucking 16 year olds, underprepared, and barely trained, no experience.... They are the best drivers we have on the roads on average. Nothing will change, you cant make a profit fixing our mistakes, but you sure can producing/researching/developing autonomous cars.

(By drivers throughout this i am referring to 4wheelers not any professional licenses.)

[-]

A_Dash_of_Time@reddit

Airlines don't have to worry about their planes getting hit by, and subsequently sued by the handi-capable guy in his Cessna, his scumbag insurance company claiming it was your fault for existing, or a judge/jury agreeing.

But yeah, I just switched to an east/west company after not having to deal with places like wyoming in the winter in like, 89 years. I am terrified this truck is gonna decide to slam on the brakes while I'm driving in snow because it thinks I'm gonna hit the guardrail in a corner or because some clown cuts me off.

[-]

PocketSizedRS@reddit

The only system akin to auto brake/collision avoidance i can think of is Auto GCAS, but even that can be easily overridden, I'm pretty sure. It's also pretty unprecedented in the context of aviation.

[-]

JOliverScott@reddit

Exactly!

[-]

Tricky_Big_8774@reddit

New Zealand navy just lost a (very expensive) survey vessel because the autopilot system overrid the crew's control inputs. Admittedly, they had the ability to turn the autopilot off and didn't for some reason, but it highlights the consequences of system failure.

[-]

Sir_Uncle_Bill@reddit

When drivers start sticking up for one another and go as group to every lawyer and media station and tell them what's actually going on and what's to blame, maybe we will get rid of the bs. Maybe. But we can't stick together for shit so it'll never happen.

[-]

daixso@reddit

My truck slammed brakes because it saw a ghost made the giant paper rolls I had slide 15ft forward hit a scale 30 miles later didn’t think about it was 5,000 over on my drives a CAT scale saved my ass from a $2060 ticket

[-]

yankee_chef@reddit

So you aren't educated in the technology.. Night vision, trailer lines and trailer tires right turn panning?? Stay uneducated and in the dark ages

[-]

Parasite76@reddit

Honestly the taxing could be automated easier than the flying. Just need to make sure every plane has the system. The reason self driving cars fail so much is it’s an open environment with variables that can’t be controlled. Unlike an area like an airport.

[-]

AutoModerator@reddit

We don't discuss those abominations, for I am your true master

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[-]

Tractorista@reddit

The irony is thicker than a snickers

[-]

_Tejaneaux@reddit

BAD BOT! BAD!!!!

[-]

Parasite76@reddit

Hi grumpy bot

[-]

Responsible_CDN_Duck@reddit

Pilots have way more automation and layers between the controls and the vehicle or system.

[-]

darkhorse1075@reddit

Pilots can assume full control at any moment, truckers are slowly losing that ability.

[-]

guestquest88@reddit

That's only if you can guarantee the manufacturer didn't fuck up.

[-]

mrockracing@reddit

The first few 737 Max crashes come to mind. Exactly what happens when you remove the operator's authority over the vehicle.

[-]

JOliverScott@reddit

I have a rather long dissertation on this very topic, contrasting Airbus and Boeing philosophy right up until the 737 Max.

[-]

TrollSlap619@reddit

That Makes a lot of sense little grasshopper

[-]

JOliverScott@reddit

I was anticipating a call all week and it came this morning. They want me to take a new truck. I asked if I have a choice. So I'll go take a look but I'm absolutely sure the new trucks think they're smarter than I am.

[-]

YuppieTrucker@reddit

They forgot to take out the legacy mirrors which negates the fuel economy benefit and eliminating the blind spots the legacy mirrors create. (I realize they would possibly need an exemption for that.) The camera screens are intelligently mounted on the A posts where there is already a blind spot. They reduce highlight glare at night and have infrared options for better night vision. You could use those nice hood mirrors in an emergency if the camera systems fails. This is amazing technology from everything I hear though I haven't had the opportunity to experience it myself. I'm sure it takes getting used to.

[-]

Say_In_Do@reddit

1500 to 3000 more or less depending on the market or if I went home that week.

I get paid 30% of the gross and do my thing with the clock.

Oh yeah.

We ridjn' dirty.

[-]

merv1985@reddit

camera displays are fixed, in the convectional mirror setup you can move your head and get a better view from the mirror.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

The screens can move the view.

[-]

merv1985@reddit

how is the performance of the digital mirror in the snow/rain? do they get obstructed with debris/water?

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

It’s been good so far. Definitely helps because my windows tend to get foggy at night.

[-]

nyrb001@reddit

Mirrors have a simple way of adjusting your field of view by physically moving your head...

[-]

Kitchen_Bank1767@reddit

There are some situations when cameras are great. Let the mirrors be mirrors, though. Backup cameras are great obviously (even better if they only pop out in reverse so they don't get dirty). As are cameras that let you see everything going on on your blind side. I could also see on school busses due to the significant tail swing and constant tight maneuvering where a camera showing the back corner would be great. Most school busses unless they're fairly new don't even have backup cameras which is wild.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Do you prefer cameras or mirrors?

[-]

Chemical-Scholar-486@reddit

Mirrors look pretty useful for a blind backing. Outside facing cams are doable for me. The fuckin adaptive cruise can go fuck itself.

[-]

ShoebillJoe@reddit

Did you mean predictive cruise? Because adaptive cruise is great, predictive can get fucked

[-]

3Xpedition@reddit

What is predictive cruise? Is that the I-See thing on the Volvos?

[-]

Chemical-Scholar-486@reddit

Adaptive cruise. it's the one with the radar on our trucks front bumper. Had it on my Cascadia. Bridges sucked ass but night driving with it in general was horror. It slams on your brakes outta nowhere because it thinks there's a car in front of you. Had it happen on multiple occasions. Kept it clean and had it recalibrated every 3 months. Still loved giving false positives.

[-]

Snobben90@reddit

Wtf? I drive Scanias and that has never happened... What kinda shit truck is that?

[-]

wramey12@reddit

How fast are you governed to? These systems originated in euro spec trucks. They're calibrated pretty well for 80kmh but by the time you get to 100 they start acting up. A lot of us Americans are expecting our trucks to do up to 125kmh. At that point they get kinda sketchy.

[-]

Snobben90@reddit

I've done 120 during tests... I am part of R&D at Scania...

[-]

wramey12@reddit

Well then I hope your tech gets released as a vendor item for 3rd parties. Our meritor/wabco mitigation systems are garbage. Either that or Scania as a new entrant to our truck market. I'm sure your QC and fitment is better that our mfg's. I'm not alone in saying I'd buy a 770 in a heartbeat.

[-]

Snobben90@reddit

I know. I don't know why our V8 isn't in the US yet...

[-]

ShoebillJoe@reddit

Oh yeah that bit sucks. It has conditioned me to slam the accelerator every time it slows down lol. But it's nice when it's working.

[-]

Practical-Wave-6988@reddit

It's not terrible. My truck is governed to 67, but Predictive cruise overrides that periodically and will feed fuel to 70-71 for several miles at a time.

[-]

ShoebillJoe@reddit

For me I'll be heading up a hill with it set to 68 and it will get down to 55 if there's a big drop on the other side. This is despite having it set to +/- 2

[-]

tommior@reddit

how can u hate adaptive cruise...?

[-]

Rzymatic@reddit

You learn to hate it real quick driving in the east coast.

[-]

tommior@reddit

What might the reasons be tho?

[-]

califoneChris@reddit

Adaptive cruise is cool when traffic is mostly going faster than you. I can't stand it in cars cause I'm usually driving faster than everyone else. 😂

[-]

AnimeRoadster@reddit

Adaptive cruise is alright, not perfect but you can work with it

Predictive cruise? Whoever made that deserves straight up hell as that system barely ever makes a right choice in terms of speed

[-]

fmccloud@reddit

Adaptive cruise is the best feature they’ve put on trucks.

[-]

TrollSlap619@reddit

Fuck yea, when you reach down because you dropped your burger the ACC will reduce the speed when a soccer mom on her phone cuts in front of you unexpectedly,! I’m all for it I like the lane assist also it leaves me time to piss in my Gatorade bottle

[-]

Chemical-Scholar-486@reddit

I'm crying 😂

[-]

TruckinTuba@reddit

Hell yeah

[-]

yankee_chef@reddit

Both

[-]

tarantulapart2@reddit

Id love to work on developing tech that established and experienced drivers would use in a heartbeat.

Yes, i have a diy detachable backing camera, and it works.

I also was let go recently for safety issues( parking lot damage and bumping a passenger vehicle while in a parking lot, taking out a telephone pole in training with a flatbed, and im a new driver.

Its depressing.

[-]

J-Kensington@reddit

I haven't had the chance to try these first hand, but I know that they seem like a whole lot less hassle to keep clean. That's nice.

[-]

J-Rag-@reddit

Hard pass

[-]

Exotic_Bathroom5382@reddit

This bullshit is recording everything that's happening including driver input and AI is somewhere on the backend analyzing it so they can implement driverless trucks down the road. It's not to make things safer for the driver, it's to replace the driver.

[-]

Valuable-Chance5370@reddit

It will be annoying af if one of em goes out.

[-]

Chaos__Insurgency@reddit

I'd like to have it if I can keep my physical mirrors to since apparently they're very helpful for blindside backing. At least when them mirrors inevitably fail I have physical as a backup

[-]

seanfmcgee@reddit

Been running this system on my truck for the last almost 4 years with 0 problems I love it and if I ever buy another truck I’ll make sure it’s installed.

[-]

mrockracing@reddit

What kind of hauling you do? Also, how do you get views at weird angles without adjusting the mirrors?

[-]

L0quence@reddit

He probably just uses the mirrors lol. A system that has been working for ppl who know they have mirrors for decades.

[-]

seanfmcgee@reddit

My truck doesn’t have any traditional glass mirrors only the camera mirrors

[-]

L0quence@reddit

So in the case that you had a short or the screen died, what happens?

[-]

RyTrapp0@reddit

Probably the same thing that happens if your mirror gets broken

[-]

L0quence@reddit

Which happens how often? Especially compared to a digital screen in new trucks that are so commonly plagued by electrical and sensor issues. Sure they’re fine if they don’t have problems but you’re depending on technology to see rather than an object that requires no technology to see. I understand on your truck you also have mirrors, but I’m more talking to the trucks that have the driver dead centre of the cab and only screens inside the truck to see as mirrors. You could be halfway between your stop in butt fuck nowhere and wake up one morning to carry on and now your mirror screens aren’t working and you’re on a time sensitive load. That’s the shit I wish would stay out of trucking. Along with all the “safety” features that make the truck react with no input from the drivers like collision assists that slam on the brakes from vehicles that aren’t even in your lane.

[-]

Nalortebi@reddit

What if a branch takes out you mirror? What happens? Do we need to play 500 dumbass questions while you luddites begrudgingly get with the times? Guess what, you can buy your own truck and drive it however you want. But don't be a stick in the mud bitching about everything when you're the last one making shit harder for yourself. You don't get any sympathies because you decided "newfangled tech iz hardd". Throw away your power steering, your retarder, your single stick manual, your cruise control, your air conditioning, your bunk heater. Go as old as possible and get a twin stick or a triple stick. Better yet, go older yet and start sleeping under your truck like they used to back in the day. No more fancy air ride and air cushioned seat, springs and foam are perfectly fine. And don't use any of those modern interstates, it's state highways and backroads for you Mr. Traditionalist.

Throw all those modern amenities away, they're just holding you back from your true potential, Supertrucker Supreme!

[-]

seanfmcgee@reddit

I did reefer when I first got the truck but now do power only tow away currently. The view is able to be adjusted there’s a knob that can adjust each mirror view but over a certain speed they return to the original position.

[-]

96-D-1000@reddit

Wait why do you still have the normal mirrors? The whole appeal of these devices was improved aerodynamics and better visibility due to a large mirror not being there, that just seems so unnecessary.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Yeah idk

[-]

Sushimaven@reddit

I like it. If you want to still use the physical mirrors, you can. I don't see the issue.

[-]

ChampionshipThin8916@reddit

All these cameras and no one is putting backup cameras on trailers you can wirelessly/bluetooth to in your truck. Surely there has to be a simple way to add this. The most import camera(s) of all.

[-]

Nozerone@reddit

I think it's kinda stupid if the side mirrors are still there. I don't mind the new tech if it leads to those side mirrors getting deleted which means better visibility for turns when I'm looking/watching for cross traffic. Biggest issue I worry about though is how bright are they are night? When night driving I like to keep my truck as dark as possible, and I would hate it even these things keep the cab of my truck illuminated even if it's a little. If the cab is bright enough for me to see my hand in my lap, it's to much.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

You can adjust brightness

[-]

nastyzoot@reddit

I don't understand it. Why are you showing me a screen with something that I can see with my own eyes?

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Maybe windows get fogged up?

[-]

musicalmadness1@reddit

Turn on heater. No more fog. Common sense.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

But I hate the heat

[-]

musicalmadness1@reddit

Sounds like a personal problem then.

[-]

revelation6viii@reddit

Bad weather, night vision.

[-]

Obamastepson@reddit

I just want a digital rear wide lens for parking.. this looks pointless since mirrors are same angle..

[-]

FinzClortho@reddit

I haul very long trailers. When I turn, I can start moving the mirror to follow my trailer. A screen is not as reliable and as instantaneous like a true reflection.

[-]

FinzClortho@reddit

No. Just no. With a Vittoria I can move my head to see more, or back and forth. With a screen, what's there is just that. Want to see more, you have to take a hand off the wheel and start fumbling around to move it. Additionally, have a screen in the cab can cause night blindness.

[-]

Geetar-mumbles@reddit

I had one in 2020, I was delivering to convenience stores across northern England, Scotland and Wales so naturally the drops were tight AF but the fact the camera followed the rear of the trailer really helped.

[-]

SlySpinglefinger@reddit

It's not bright enough to see in full detail, the mirror is easier to see then the dimm assed monitors

[-]

reapershadow_@reddit

Love how the trucking industry touts that technology is disruptive/distracting while simultaneously adding more screens and technology inside the cab

[-]

tommior@reddit

why on earth u have both? main benefit of cameras is that u have less air drag = better fuel economy. but mirrors being there it defeats it

[-]

Nalortebi@reddit

Training wheels. Some of the petulant and vocal among this group can't manage a sudden change. You have to ease them into it, like potty training a toddler.

[-]

PlatChap@reddit

My company uses mirroreye. I think it's great for driving due to the increased FOV, night mode and crystal clear picture in adverse weather that otherwise makes my regular mirrors much more difficult to use. For backing, I use my regular mirrors and the old lean out the window for sight side; but on a tough blindside the mirroreye comes in handy due to how far i can pan it.

I have nothing negative to say after 2 years of using it

[-]

Nalortebi@reddit

Sorry if you didn't get the message but you're actually supposed to hate them and they're supposed to fail every other day and actually they don't work, you've just been brainwashed. Sorry for the bad new, bub.

[-]

IdeaInternational865@reddit

The Trucking industry has to have the most Bitching and Moaning Employees of any industry there is.. I have never met a Positive Trucker.. Ever. It's always something.. If they added Backup Cameras, Super truckers would find a reason to bitch about that as well...

[-]

Nalortebi@reddit

It'll roll out like ELD. They'll cry like their world is ending, and then in ten years they'll cry whenever they have to use paper instead of the ELD. The cameras will slowly be rolled out, super truckers will slowly grow to accept them, then super truckers will have another little pissy fit when they have to hotseat in a truck with traditional mirrors. Give that truck paper logs and they'll melt down like chernobyl. But now where at the point where they're all fussy with a scrunched up face and defiantly crossed arms. Gotta put on some more cocomelon and wait for them to tire themselves out.

[-]

Dangerous_Ad4451@reddit

Have you noticed that they are working on camera for everything except camera for backing assist? Won't it be nice to have a camera at the back of every trailer to avoid unnecessary collision? I guess that's not as important as watching a driver pick his nose.

[-]

Nalortebi@reddit

If you'd bother to look you'd know they do have cameras for the back of the trailer.

[-]

Present-Ambition6309@reddit

Is it easier to back though?

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

You can move the camera around so I guess it could help that way. I’m just so used to mirrors

[-]

Present-Ambition6309@reddit

That’s my concern as well

[-]

jose_guapo_@reddit

Stupid. Just use mirrors

[-]

Vexerithium@reddit

I just want portable clip-on rechargeable amber LED lights that I can attach to the trailer crossbeams and point towards the trailer tires so I can see where the trailer is in total darkness. How has no one designed these yet?

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Neon underglow kit could work

[-]

stephenforbes@reddit

They suck. Drove a truck with them for 4 months that did not have actual mirrors. Never again.

[-]

stephenforbes@reddit

They suck. Drove with them for 4 months. I'll take a real mirror any day over them.

[-]

Ghostxteriors@reddit

It's cool. But I wouldn't trust it without physical mirrors as backup after experiencing the multiple electronic failures in all other systems of a truck.

[-]

Sir_Uncle_Bill@reddit

No. Period.

[-]

CrashTestGangstar@reddit

👎🏿

[-]

West_Masterpiece9423@reddit

Yah, not a fan, but it’s the way of it. What I really can’t stand is the adaptive cruise. That’s ok in a car, absolutely lousy in a big rig.

[-]

VerbalDysentery@reddit

Those mirror eyes are a blessing when my Freightliner's windows and physical mirrors are salt lavened...

[-]

Pedizzal@reddit

I dig it. I'm building a classic school bus converting it into a camper. I hope to use these on it. I have one small round hotrod mirror to put on it to stay legal. Last I checked you have to have one glass side mirror to be legal in the US

[-]

revelation6viii@reddit

Sounds like a sweet build!

[-]

Passion-Interesting@reddit

Retarded if you ask me. Screw the video mirrors use you real mirrors.

[-]

134679112@reddit

If it ACTUALLY helps reduce damage and injuries, awesome. Just never loose your basic skills.

[-]

LegitimateImpress336@reddit

Maybe if it was for the rear of the trailer...🤷🏽‍♂️

[-]

truckinfarmer379@reddit

Can’t stand it. Just one more electrical device that will inevitably fail.

[-]

yankee_chef@reddit

I bet you're the one leaving piss bottle on the exit ramps too..

[-]

truckinfarmer379@reddit

Hell no. I can’t stand the new age drivers who do that and somehow think it’s acceptable.

[-]

yankee_chef@reddit

Do you even understand the technology in MirrorEye? Please search it.. Night vision, trailer tires panning right turns, no glare from the sun, and end of trailer lines.. Just couple examples

[-]

Kind_Man_0@reddit

Back when I was OTR I had the collision detection system, it sucked. I'm doing 65, left lane is doing 75, but the douche behind him wants to do 85. This usually meant that he had to pass as soon as his bumper clears my front end and it would give the brakes a good hard tap each time.

I've had cars honk passing me because they though I was brake checking them.

Lane assist is just as bad. There are more times than not that I'm actually trying to be on the edge of the lane because the Owner op peterbilt next to me can't stay off the middle line.

[-]

Parasite76@reddit

Gotta say I have a backup cam on my trailer and it’s used more than my mirrors these days. Certainly some technology is a huge boon. Unfortunately most is focused on cutting cost not on general usefulness.

[-]

homucifer666@reddit

Mine does this with bridge supports and vehicles in the lanes beside me. Even worse, it always brakes like the truck is on dry pavement, which is absolutely terrifying in heavy rain, ice, or snow.

[-]

daixso@reddit

Never used em I hear they are nice at night and in rain and snow and that they pan to track the trailer that all sounds interesting but my company will probably never spec them until they become mandatory

[-]

Renegadegold@reddit

Making shitty drivers safer little bit.

[-]

cCueBasE@reddit

No thanks

[-]

LetMeReload@reddit

They have that in American truck simulator. First time I ever saw it😂

[-]

FlatbedtruckingCA@reddit

Wait till it freezes and you have to reboot it..

[-]

Foxlen@reddit

The only tech I want is power steer and A/C

I'm indifferent to transmission being automatic or manual.. as long as it isn't some stupid 6 speed

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

lol they make 6 speed trucks?

[-]

musicalmadness1@reddit

Military vehicles like lmtv fmtv pls hmmt all have Allison 6 speed autos. The military version of freightliner 700 has a 12 speed auto.

[-]

Foxlen@reddit

Yes, I hate them

2016 western star 4700 2025 freightliner 114

Are trucks I've driven with 6 speeds

[-]

69trkr77@reddit

Have seen this setup on a Walmart truck. I will never drive one with this. Too many screens in the cab will severely affect night vision. Can't be for safety. It's only to save miniscule amount of fuel and reduce cost of replacing/repairing mirrors.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

You can adjust brightness. I’m already getting used to them. You can move them too so I can blindside park more easily.

[-]

musicalmadness1@reddit

The blindside parking would be the only advantage I see with these. Maybe a option to have it only on passenger side for blindside would be good besides that not useful for me.

[-]

ScarcityTough5931@reddit

They aren't showing you anything that isn't in your mirror. And you are correct, that garbage is creating a big blind spot when you're trying to turn left.

[-]

Top-Sheepherder-3657@reddit

We had a Volvo FH aero we were trialling and the mirrorcam was the only thing I didn't like about it.

It made hooking up a bit of a pain because you can't move your head around to get a bit more field of view like you can with a real mirror.

We run 26m b-doubles, 30m a-doubles and 35m b-triples, you lose sight of the back trailer going around corners which is not ideal.

Our trucks and trailers all have LED lights only, so your trailer lights appear to flicker all the time due to refresh rates.

Headlights behind you appear blue and when the intersect with tail lights it can appear that there is an emergency vehicle behind you.

The wide fov section of the screen is physically much smaller than the spot mirrors and you can see a lot less.

I fucken hate them.

[-]

S_n_o_wL_e_o_p_a_r_d@reddit

I wish I could try them out honestly.

[-]

kane_eightee@reddit

Can you pan and tilt the camera view? Because I can move not only my mirrors, but I can move my head for even more viewing area.

[-]

notacatacaton@reddit

Yeah they have panning, both auto and manual.

[-]

kane_eightee@reddit

How does the auto panning work? Like, what does it focus on or how does it decide where to pan or tilt to?

[-]

moonduckk@reddit

Like in a turn it can follow ur trailer.

[-]

kane_eightee@reddit

That’s kinda cool actually.

[-]

yankee_chef@reddit

Absolutely yes

[-]

Ratchetfan20@reddit

Just more things to break and cause downtime in a shop

[-]

12InchPickle@reddit

Just another thing that could potentially fail. No thanks.

[-]

Dual-use@reddit

I didnt get into this industry to stare at screens all day long.

Let me stare out the window or find someone else.

[-]

William-Burroughs420@reddit

More and more and more technology because tech companies want to make money.

Not everything that you can think of needs to be invented but you've got to realize that it's tech bros pushing this garbage even though factory mirrors have been great for how many decades?

Tech companies will never stop piling on with the next big thing, chasing money.

It's ridiculous.

[-]

ScaryfatkidGT@reddit

At least you still have mirrors.

I like the idea of cameras that cover a larger area and eliminate blind spots vs relying on line of sight light reflection but I don’t agree with removing all the mirrors and only relying on cameras… they do it because it’s better aero dynamics but you now are relying on a lot of tech to diplay the vision you need

[-]

CashWideCock@reddit

It’s not how granddaddy did it, so it’s bad.

[-]

JakeJascob@reddit

Cheap unreliable bs

[-]

devilinblue22@reddit

I mean, I could have used it this week in the northeast. Fucking mirrors and windows have a permanent layer of filth that I'm constantly fighting.

Does the camera have a spray button like some modern off road vehicless?

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

No spray button

[-]

Thick-Pipe3908@reddit

Can’t bitch about a blind spot anymore

[-]

xLost_Illusionsx@reddit

I personally hate it. These systems are too sensitive. Literally just today got put on a safety hold til next Tuesday for supposedly braking too hard in a 25' International LT

[-]

krice9230@reddit

I think it’s neat and can be helpful tool. I however don’t believe it should replace physical mirrors. If used together like this then more power to you and why not utilize it.

[-]

thewolfesp@reddit

You're not allowed to look at your phone screen! (Proceeds to fill the truck with tablet screens)

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Yeah haha

[-]

ExplanationThen747@reddit

I thought the screens were supposed to take care of the mirrors???

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

My guess is they’ll come off in the future. This is the first truck in my company with this camera setup

[-]

A_Dash_of_Time@reddit

I assumed the side cams were just more insurance crap. If the lens stays clean in snow, and the system has some kind of night vision, it'd be pretty handy for all y'all reefer drivers and your 1:30am deliveries at them shitty warehouses.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Yes you can change brightness and has a nightmode

[-]

MasterZorgus@reddit

The polarization with LED police and fire lights cancels out and you won't see them on your monitor. It's got a little ways to go yet.

[-]

EVOChi@reddit

All this tech and we can’t get a camera system on trailers that hooks up to a system via the coiled trailer cable.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Yeah that would help out a lot specially when blindside parking

[-]

TheElitist921@reddit

Can it scan farther out if i need to blindside? If so fuck yeah, that'd be super helpful.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Yes you can move the camera around. Also has brightness settings and a night mode

[-]

Little5Green0Bean9@reddit

The real mirrors have a better field of view.

[-]

smiley82m@reddit

To those who don't use their mirrors already; this won't help either. It's a good tool, especially the night vision, but it won't make a bad driver good.

[-]

BlindRPD129@reddit

I do like the top door cam, definitely better than a real mirror and you're usually some place you can stop to wipe it off if it's covered in gunk I don't have a truck with them so gunk might not he an issue but something I wonder about Esspecially in the winter with the road spray, on the trucks that just have digital mirrors

[-]

Jagdtiger_44@reddit

I drive a truck with them. They don’t get covered in gunk easily. Just went through the last set of winter storms with them. They did great. Kept a perfectly clear view the whole time. I was impressed.

[-]

goldenm1nd@reddit

It’s only a distraction.

[-]

probablyonshrooms@reddit

Oh fuck yeah, gimmie that shit. I love gizmos

[-]

ProperKing901@reddit

🧸 : driver told me last night about these lights you can stick right under the camera. It reflects off the windshield and blinds the camera. Anybody heard of that?

[-]

chuckinalicious543@reddit

The way I see it, a pointed camera will always perform better than a mirror, so long as the system is operational. Technically, the cab could be completely closed off, given there are enough cams and screens.

[-]

Fair_Ad5264@reddit

Nice

[-]

Alternative-Jury-981@reddit

Today the entire dashboard went black on my peterbuilt… thank god I don’t have digital mirrors too lmao

[-]

Deep-Sample4460@reddit

Just another thing to break and send you to the shop . If you’re lucky it’ll break when at a terminal or truck stop. If not then it be one heck of a tow bill for a mirror

[-]

FreeAndRedeemed@reddit

I haven’t driven a truck with cameras instead of mirrors. I know the biggest driver of that tech is fuel economy, as mirrors add drag. I can’t stomach the idea of having no mirrors at all, because if the camera fails, then you’re screwed.

[-]

RepresentativeAd560@reddit

And the cameras will fail. If a mirror is busted in some fashion I can, assuming I have a spare, swap it out. When the camera fails I'm 100% off the road.

[-]

FreeAndRedeemed@reddit

And good lucking finding someone with the camera in stock, which means another item that can sideline a truck at the dealer for a week.

[-]

RepresentativeAd560@reddit

Yep. Just one more half-baked innovation.

[-]

Feral-Bullfrog@reddit

Just more tech to fail ain't it? More down time for maintenance and updates I fear.

[-]

ramanw150@reddit

Not a fan

[-]

Salt_Bus2528@reddit

It's just a baby monitor made to look manly with sharp edges.

Nothing new.

[-]

YourLocalTechPriest@reddit

It’s a good idea. I’ve seen at least three accidents in my almost three years involving mirrors. Back roads with trucks going in opposite directions being the usual setting.

Not automated stuff that can control the truck, not so bueno in my opinion but except for auto cruise control and that’s mostly because some people will not get off the pedal and use their own cruise control.

[-]

prospect151@reddit

My company has camera on the sides of some vehicles. In fog and low light I can see better with those than with the mirrors. Other than that it seems stupid.

[-]

redditor012499@reddit (OP)

Yeah it helps with fog for sure

[-]

LowtaxORnotax@reddit

I just use my drone to back

[-]

JesseLivermore86@reddit

It's dumb! Another piece of tech that will break where the truck becomes inoperable. The cherry on top is another overly inflated expense.

[-]

TonytheTrucker@reddit

I turn mine off. I’ll be damned if I have 3 flat screens distracting me while I’m driving

[-]

hooligan-6318@reddit

Seems like that'd be wildly distracting.

[-]

pianodude01@reddit

I'm fine with cameras, but I'd like mirrors on the truck too.

I prefer mirrors, but I pull heavy haul so having the ability to position a camera at an odd angle while I'm backing up an oversize load would be cool.

Also cuz my mirrors are incredibly magnified so I can see further back, having something for up close would be helpful too

[-]

avm95@reddit

A distraction

[-]

MadMysticMeister@reddit

I’ve only driven with camera and mirror combos, and honestly I don’t think i would ever want to drive without cameras.. they’re way too nice, don’t have to worry about blind spots, they let you see more, and aren’t a problem when it rains or snows. Still love my mirrors though when it comes to backing, but even then I’m still glancing at cameras and adjusting them to see more of what’s happening.

[-]

livinglavidaloca82@reddit

I have diplopia and photophobia. Can fuck right off with the computer screens

[-]

liswat@reddit

I dislike them very much! Our company uses them in conjunction with these small standard mirrors. DFW at night with all the hot white headlights.....

[-]

WokeLib420@reddit

I don't mind them. It's not like they took away your old mirrors.

[-]

reika1397@reddit

Bro I can’t believe they’re actually trying to roll that out.

I drove around a van awhile back as a pilot program bc they wanted driver opinions and all I could think of was one more thing to break that would take far too long to get parts to repair. On top of general unreliability on cameras in general.

[-]

Ok_Internet_5058@reddit

It’s a good thing they’re not made out of the cheapest parts possible, with their main purpose to make money for the corporation that produces them, which means they undoubtably be broken within a short while.

[-]

SawyerJWRBLX@reddit

I know, I'm so grateful for the grace and ingenuity of these truck manufacturers. They really know how to build a strong truck free of extra nonsense like one-piece disposable computer dashboards! I really love how they decided to keep analog gauges and the square body design!

/s

[-]

Ye_Yuan@reddit

I’ll take mirrors everyday of the week unless I go back to WM ( still mainly used my mirrors, not the backup camera). Can we get all this “safety” tech out of trucking please? I about died this week bc truck camera thought I was gonna crash into a person in the left lane.

[-]

L0quence@reddit

I agree. Drivers need to come together and tell these corporations and make them understand, I am the fckn driver, I will decide what to do in an emergency, the truck deciding for me is a major hazard and if I decide wrong when I have full control of my truck, I will take the consequences without arguing it. That shit is fine in passenger vehicles as they are light and can maneuver far easier. When I’m loaded with 16,000L of fuel, or the trailer guys have 40,000-60,000L of fuel, you can take that shit out or I ain’t driving it.

[-]

taco-force@reddit

I have a really hard time actually perceiving these screens quickly rather than just using mirrors. It's really not a problem that needs to be fixed.

For garbage trucks though I bet these are great for all the tight spots they've got to get out of.

[-]

homucifer666@reddit

My guess is that it'll be nice when it works, and sucks when it doesn't. Lots of new failure points that low tech stuff like traditional mirrors don't have.

[-]

MCryptoWars@reddit

In a reality, it doesn’t look too bad. But I like my mirrors more. Little by little, Big Tech is implementing their devices into the trucking industry. Soon, they will take over. Remember, no one is above the law, only Big Tech is above the law.

[-]

guestquest88@reddit

I drove one in the EU winter. No thanks.

[-]

Prestigious-Current7@reddit

I can’t stand anything like it. It’s all built like garbage and when it fails it’ll cost a fortune to fix. Same with DEF and other emissions shit. Give me a b model cat or an N14 Cummins any day over this new nonsense.

[-]

austinproffitt23@reddit

Kind of redundant with both the camera and mirror. But think they do that for legality reasons.

[-]

NoMasterpiece2063@reddit

Hate it

[-]

mrockracing@reddit

I don't mind the cameras being there. It's the view screens that drive me nuts. Have them viewable on the dash or something.

Also, don't replace real mirrors. Rea mirrors have uses that cameras can't do. I can't blindside back with those properly. I can't move my body physically to get a better view of something in the mirror, and I'd probably have to adjust them, which by then, you could already be in an accident.

I also don't like that there are so many people acting like it's just matter of tech moving on... I don't care if the truck runs on spiritual ether, and sounds like rainbows and unicorns. If that's the times I don't care. But these things are a safety concern, and I don't get what people don't get.

[-]