Are you being followed?

Humble2drive · Apr 20, 2010

A while back it was rumored that FECC contracted with a company that follows trucks around (at random) and then makes a report on things like lane changes, following distance, signal usage and driving speed.

What is the name of this company?

The Fed still using them?

Are other carriers using them?

Anyone been followed recently?

Lawrence · Apr 20, 2010

.......I don't know of a carrier that doesn't use a monitoring service. It's a pretty common occurrence.

chefdennis · Apr 20, 2010

While i don't know for a fact, I am with Lawrence, i am pretty sure most of the mid size to bigger carriers do this....so what....

TeamCaffee · Apr 20, 2010

We were followed several years ago while in Ohio and then received a report in the mail on what they had observed. The report went well. They even listed how many seconds they observed us.

I also think this is a or was a common practice.

moose · Apr 20, 2010

No worry here ... @ 58Mph , he'd go bug the other trucks.

(1st time i read of it BTW,sounds like CB noise)

TeamCaffee · Apr 20, 2010

You are right Moose.

When we drive slow, use our turn signals, and pay attention to our surroundings the stress is gone of worrying about being observed or getting a ticket.

pelicn · Apr 20, 2010

We've also been followed. We were notified after about 2 hours to pull into the next truck stop for our "evaluation". No big deal

Humble2drive · Apr 20, 2010

chefdennis said:
While i don't know for a fact, I am with Lawrence, i am pretty sure most of the mid size to bigger carriers do this....so what....

so what?

These types of programs are not just about providing a slap on the wrist to some drivers.

An important aspect of a program like this is prevention.

Prevention of accidents which is good for the driver, the carrier and the public.
Prevention of traffic tickets which effect both the carrier and the driver.
Prevention of the poor public relations that comes with unsafe drivers that represent a carrier.

I bring it up because it only acts as a deterrent if drivers are aware that it is there.
It seems important enough to bring to the attention of all drivers on this forum. If some drivers change their driving habits after learning of these companies it is a positive move.

moose · Apr 20, 2010

the police police ... LoL...

ATeam · Apr 20, 2010

With electronic on board recorders (EOBR) being placed in trucks and GPS capabilities, it is only a matter of time until safety advocates cry out for the devices to be used for law enforcement. Violate the speed limit for more than a few seconds and the device will report your violation and print out your citation in a matter of seconds.

Monitoring services like those mentioned above will become obsolete.

Better still, in the name of safety of course, cameras that monitor a driver's face and eye movements will be mandated to document fatigue and not only put a driver out of service but disable the truck until big brother decides to let the driver move again.

Don't think for a second that the safety advocates will stop at simple EOBRs. They will jump at every opportunity to use technology to control driver behavior.

It's all about safety is it not?

If we can save just one life by mandating these devices in all trucks, it is worth it, is it not?

geo · Apr 20, 2010

when i was with fedexcc , i was being followed change lanes a couple of times and notice a car following me and i had a high dollar load on and was worried about being hijack so i called 911 and told them where i was on the road and oh state police pulled over the car and it was a safely person checking on fedexcc drivers and if i remember it was on i75
around dayton oh
he was surprize

layoutshooter · Apr 20, 2010

We were followed in Ohio one time, got the report in the mail. Along with a $25 gift card from FedEx for out performance.

greg334 · Apr 20, 2010

Phil, monitoring services won't go away. Electronics on board doesn't tell you how the people drive, they may be reckless and nothing shows up within the data.

What surprises me is that the amount of security information available to the dispatchers and those even to management about specific shipments.

I find it rather disturbing that some are boastful of what they have hauled, just picking up info in the fuel isles.

**EDITED**

moose · Apr 21, 2010

ATeam said:
it is only a matter of time until safety advocates cry out for the devices to be used for law enforcement.
Monitoring
They will jump at every opportunity to use technology to control driver behavior.

It's all about safety is it not?
...

Don't forget Driving skills , it's already there :

YouTube - Nuevo Scania Driver Support (versión larga)

if you can't save fuel - your gone ! , all driver actions are recorded .

CharlesD · Apr 21, 2010

Lawrence said:
.......I don't know of a carrier that doesn't use a monitoring service. It's a pretty common occurrence.

I use the guys in the black helicopters. The drivers never suspect anything because they never think to look up, and at night they're darn hard to spot even if you are looking.

OntarioVanMan · Apr 21, 2010

The Gps is not accurate for one thing...there are gaps...especially in the Mts and tunnels and heavily treed areas...the ping is not consistent, just the fat there is those gaps maybe a way to beat the ticket if it ever came down that way.

E-1 tells people in orientation about the spies out there....no secret, no big deal...

piper1 · Apr 21, 2010

I get followed all the time. I drive 57 mph, and I get either spies, drunks, idiots or hypermilers (also idiots) that stay so close I can't even see them in the mirrors. If the road is empty I just knock off the cruise and coast down until they get the hint, or if there is other traffic I just pull over...never let it go on for more than a mile or two.
I also was told in orientation that big brother was watching as well.

AMonger · Apr 21, 2010

geo said:
when i was with fedexcc , i was being followed change lanes a couple of times and notice a car following me and i had a high dollar load on and was worried about being hijack so i called 911 and told them where i was on the road and oh state police pulled over the car and it was a safely person checking on fedexcc drivers and if i remember it was on i75
around dayton oh
he was surprize

Ok, I'm venturing OT here, but this reminds me of a time when I used to work an armored car. We pulled in front of a bank, and about that time, a car pulled up across the street, and the driver immediately reclined in his seat, laying out of view. I waited for a while before getting out while we watched him to see if anything else unusual was going on. After a while, the driver and guard said we should proceed, so I went inside while the guard watched this guy. I mentioned it to the tellers inside and they called the police, who told me to stay inside the building. They arrived in force seconds later, and it turned out the guy was waiting for someone in another building to come out. I guess they checked it and he was telling the truth. I wish I'd been in a position to observe him and the police jacked him up.