Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1966 The Freightliner diesel truck turns toward me. Blah, the klieg horn and the squeal of brakes cut through the night. I turn my motorcycle beyond the truck’s brilliant headlights. “Hey kid, I almost hit you.” A silhouette in the truck’s window leans toward me. “What are you doing here at this time of night?” “I work here,” I shout above the noise of the truck’s engine and the pop, pop, pop of my Norton 750 Scrambler. “And, I’m not a kid. I load trucks for UPS. I’m a Teamster just like you. I’ll probably load your truck this morning.”
The cab door opens. The driver jumps down. “And, who might you be?” He grins. “Ah… Richard,” I say, unsure if I want to continue this conversation at 3:00 AM in a deserted parking lot. “Good to meet you, Richard, I’m Jimmy.” He extends his hand to greet me. I release the Norton’s handlebar throttle to receive his grip. The engine dies. “Oh, great,” I whisper. “What’s that?” Jimmy asks. “Nothing.” I slide off the Norton to face the unknown. “Sorry I blocked your way.” “Ah, that’s okay,” he replies. “I’ve got a kid at home just like you. I guess I take extra caution. Have to do that, you know. Could have blindsided you. Never know what I’ll face when I drive to Minneapolis.” Madison, Wisconsin 2019 Whoosh. The silver truck, like the whisper of a bullet, streaks past my car. “What’s that?” I ask. “It’s a driverless truck,” my son answers. “Driverless cars were approved last year. Hey, that’s progress. People didn’t imagine that a car without a driver was just the beginning. This spring UPS bought a fleet of driverless trucks. The truck that passed you was probably headed to Minneapolis with its load.” “Dad, do you realize there are over three million truck drivers whose jobs are at risk?” If this essay is meaningful, please like or tweet below or leave a comment. Thank you for your interest and possible action you may take. Richard Wilberg, MS, PLCC, ACC Coach for Personal Fulfillment and Career Success
6 Comments
Evonne
2/14/2018 06:07:46 am
Technology certainly has the capability to blindside many. We need to keep our eye on the horizon and watch for what’s around the corner. Thanks Richard for the thoughtful message.
Reply
Richard
2/15/2018 12:00:59 pm
Evonne,
Reply
Yep. Driverless cars. Next will be personal jet packs and our skies will become congested. I was in Washington DC recently and a delivery robot passed me on the sidewalk as I was walking toward U Street. I stepped away from it because it made me uneasy. It had no driver, no operator at the controls. It looked like R2D2 cruising down the street.
Reply
Richard
10/12/2018 07:19:42 pm
Kerstin,
Reply
I'm all for driverless vehicles to free up workers for other human-centric tasks that we desperately need. I also welcome the increased fuel efficiency and safety that autonomous vehicles promise. But, like all technology, the devil is in the details. They must be wisely, prudently introduced and carefully implemented in a phased manner that accommodates sociological and environmental issues. All of that aside, I still own a car - my beloved little Toyota Rav. Her name is Yoshi and she's been a part of my family for 15 years. I think of her as a being, so thinking of a massive truck with no driver as a being is a bit scary (anyone see The Duel?!). I guess I'm up for the technology but, like Kirsten, also unnerved by it.
Reply
Richard
10/12/2018 07:17:24 pm
Robots are perfect for finding land mines, dangerous jobs for people.I'm not sure they are better drivers than humans and except for "Duel" (love that movie) they are not dangerous. So, if the criteria is cheaper and I'm not sure I like the idea of trading a job out just because it is less expensive than I'd rather drive a car myself and be passed by a truck driver, rather than a robot. Thanks for your observation Ame!
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
About the AuthorI write personal essays, creative non-fiction, flash fiction, and self-development articles from my home in Madison, Wisconsin.
Archives
May 2023
Categories
All
|