Data Driven

Truckers, Technology, and the New Workplace Surveillance

By: Karen Levy

Narrated by: Randye Kaye

A behind-the-scenes look at how digital surveillance is affecting the trucking way of life.

Long-haul truckers are the backbone of the American economy, transporting goods under grueling conditions and immense economic pressure. Truckers have long valued the independence of their work, sharing a strong occupational identity rooted in a tradition of autonomy. Yet these workers increasingly find themselves under many watchful eyes. Data Driven examines how digital surveillance is upending life and work on the open road, and raises crucial questions about the role of data collection in broader systems of social control.

Karen Levy takes listeners inside a world few ever see, painting a bracing portrait of one of the last great American frontiers. Federal regulations now require truckers to buy and install digital monitors that capture data about their locations and behaviors. Intended to address the pervasive problem of trucker fatigue by regulating the number of hours driven each day, these devices support additional surveillance by trucking firms and other companies. Traveling from industry trade shows to law offices and truck-stop bars, Levy reveals how these invasive technologies are reconfiguring industry relationships and providing new tools for managerial and legal control—and how truckers are challenging and resisting them.

©2023 Karen Levy (P)2022 Ascent Audio

A fresh look at automation in real life

The author uses in-depth research on the trucking industry to make the bigger case that automation is interwoven with economic, social, and cultural institutions. The tech industry tends to push narratives of automation as solving problems; this book breaks down how this plays out in real life.

Truckers are underpaid, overworked, and the subject of pretty strict surveillance systems. We learn through their challenges how surveillance and automation work together. In an era where the AI genie is out of the bottle and threatening to up-end all kinds of jobs, this book provided an excellent framework for how to think about automation. Plus, it’s entertaining. I got a lot out of this book and listened to the entire book in 2 days.

Sexist and Poor Storytelling

I was not able to finish this book. I made it about 30% through. While the subject and premise are critical issues for our society, the author added little depth with sparse facts and quotes. It was more a portly written opinion piece than a critical look at a historic industry in transition. There were also too many references to the ‘good old days’ and seems happy with the structural sexism of the industry.