Global Positioning Systems & Society Tracking Workers GPS Global Positioning Systems Conversations...

Global Positioning Systems & Society Tracking Workers

1Point of View:Truckies

Point of View:Truckies 2

Aim to answer these questions:

Why are Global Positioning Systems being used to regulate workers behaviours? What is the impact on these men’s working lives?

Point of View:Truckies 3

A SATELLITE SYSTEM: The Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) is a Russian satellite navigation system similar to the GPS systems designed to serve for military and civil purposes. A new generation of satellites are being developed. GPS: Global Positioning System.


Signals received from four satellites are used to determine the three-dimensional position of the receiver (vehicle). The receiver interprets the arrival times of the signals in terms of latitude, longitude, and altitude.

Effective if operator watching the screen or records can be retrieved at a later date by regulator /company/ or the interstate driver.


Methodology: Limitation: Interstate drivers within Australian Eastern Seaboard. Interstate 500km and or away from home overnight.

Aims included a commitment to provide outcomes that would not only broaden our knowledge, but importantly give a voice to long haul drivers; Long period of engagement in the field (as a passenger not a driver); Acknowledging and providing feedback to the trucking industry and indigenous communities;Maintaining boundaries when engagement in the industry included possible knowledge of or physical proximity to criminal activity; andAdvising all participants that the researcher has a mandatory requirement to report serious offences;

Subjects: 21 taped interviews/3 hand note interviews. Total subjects 24 male interstate drivers. Ages 40 to 70 years of age all were professional drivers. Transcribing:- work place cultural language nuances i.e. technical terms, work place colloquialisms.

Outcome Book: Conversations with Truckies Looking at Life Through Glass. Time Frame:2008-2011 Publication due 2012.


Truck work and governmentsImport and export:- Federal economic statements


Trucking and Societya. Inside a Truck

Media report truck drivers as fatigue accident prone individuals

b. Driver & Outside a truck

Media report drug taking deviant individuals


9

From/To Route Kilometres Est.Driv.Hrs

Sydney/Brisebane New England Hwy. 950 11.6

Sydney/Melbourne Hume Hwy 858 10.5

Sydney/Adelaide Bathurst/Stuart Hwy

1367 16.7

Sydney/Perth Broken Hill 4044 47.6

Sydney/Darwin Charleville/Dubbo 3987 46.8

MINIMUM DISTANCES & HOURS UNDER SURVEILLANCE : GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEMS OPERATING.

Conversation 1.

I always feel watch whether I am doing something wrong or not. If I feel stressed about a Road Breath Test and I know I am going to get checked it only gets worse before and after the check because............................ it is like another eye on you.

I am still working, going into work sites at night and unlocking a gate and unloading. I could steal a product or I can sleep and say I am unloading, maybe I am just tired, no one is asking, so they say they are watching because of all that.....fatigue stuff....

but try being in the middle of the night in a yard, no phone coverage and injured badly injured, which did happen......no one could help, I am on the ground regulate all your like.............. I am still stuffed!


Conversation 2.

If I can get behind another truck and hide my plates then the road cam does not get me. If I pull over when we get told that trucks are getting stopped up front for drug testing and the Road Traffic Authority then I can stop but then the boss can dial up and ask me what I am doing why I am stopped? What do I say....I don't want to be drug tested!

Say I need to sleep then he will say get going you can unload sooner. So I am on time...I have the time to have a rest but I am asked to go in early.....trapped and you know I am straight. I hear the drivers ducking and weaving it all...all of the time...its a nightmare.


Conversation 3.

I have three tracking devices on my truck today. I have one on the prime mover, then I have one on the trailer and that one does...then I have another one ....well the other day..I saw a trailer actually break off its hinge and the prime mover was left standing while the trailer went down the side of the road, huge load on it wonder what the satellite tells the boss about that one. I can tell you after three accidents the job site was shut down...but no one cleaned up the operation they just wanted it to look like the safety numbers where ok that month so we went in and sat around did not drive anything but the books looked like we were working...strange thing that..


Confusion in working lives denied by GPS watchingManagers feel no confusion but drivers are on the front line doing the work, feeling the fatigue/the paranoia/ the financial stresses.


There are no instrumentalities to issue company fines that are in the statute:- no effective

enforcement.

Regulations make illegal activity go underground

The drivers are regulated and the skies are unreliable they don't let us talk to the managers all conversations are in one direction .......they watch us.


Thank you for attending this presentation & Questions?


Global Positioning Systems & Society Tracking Workers GPS Global Positioning Systems Conversations...

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