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12 • SEPTEMBER 2023 PERSPECTIVE Thetrucker.com What do AI, traffic cameras and privacy have to do with trucking? ASK THE A<strong>TT</strong>ORNEY BRAD KLEPPER So, an AI program, a traffic camera and a truck driver walk into a bar…. Ok, so maybe I don’t know a joke about these things. However, I do know that they are more closely related than most folks realize. How is that? Well, I am glad you asked. As we all know, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the new hot topic in the media. Everyone is trying to get a handle on what it can do, how it will be used and whether it will take our jobs. In addition, there are concerns by many that AI will rise up and overthrow us. OK, maybe just me — but let’s be honest: I have seen the Terminator and Matrix movies, and I know how this story could end. All joking aside, AI is a fantastic tool that can accomplish things in a second that would take humans days or weeks or years to complete. It can compile data, draft articles, create artwork and assist police with enforcement of traffic laws. The last part of that sentence is what should grab your attention. In fact, I should probably clarify that this is already happening. If you don’t believe me, read on. Mind over matter Hope Zvara Yoga stretches and poses can help drivers stay fit and healthy Truck drivers need to be physically fit to handle the challenges of their job. In fact, physical fitness is essential if you want to be in this industry for the long haul. By incorporating some simple yoga poses into your daily routine, you can maintain good health and reduce stress. September is National Yoga Awareness Month — the perfect time to highlight the benefits of yoga. A few of these include increased flexibility and strength, improved balance and a sense of calm. Yoga is an ancient practice that combines physical, mental and spiritual disciplines. It can be a lifestyle, but it is also a form of exercise that can help improve strength, balance, flexibility and breathing. Yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety while improving your overall health. When many hear the word “yoga,” they immediately think of putting a leg behind the head, twisting into a pretzel or sitting for long hours on the ground. The yoga I know is not like that. This is about learning to slow down, breathe, feel and move your body to improve your overall health. Trucking yoga is about taking a few minutes to improve yourself and your day in a conscious, constructive way. One pose here, one move there, a few breaths there — that’s trucking yoga. The simple act of breathing helps reduce stress, which leads to better sleep and more energy the next day. Breathing exercises are an easy way to relax after a busy day. Our bodies tend to hold onto tension in the shoulders and neck areas (look in the mirror and see for yourself). Breathing deeply stimulates relaxation throughout the body by increasing blood flow and, with practice activating the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system. This slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and can reduce stress hormones like cortisol — no prescription needed. There are many simple practices drivers can do while out on the road. For example, See mind on PAGE 34 The first example of AI use in traffic citations can be found in the great state of North Carolina. In NC, the highway patrol is using AI equipment to crack down on distracted truck drivers. Here is how it works: A company called Acucensus makes equipment that has been installed along Interstate 40. The equipment looks like it could be part of a construction project — but it has four cameras that take photos of each passing truck, its license plate and an image (looking down through the windshield) of whatever the driver is doing at the time. Here is where it gets interesting. Rather than having humans look at each image to determine if the driver is talking on the phone, not wearing a seat belt or any other violation, an AI program is used to review all this information in a fraction of the time. If the AI determines the driver is distracted or not wearing a seat belt, it will relay a series of images to law enforcement, which is parked just up the road, so the driver can be pulled over. There are no way humans could review and respond in this short of a time frame. The good folks in New York have taken the use of AI up a notch. The story goes like this. In March of 2022, the Westchester County Police Department arrested David Zayas while he was driving a gray Chevrolet, which was unremarkable, as was his speed. The reason for the stop is this: A new AI tool identified Zayas as a possible criminal. Specifically, the routes he drove were the same as those often used by drug traffickers. How in the world did they know Mr. Zayas’ traffic pattern? The answer is simple: AI. for plates associated with specific crimes. Using AI, authorities were able to search It is the “growth” of AI that causes concern. In the Zayas case, AI was able to use through 1.6 billion license plate records that had been gathered across the state over the images gathered over a two-year period from previous two years. Based on this information, the AI determined that Zayas’ travel pat- examine driving patterns and determine that 480 cameras in Westchester County alone to tern mimicked that of a drug trafficker. In its he was a potential criminal. filing, the department of justice noted that Of course, I suspect the use of AI surveillance in cases like this will trigger constitu- Zayas made nine trips from Massachusetts to parts of New York on routes known to be used tional issues that will be litigated in the courts. by drug traffickers. Based on this information, In fact, Zayas’ lawyer, Ben Gold, contested the Zayas was pulled over, his car was searched — AI-gathered evidence against his client. To and 112 grams of crack cocaine, a semiautomatic pistol and $34,000 in cash were found. era is “the specter of modern surveillance that Gold the search of every car caught on cam- A year later, Zayas pled guilty to a drug trafficking charge. Gold also said, “This is the systematic devel- the Fourth Amendment must guard against.” It is obvious that the AI program works opment and deployment of a vast surveillance and will likely continue to be relied upon by network that invades society’s reasonable expectation of privacy.” police. Now, for full disclosure, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) has been around for a hot minute and is used to search See Attorney on PAGE 13 TICKETS TICKETS NO MEMBERSHIP FEES NO MEMBERSHIP FEES NO MEMBERSHIP FEES MOVING & NON-MOVING MOVING & NON-MOVING MOVING & NON-MOVING NO MONTHLY DUES NO MONTHLY DUES NO MONTHLY DUES 1-800-333-DRIVE 1-800-333-DRIVE 1-800-333-DRIVE www.interstatetrucker.com INTERSTATE TRUCKER, LTD. INTERSTATE TRUCKER, LTD. www.interstatetrucker.com INTERSTATE www.interstatetrucker.com TRUCKER, LTD. www.interstatetrucker.com
Thetrucker.com Perspective SEPTEMBER 2023 • 13 We can (and should) wear white after Labor Day CHAPLAIN’S CORNER Rev. Marilou Coins Welcome to September, and happy Labor Day! Sept. 23 is the first day of fall, promising a cooldown from summer heat. How many of you have seen the Twizzlers commercial with the man asking, “Why shouldn’t I wear white after Labor Day?” You may have asked yourself the same question. I have a different idea about wearing white. Just think about the hot days of summer as us while we are lost in sin. Then we are saved by grace and given a white robe of cleanliness. So, why don’t we wear our white robes all year long? Are we ashamed of what Christ did for us? Do we hide the fact that we are forgiven through his grace and mercy? All our sins were nailed to the cross on Calvary. Christ said, “It is finished!” This means we all have been saved by his death and have been given “white robes.” We don’t have to worry about if it’s after Labor Day or not; we can wear our white robes all year long. We do get those robes dirty from time to time, but grace and forgiveness washes them clean again, made white as snow. White is a sign of forgiveness. We all need to “wear white” all year round. Sometimes we may even have a tear in our white robe, but all can be mended when we ask God to come back into our lives and get us on the right path again. Prayers are the mending stitches that patch the tears in our ragged robes. The way I see it, tears can either be sewn up or mended with an iron-on patch; both will work, and our robe will be like new. When we make a small mistake and the tear isn’t too bad, it can be sewn. When we really mess up, resulting in a gaping hole, an iron-on patch may be God’s solution. Iron-on patches will cover the holes that are taking us away from God. Once we mend it and iron on that patch, our robe will look like new, and the patch won’t show. God never lets a torn or dirty robe keep us from him. He welcomes all our robes, and he wants us to try to keep them clean and refreshed as new. Have you ever had a tear in your favorite shirt or pants and patched them just to make them last a bit longer? Well, I know I have! Once patched, they felt like new. If we do that with our clothing, then why not try doing that with our eternal white robes (our souls)? My answer to the Twizzler man is this: Yes! We can wear white after September! As a matter of fact, we can wear white all year round because of the grace God gives us to mend our garments. We are washed in the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of all our mistakes. We are mended daily no matter the month or the season. White doesn’t go out of style. So, stop chewing on your Twizzlers and accept the mending that Christ paid the price for our stitches and iron-on patches. Proudly wear those white robes all year long. Wash them daily in prayer. Mend the holes and tears by asking for forgiveness. Your white robe will never be out of season. We all are mended garments. We all have dirt, tears and holes to be mended. But it’s the flaws in our robes that make wearing white an awesome statement of our faith in Jesus, who saved us. No season or reason should keep us from wearing our white robes. To God be the glory. To us be the reason to wear white with pride. Keep patching, sewing and washing your robe daily with prayer. Best of the roads and all gears forward in Jesus. 8 Attorney cont. from Page 12 While this case deals with the driver of a personal vehicle, the question must be asked: Could this technology be used against commercial drivers? If so, would it be a violation of a driver’s reasonable expectation of privacy? The answers are of course and maybe. The courts have long held that because the trucking industry is heavily regulated, truck drivers have a lower expectation of privacy than others. The reasoning goes like this: Because the industry is so heavily regulated and the purpose of the regulations is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public, devices like ELDs, which can monitor a driver’s location, do not violate a driver’s right to privacy. ELDs are necessary to accomplish the overarching goal of making the roads safe. The same argument can be made for the use of AI in this scenario. The only way we will know if this type of technology is constitutional is for the issue to be brought before the courts, something I suspect will be occurring soon. So, with that in mind, stay tuned. This could have far-reaching impacts on our industry. Brad Klepper is president of Interstate Trucker Ltd. and is also president of Driver’s Legal Plan, which allows member drivers access to services at discounted rates. For more information, contact him at 800-333-DRIVE (3748) or interstatetrucker.com and driverslegalplan.com. 8 TRUCKER TALK The Trucker is all about drivers, and we want to hear your thoughts. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and other social media platforms to take part in our reader polls. Here’s this month’s question, along with a few of your comments. How do truck drivers navigate the delicate balance between meeting tight delivery deadlines and ensuring road safety? “Concentrate on safety first and everything else will work out.” — Tony Justice “For me it was always safety first. If the powers that be couldn’t schedule proper pickup and delivery parameters that was their problem.” — Bill Clift “Always drive safe; the load gets there when it gets there. That being said, proper trip planning is the key, and that doesn’t guarantee on time delivery. The real world always seems to get involved in everyone’s life. So remember, safety is the only thing that matters.” — John Procarione “I can’t explain it; I just do it. But I do it the way my father taught me a long time ago. I didn’t learn what it was called until 2000, when I learned it was called the Smith system. However he didn’t know it was called that; he just also did it on his own. Apparently he had no peripheral vision in his right eye, so he turned his head a lot, kept his eyes moving and he taught me that. Always know what’s around you and look ahead as far as I can.” — Charles D. Pullen “Safety always comes first! Communicate effectively loads can be rescheduled! There’s never an excuse to operate in an unsafe manner! NEVER!” — Bambi Marcelle Bealer “If it’s tight, I tell them I’ll do my best. I don’t promise eta; if they didn’t plan enough time for a truck trip, I can’t make up for that.” — Pam Sult “Safety first. Deliveries can be rebooked. They can’t be rebooked when the load is spread all over the highway because a driver pushed it to hard.” — Ron Gillingham “It’s really a pisser when you rock up 30 mins late due to unforeseen traffic problems and they tell you, ‘Go park over there and we’ll try to work you in … maybe tomorrow.’ No ablution facilities and no food except what you have with you. A can of sardines and soda crackers. What a life. Leave the facility and you’re stuck under the load indefinitely as it’s rescheduled. I can already hear the super truckers, ‘You should have planned better.’” — Rock Bowman “No load is worth your life or the life of someone else. Safety first. If you say, ‘I cannot legally or safely deliver (or pick up) this load’ and document it, dispatch will have to answer to Safety if anything happens.” — Mary Abraham “Safety comes first, always. Dispatch can whine and carry on all they like, but you’re on the road with somebody’s wife, husband, mom, daddy, child, favorite teacher, etc., and Job #1 is keep those people safe. Don’t let anyone else drive your truck, that includes dispatch. Now beyond that, keep that left door shut and do your best to get it there.” — Jody Hull
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