Here’s an admission; I don’t have much enthusiasm for social media when I’m not working. Sure, I have the relevant accounts, and I’ll have a quick scroll occasionally when I have little else going on. But I’ve long outgrown the urge to share my life with anyone who cares enough to spend three seconds glancing at it as the conveyor belt of posts is swiped from the bottom of the screen.

My personal feelings aside, I’ll freely admit social media has its merits when used correctly. I get that it’s an integral part of the lives of much of the world’s population and has become an essential tool for businesses. Lots of people have dived in headfirst and made it a full-time venture (let’s leave the word ‘influencer’ alone for now) and have made far more money and claimed far more fame from it than I ever will. No problems there, good for them… That’s adapting to a new world economy.

So, let’s bring the topic closer to the world of trucking and transport. For every enthusiast, it’s opened a world of eye candy, where companies, drivers, spotters, photographers – the entire global trucking community – can share in and enjoy each other’s machines. But then there are the negatives, one of the most disturbing of which is the apparent need to disseminate images and videos of crashes, and one of the most disappointing being the need to film while driving.

I suppose part of it is human nature. On the one hand, we have an ingrained fascination with the macabre and on the other a need for instant gratification, to share what we saw, be the first to let everyone know what’s happened. With smartphones readily at hand over the past few years, meeting those needs has been easier than ever.

I’m fortunate to be able to browse the photo collections of old-school truckies now and then, and not yet have I come across images of another person’s crashed truck. If pictures were taken, at least they didn’t make the albums.

I’m not here to tell employers how to manage their drivers or tell drivers what to do when they’re on the road. But I can appeal for the sake, image, and perception of the industry. Be respectful and professional. As a driver coming across a crash, consider the affected driver’s physical and mental wellbeing. Think, ‘Would I want someone to share pictures and videos if that were me?’

Secondly, what does it say about you as a driver, filming while driving? Inevitably, one day TikTok will become tick-tock – wrong place, wrong time, now you’re on the other side of the lens.

The more I think about it, the more I think it comes down to what drives and defines someone as a truck driver. Is it the desire to be an online sensation, a social media super-trucker? Or is it the ability to drive a truck responsibly and professionally?

Take care out there,

Gavin Myers
Editor