Book Description

As economic growth in Western countries shows signs of fatigue, companies are battling hard to discover how to generate and sustain corporate growth. The restructuring and reengineering processes of the early 1990s, and the massive lay-offs they brought about, have only given an additional boost to the need for expansion. Corporate efficiency is indispensable, but is not a sufficient condition for corporate survival. Firms need to think about their future growth. ... Read more

Book Description

This original book is the first to offer a wide-ranging study of trust within and between organizations from the perspective of several social and management sciences. The specially commissioned contributions, many from well-known experts combine theoretical analysis of problems around trust with empirical study in a range of different organizations in contexts such as China, Japan, India, the US, as well as several European countries. The wide theoretical scope, together with the range of organizational settings and the rich empirical detail of behavior around trust and opportunism, make this an important and instructive volume. ... Read more

Book Description

Marc Annacchino's New Product Development will maximize return on development dollar invested by providing the reader with an interdisciplinary understanding of the new product development process.

New Product Development is the last frontier in gaining a competitive edge. While other factors such as functionality, quality and reliability, availability and shipment performance are now entry level requirements, New Product Development is the competitive weapon of necessity.

This comprehensive and detailed book is a practical guide to the process of New Product Development from initial concept and corporate goals assessment through marketing, planning, development, manufacturing and product management. It contains over 200 illustrations with 52 actual tools needed to execute an actual program. On the accompanying CD-ROM version, these tools are embedded in the text for presentation to the reader. Embedded hyperlinks allow the reader to jump to a special "sandbox" which will allow them to apply the concepts presented in the text directly to their development program and save them as part of their filing system, providing the actual framework for practitioner use.

This book and accompanying tool set is the best investment you can make to ensure new product success!

*Contains CD-ROM with over 50 software tools needed to implement programs

*Presents a unique multidimensional perspective that comes from 26 years of experience and over 40 real implementations

*Provides readers with blueprints for organizing and documenting their development programs ... Read more

Book Description

In the Guadalupe Dunes, 170 miles north of Los Angeles and 250 miles south of San Francisco, an oil spill persisted unattended for 38 years. Over the period 1990-1996, the national press devoted 504 stories to the Exxon Valdez accident and a mere nine to the Guadalupe spill--even though the latter is most likely the nations largest recorded oil spill. Although it was known to oil workers in the field where it originated, to visiting regulators, and to locals who frequented the beach, the Guadalupe spill became troubling only when those involved could no longer view the sight and smell of petroleum as normal. This book recounts how this change in perception finally took place after nearly four decades and what form the response took.

Taking a sociological perspective, Thomas Beamish examines the organizational culture of the Unocal Corporation (whose oil fields produced the leakage), the interorganizational response of regulatory agencies, and local interpretations of the event. He applies notions of social organization, social stability, and social inertia to the kind of environmental degradation represented by the Guadalupe spill. More important, he uses the Guadalupe Dunes case as the basis for a broader study of environmental "blind spots." He argues that many of our most pressing pollution problems go unacknowledged because they do not cause large-scale social disruption or dramatic visible destruction of the sort that triggers responses. Finally, he develops a model of social accommodation that helps explain why human systems seem inclined to do nothing as trouble mounts. ... Read more

Book Description

This revised edition of Fifth Generation Management helps executives out of the rigid mindsets of the Industrial Era into the vibrant and invigorating possibilities of co-creation in the Knowledge Era.

Divided into two parts, the first completely rewritten section narrates 'Five Days that Changed the Enterprise', a case study of senior executives who are forced out of their cozy little empires into a new network organization of their own design.The second part discusses the process of co-creating through virtual enterprising, dynamic teaming, and knowledge networking.Included is essential new information on fractal enterprises, holonic management systems, agile enterprises, and hypertext organizations.

Charles Savage is president of Knowledge Era Enterprises, Inc and was formerly in the consultant division of DIgital Equipment Corporation.He presents 'Master Classes' on dynamic teaming and virtual enterprising and has written extensively on the knowledge era.His company's logo is a key with the phrase "Unlocking the Future". Charles Savage assists companies around the world to achieve that goal.

Over 40,000 copies of previous edition sold world-wide
Previous edition was awarded 'Book of the Year' by Tom Peters.
Covers lessons learned over the last five years since Fifth Generation Management was first published. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

B>A valuable reference for those in civil/constructiontechnology, this practical and informative guide provides critical knowledge ofconstruction equipment, its use, and management considerations. It providesclear, concise explanations of concepts, supported by detailed example problemsand realistic exercises, and requires only limited knowledge of constructionequipment. Covers all major types of equipment typically usedon commercial construction projects, and illustrates the operationalcapabilities of each type with numerous figures. Shows how to select the properequipment for specific construction tasks, and discusses techniques forestimating equipment productivity and costs. Discusses major equipmentmanagement issues, including the time value of money, fleet management, andmaintenance management. Contains a glossary, common conversion factors, andtables of interest factors. ... Read more

Book Description

"Imaginization is typical of Gareth Morgan's work--stimulating, thought-provoking, original, and well-written." --Anne Golden, President, United Way of Greater Toronto "The book is exciting. It opens up ways of developing both organization and management. It inspires ideas of excellence and achievement and gives hope for this age. You can probably open this book anywhere and find something of value." --Business Age "Morgan has written an amazing book on imaginative ways of organizing and managing organizations. . . . a book about a new management theory that can self-organize, evolve, twist, turn, and perhaps change at the speed of light. The work provides a way of helping managers understand and develop their creative potential. It offers a means of finding innovative solutions to difficult problems. Anyone interested in modern-day organizations and personal empowerment should read this book....Belongs on the bookshelf of every manager seeking creative ways to transform one's organization and oneself." --Journal of Academic Librarianship "The stories provide powerful examples of how the use of metaphors can help people in an organization understand their complex feelings and how discussion of the concepts contained in metaphors can help develop a shared sense of vision for the future. . . . Imaginization is definitely worth reading. The author strikes a responsive cord in calling for new organizational approaches to deal with a dynamic future, and he establishes credibility through numerous examples that document the use of his consulting techniques. . . . One might argue that the book lacks structure and focus. This is true if one is committed to the traditional, hierarchical way of presenting ideas. Visionaries are freed from such constraints as they allow their creativity to flow--and Gareth Morgan is indeed a visionary." --SRA Journal "Imaginization is filled with thought-provoking metaphors (e.g., holograms for organizational design, termites for strategic planning, spider plants for flexibility and decentralization), primitive, but compelling illustrations and stimulating case studies--many of which are products of Morgan's action-learning research on imaginization. This highly readable book rests on a solid underpinning of scholarly research, creative introspection, and originality. This is anything but pop-biz, but it sure could fool you at first glance." --Stern's HR Management Review "What makes Morgan's book a valuable and important piece of writing is that he gives a clear theoretical framework for his views, his techniques, and his rationales for analysis of business problems, and that as a writer in this field Morgan is exceptional. . . . His writings [have] a lyrical quality and unforced enthusiasm, which make him a pleasure to read. "Morgan's prime gift, demonstrated in this book, is to dump 90 percent of the philosophical complexities that are circulating in the important theoretical writings on organization. The remaining 10 percent he uses with effectiveness and a lightness of touch to enrich and underpin his examples and illustrations. . . . . Morgan's passion is that of a highly able, articulate, and enthusiastic optimist empowered by a flexible, inquisitive mind." --Organization "A valuable, interesting, and practical addition to the book collection. . . .If you are looking for an amusing and lighthearted trip through Morgan's Metaphoric Management Manual then this is certainly worth a look. Moreover, and I think this is the real value of Morgan's book, he doesn't advocate a simple prescriptive solution to complex organizational problems--other than to plead for the use of more imagination on the part of those involved. To this message I can only add 'hear hear!'" --Work, Employment, and Society "Will be particularly appreciated by those who learn by, and take heart from, worked examples. . . . All the chapter titles are highly evocative and a quick scan of the excellently abstracted contents pages will help you decide whether to invest the time or not. . . . In the sense that it offers managers a 'show-how guide' to becoming their own theorist, Imaginization is potentially radical and empowering. What it emphasizes consistently is the fact that we all have theories about the situations we face, and that it is those same inner constructs which can provide the seeds of creative transformation. . . . Following his examples could go a long way to convincing managers that the answers they seek lie within their own hearts rather than outside them in the head of some 'expert.' It also provides a useful model of truly facilitative expert behaviour both in providing generic metaphors and models to help simplify and focus complex situations and in creating a supportive environment in which powerful inner wisdom can be evoked, shared, and creatively synthesized." --Management Learning "The chapters in this book are themselves imaginative, with varied presentations and opportunities for reader participation; most demonstrate imaginization in action via case studies drawn from Morgan's experience as a consultant and leader of management workshops. Sacha Warunkiw's clever drawings, sprinkled liberally throughout the text, support the importance of metaphor in Imaginization." --Journal of Academic Librarianship "As always, Gareth Morgan manages to put into words wonderful pictures and a good way of making concrete things that aren't always easy to see. I have always enjoyed his writing. Provides a guideline for making the theoretical practical" --Mary Giles, Department of Education, Manitobe Telephone System "Imaginization shows that management is as much art form as science, providing many useful ways to tap the most important resource for competitiveness: brainpower." --Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Professor, Harvard Business School, author of The Change Masters "Gareth Morgan's Imaginization is exciting stuff. It opens up new worlds for the development of organization and management. . . . This is of far-reaching importance, developing the path-breaking implications of his Images of Organization." --Eric Trist, Professor Emeritus, late of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania "Just one of the insights offered in this book could change the way you think about organization and management--forever! Imaginization provides a powerful and enjoyable way of making the new management a reality." --Linda Grant, Professional Development Executive, Toronto "Imaginization is playful and gently subversive. It takes the full use of metaphors for organizational analysis to its most practical level. It is a useful resource for instructors as well as organization participants." --Peter Frost, University of British Columbia "Another landmark book by Gareth Morgan! If a practitioner were going to buy only one book this year, this has to be it." --John Burdett, Vice President, Management Development, Lawson Mardon Group ABRIDGED QUOTE USED ON OBC. "If your company or your group has yet to achieve its highest levels of performance, read this book! Gareth Morgan brings out the images of achievement, excellence, and hope for this age." --Ron Carter, Director, Resource Development Services, Merck Human Health Division, Merck and Co., Inc. "Gareth Morgan brings out the images of achievement, excellence, and hope the leaders for this age may have kept hidden because the 'culture' of their company doesn't seem to value this aspect of their skills. Morgan's insight leads to specific suggestions and actions which enable you to act on your vision. His plea is that imagination, which should be the engine of competitiveness and a constant component of our work, should not end during childhood. If your company is still a bureaucracy or you believe your group has yet to achieve its highest levels of performance, read this book! Most importantly, if you want to make the pressures and rewards of work more fun for those who work ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good book of management
Maybe management is the topic with the poorest quality of books in social sciences. Authors usually think that their readers are so busy or so stupid (or both) that they have to write a book for kids (they repeat the same example one hundred times) Fortunately, there are some authors as Morgan that believe posible to write a simple but interesting book like this one. I know Imaginazation is not the best book of management (even Images of Organization of the same author is better), but it is a quite intelligent one and in management this is a very rare quality.

Great fun and scholarly too!
Morgan's book is a delight to read. I couldn't wait to go out and try some of the techniques myself! While extremely readable, Morgan includes a couple of appendices that give the extensive scholarship behind his work.

So much fun, you won't realize how much you're learning.
Innovation and creativity are big buzzwords in management these days. Every second guru has a new paradigm or a new way of thinking, many of which aren't really new and may not be relevant to the situation on the ground. Many books are written on these subjects, mostly long on concepts but short on real tools.

I loved this book because Gareth never falls into that trap. His approach is always created from the situation on the ground, not as manna from above. Indeed, one of his best insights is the way he neatly explodes the word "supervision" into its component parts, showing the assumption of management as people with "super vision" who can see the future. Think about the realities behind that one word, and watch many of your assumptions about managing start to change.

As you might expect, Imaginization has several chapters which use real consulting experiences to illustrate the ideas presented. It's very effective at illustrating the ideas, conveying both the approach in action, and giving people the tools to actually start putting innovation and creativity to work in their workplace. It's also a very enjoyable read, as fun as its name implies.

Gareth Morgan's course was the most useful and well-spent time in my entire MBA at the Schulich School of Business. END

So much fun, you won't realize how much you're learning
Innovation and creativity are big buzzwords in management these days. Every second executive has a new paradigm or a new way of thinking, many of which aren't really new and may not be relevant to the situation on the ground. Many books are written on these subjects, mostly long on concepts but short on real tools.

I loved this book because Gareth never falls into that trap. His approach is always created from the situation on the ground, not as manna from above. Indeed, one of his best insights is the way he neatly explodes the word "supervision" into its component parts, showing the assumption of management as people with "super vision" who can see the future. Think about the realities behind that one word, and watch many of your assumptions about managing start to change.

As you might expect, Imaginization has several chapters which use real consulting experiences to illustrate the ideas presented. It's very effective at illustrating the ideas, conveying both the approach in action, and giving people the tools to actually start putting innovation and creativity to work in their workplace. It's also a very enjoyable read, as fun as its name implies.

Gareth Morgan's course was the most useful and well-spent time in my entire MBA at the Schulich School of Business. I was so impressed that I offered to create a free web site for him so that he could share his ideas more widely. If you want get a solid feel for Gareth's ideas and approach before buying the books, give it a visit! (I made sure we put lots of interesting content there, so even if you have read the book there will be new stuff for you to see):

http://www.imaginiz.com/ ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great bio of a very complex person
Mr Klien has done it again. I read Mr. Klein's The Life And Legend of Jay Gould with much anticipation and found it to be very engaging. That is exactly how i felt about his latest endeavor, The Life and Legend of E.H. Harriman. Mr. Klien handles a complex person with much skill and depth. He brings to life a monumental person who was both very complex and yet very human. His use of the social and cultural aspects of the era help to put his subject in context without detracting from the person. Many biographies fail either because the subject is dimmed by the amount of background information on the social and cultural aspects of the era or just the opposite, the subject is not brought to life by too little backgroung of the forces that helped shapped his/her life. Mr. Klein succeeds in reaching a great balance. The book is a great read. ... Read more

Book Description

Japanese manufacturing methods have been transforming the American electronics and automobile industries. This book examines the process by which Japanese manufacturers are importing these methods, including "lean manufacturing," to their operations in the United States. Contributors focus on transferring and transforming the Japanese system on the factory floor and in management in North American factories. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Manufacturing in the year 2020 will look very different from today's--in fact, in some innovative companies, it will be downright utopian. That's the thesis that Richard Morley, who invented the Programmable Logic Controller back in 1968 and now works for a techno-guru venture-capital firm called the Barn, and co-wonk Patricia Moody put forward in The Technology Machine. Much has changed in the past 30 years--technology, management theories, manufacturing processes--and anyone who hasn't been confused by these changes hasn't been paying attention. But Morley and Moody think the upheavals will have run their course four or five years into the new millennium, and after that there will be more easily graspable standards of excellence in business in general and manufacturing in particular.

The authors see 2020 manufacturing as producing products almost as quickly as a customer can imagine them, with money changing hands just as quickly. Masters of this universe--what the authors dub the Technology Machine--will be the knowledge worker, the man or woman who can perform many functions, who knows enough about multiple areas of the business to be able to cross back and forth between what used to be rigid interdepartmental barriers. Will everyone be a knowledge worker, and will every business run this smoothly? No, the authors don't see that at all. They still see a world with clear winners and losers, but one in which the former will spend less time enjoying the cozy confines of the winner's circle and more time figuring out ways to get in, or back in. It's an exciting world they lay out; and if all goes according to their vision, 2020 will be a fascinating year to be alive. --Lou Schuler ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Rantings about emergent behavior software agents
It took me a while, but I just finished The Technology Machine by Moody and Morley, and I'm sad to say that it is a poor vehicle to spread their valuable message to the world of manufacturing. Let me say at the outset that I am not an engineer, but I'm no dummy, either. I bought the book based on an intriguing review in upside (or Red Herring - one of those tech magazines).

The Good News: Some good points are made in the book about the power of approaching complex logistical production problems with the use of properly designed software "agents", each one of which having the "intelligence of a chicken" but en masse creating an environment where behavior capable of handling complex issues efficiently emerges. A powerful idea, to be sure.

The Bad news: The message gets lost in the noise of a very poorly written book - the conversational style used is way too casual for a subject this serious. It's as if this were published by a vanity press - was there no editor? Typos abound (mislabeling GM Paint Shop as GE Paint Shop on page 225, or "...president of Nypro Corporate Inc. of Nypro, a company..." - page 237 are but two examples) and the grammer is atrocious - like the rantings of an angry curmudgeon. There is way too much "consultant-speak" in the beginning of the book, and towards the end it seems to lose focus. As a result, the strength of the message is quite diluted.

I have no doubt that the authors are very smart people and that they have contributed immensely to the world of manufacturing, but in my opinion this book does them a disservice and much of the value of their message is lost.

Packed With Knowledge!
Patricia A. Moody and Richard E. Morley take a fascinating trip into the future, the not-too distant future, by exploring what manufacturing and product delivery to consumers will look like in the year 2020. By discussing past and current advances, the authors articulately present convincing arguments for their ideas with great zest. Don't worry, you won't find impenetrable technological prose here, quite the contrary. Instead, you'll find visions of point-of-consumption manufacturing, small work groups made up of people who live near their job sites and biotechnology that enables customized creation of replacement body parts. Gene Bylinsky of Fortune magazine calls this well-received volume, "a beautifully written, insightful and important new book... your best guide to success" in the 21st century. We at getAbstract recommend this book to forward-looking managers who understand that, even in the complex future, the main rule will be: Keep it simple.

When Dick Morley speaks, listen
The fact is, if you're in manufacturing, when Dick Morley speaks, you have to listen. He's got a sharp mind and an unusual style, but more gems come out of his mouth than anyone else in the industry. The Technology Machine's view into the future is well worth the read, by managers and technologists, alike. I'm hoping for a follow on that takes an even more in-depth look at some of the technology and how it will play out in the next decade or two.

"Spot On"
While there are slow spots the book is easy to read and the insights are "spot on". If we look back over the past 18 months we clearly see that technology and computers are the key to improved productivity and are the basis for collecting data and turning it into information. Information is our competative edge and will continue to provide our product and service suppliers the tools they need to continue their success.

Mr. Morley is correct.
I would like to say that 107 of Mr. Morley's 127 wildcard predictions were correct. ... Read more

Book Description

THE BASICS OF RELIABILITY

Ronald Blank

The Basics of Reliability is a handy source for comprehending reliability concepts, interpreting reliability requirements, and understanding reliability reports. It explains reliability concepts in simple and straightforward language for all employee levels and includes a comprehensive glossary that clearly and thoroughly defines technical terms.

Senior management, inspectors, technical sales personnel, product engineers, manufacturing engineers, quality engineers, or anyone responsible for reliability will be able to turn to The Basics of Reliability for quick tips and answers to frequently asked reliability questions.

Highlights: · Written in plain English with simple explanations of technical terms. · Requires no mathematics beyond high school algebra. · Devotes an entire chapter to explaining reliability concepts. · Includes a comprehensive glossary that thoroughly defines all technical terms found in the text. ... Read more

Book Description

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT explores how firms build, extend, organize, and sustain a competitive advantage, focusing on five key themes: distinctive competence, quality, globalization, change, and ethics.This text takes an applications-oriented approach in which a company's strategic position or dilemma is dissected and analyzed in such a way that all key concepts and ideas are brought to light.Filled with current real-world applications, this book also includes mini-cases within each chapter. ... Read more

Book Description

Inside the Minds: Chief Technology Officers features technology executives from some of the top Internet and technology companies in the world including Engage, Datek, WebMD, Valicert, Vignette, S3, Symantec, Verisign, and more. Their experiences, advice, and research provide an unprecedented look at the various strategies involved with developing, implementing, and capitalizing on the best technologies in the world for companies of every size and in every industry. These experts also provide insider knowledge on the future technologies that will once again reshape the "wired world." Inside the Minds: Chief Technology Officers contains the most up to date information available and is a must have for every techie, entrepreneur, executive, and any one with an interest in the technology fueling the Internet and technology revolution. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good stuff......
I have read a lot of "vanilla" books on the Internet and technology. This is the first book with some excitement to it and some very interesting issues addressed by these CTOs. A great book for both techies and business executives.... ... Read more

Book Description

This book helps managers understand capacity, measure capacity, measure performance, and balance requirements and resources for production. It goes on to combine these elements into an integrated model for optimizing the performance of the organization. ... Read more

Book Description

A world-wide audience is now only 10 inches away. Even the smallest tourism business in the remotest area of the world can reach international consumers who are sitting just 10 inches away from their computer screens. According to recent research, one of the most popular reasons for surfing the net is to find travel, leisure and tourism products. Hoteliers, visitor attraction managers, leisure managers, destination marketing officers and other members of the hospitality industry recognize the power of the internet for their sector and are eager to benefit from it.This is a practical, jargon-free guide to help readers move from seeing the internet as a tangled web to a powerful network. Without presuming prior knowledge, this book is full of 'how to' information which practitioners can implement immediately in order to put the internet at the forefront of their marketing activities. ... Read more

Book Description

Long hours, low wages, and unsafe workplaces characterized sweatshops a hundred years ago. These same conditions plague American trucking today.

Sweatshops on Wheels: Winners and Losers in Trucking Deregulation exposes the dark side of government deregulation in America's interstate trucking industry.In the years since deregulation in 1980, median earnings have dropped 30% and most long-haul truckers earn less than half of pre-regulation wages. Work weeks average more than sixty hours. Today, America's long-haul truckers are working harder and earning less than at any time during the last four decades.

Written by a former long-haul trucker who now teaches industrial relations at Wayne State University, Sweatshops on Wheels raises crucial questions about the legacy of trucking deregulation in America and casts provocative new light on the issue of government deregulation in general. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Unacceptable in America - Slave Labor
I am 25 year survivor of the long-haul trucking racket, and can only say that the situation is substantially worse than Mr. Belzer asserts. I was finally forced out of the industry in 1998 for actively speaking out against the same types of abuse that he describes in his book. The trucking industry has it's own 'goon squad' that seeks to target, isolate and then eliminate anybody who dare speaks out against unsafe trucks, against coercion of drivers to run illegally and the sub-human wage scale that truckers are forced to labor under. And I don't just mean those companies that employ Teamster drivers, either. The non-union truckload carriers that clog our interstates can become even more vicious, once their crimes against drivers and the public are exposed. I found that I had been blacklisted, and I was being stalked by a small army of paid harassers, intimidators and threat-mongers. I was threatened with death, severe physical harm and other consequences if I ever mentioned the safety, logbook and other scams that occur on a regular basis in this crooked industry. I want to make clear that the DRIVERS are generally not the problem in the industry. It is the dispatchers, management and 'safety' departments of the major truckload companies that pose the greatest threat to the motoring public. Next in line are the major freight shippers - the huge soft drink, paper products, automotive, fresh produce, recycling and grocery distributors are among the worst abusers of the rights and safety of the long-haul trucker. Many times, a driver will have to wait 5 to 8 hours without pay (after all, he's not driving, so he doesn't get a dime for the delay)while some crack-smoking creep on a forklift who makes $19 per hour screws around for hours in a lame attempt to load the waiting driver's trailer. Then the driver has to drive all night and 'back up' his logbook later on to help hide all the waiting time - so as to make it look like he had a nice 10 hour sleep in his sleeper berth. This racket has not changed, nor will it ever change until drivers are paid by the hour and are given an electronic punch card which will assure once and for all that these men and women are finally paid for ALL of their on-duty time. Until then, be aware, the typical driver operates in a state of chronic fatigue or even exhaustion, and your car or SUV can easily be the 'speed bump' that wakes up a semi-comatose driver - after it's too late. You'll then have your 15 minutes of fame - on the 11 o'clock news as the highway patrol and state workers attempt to find the missing body parts of you or your loved ones. The driver will probably be OK, and the sick wheels of the trucking racket will roll on. Until the next 'speed bump' appears, anyway. Drive safely, and keep your distance from the big rigs until the industry is cleaned up once and for all.

Scholarly work based on solid economic analyses
Based on reading the first two chapters, I feel this is a scholarly work worth reading. Although Belzer is a former Teamster, in general he does back up his argument with sound economic analysis and where he does make a point about unions, he does this rigourously and in a way that suggests contrary to collecting "rents" and screwing everybody else, in the trucking industry unions are almost a necessity in ensuring that economics for trucking remains healthy.

The thing I like the best about Belzer's book is that he makes it really clear that it's not a case of "bosses screwing workers", but instead the underlying regulatory framework is fundamentally broken in an industry which has a tendency to become hypercompetitive due to the highly commoditized nature of the truckload sector. Another wonderful point is that the exactly same arguments might be applied to the foodservice sector, even if the extent of commoditization might be lower.

The book does get repetitive in some places, if only because fundamentally the economics and mechanisms behind the failure to address equity concerns in a deregulated framework. True marginal costing is economically efficient, but pricing without regards for the opportunity cost of labor is an effective subsidy to the shippers by the truckers. The evidence suggests that truckers do not generally understand their cost base, and desparate conditions can cause individuals to price irrationally "just to keep up the payments". Just as there are regulations regarding wearing seatbelts while driving, social regulation is clearly necessary to prevent unsafe conditions.

This book is well worth a read, especially for those who are not directly involved in transportation, and for those interested in economic regulation and public policy. Belzer has done all of us a great service by writing this book.

So True, So Common, So Sad, SO Dangerous!
A former career military man who has worked the most horrendous hours while on active duty, in combat and deployed around the world I lived for 22 years with the common mantra....."We have done so much with so little for so long that we are now attempting the impossible with nothing". I never thought I would be chanting the same mantra as a driver for one of the larger trucking companies in Utah. Thankfully I'm no masochist.

Being reassured that I was not being encouraged to 'cook the books' and being told that safety was foremost, I had to laugh. A former statistician by trade I am no novice at numbers. Many times I found that I was the 'only driver available', the load 'had to get through' I would have to drive a steady 86 mph through Ohio (speed limit of 55) to 'be on time'. This after just dropping off a load and getting ready to bed down for my DOT mandated sleep.

Not being able to 'take the load' branded me as not being a 'team player' and often resulted in my being overlooked when another load came through. You know, 'punishment'?

Receiving a none existing load assignment to a place that had moved then gone out of business three years before. Trying to verify that pickup and being told to 'just get there' when 'there' didn't exist? On LONG ISLAND??

Being from Texas, a drive through the home turf would have been appreciated now and then but I spent my time in the North East. A friend of mine from Pennsylvania was kept on an LA to Florida run. We were not allowed to switch runs.

After emergency surgery, I was told that I could take no convalescent leave since they (the company) were not there to take care of my 'personal vacation needs'.

I find it sad that so many good men and women have died trying to meet a deadline just so company exectives could 'look good'.

I left the trucking industry after we lost a man in an accident while trying to make up time after a snow storm. Remember, the load HAD to be there on time and there is no excuse for weather delays, even freak storms. The man died, his family was left with nothing because he was a loyal driver. The excuse the company gave? He 'wasn't following safety guidlines'.

Kudos for an excellent book. I hope more regulators read it and start fining the trucking companies everytime a trucker gets stopped.

Michael Belzer names names and takes no prisoners
My husband Russ has been an over the road truck driver for over 23 years now. This is the first book that actually pulls no punches with telling the truth on the trucking industry. This is the same truth that Russ has been telling me all these years as to why these are the most unhealthy, over worked and under paid workers in the most prosperous country in the world. Bravo! Michael Belzer, for putting this book to print. I highly recommend it! Natasha Flazynski, a truckers wife.

All Sweated Out...is more like it!
Hurrah for Michael Belzer! He hit the nail on the head and now I hope American public opinion will drive it home! Belzer notes, that there have always been unique characteristics to the trucking industry that require economic, social and market regulation working in harmony in order to promote safety, and a reasonable standard of living for the participants. The smoking gun is open, unrestricted entry to the trucking business. It has resulted in under-financed companies operating 80,000-pound equipment at highway speeds in a society where aggressive competition drives the economy. That is simply bad public policy! When the freight rates drop below the cost of doing business, deferred maintenance becomes pandemic and that has created real social problems. Belzer stopped short of calling for economic regulatory controls as part of the only sensible solution, but I won't! Entry into the trucking business must require (continuing) proof of financial fitness to operate the equipment over the "long haul" in order to provide stability and safety. New under-financed entrants to the business who simply buy a truck and then try to operate on a shoestring in an environment where everybody's' front haul is somebody else's' back haul (read: non-compensatory, predatory and discriminatory freight rates) are a time bomb! The 22% national out of service rating for vehicles is proof enough for me! There is constant and unrelenting "churning" of entry and exit to the business, in an environment where just-in-time delivery, driver shortages, long hours, high speeds, irregular work hours, and unenforceable safety laws are the standard. Many of these same conditions existed in 1935, and resulted in the passage of national motor carrier regulation. We have been dismantling and tinkering with those regulations in a dangerous and piecemeal fashion since 1978. It is very disappointing but an accurate observation of human action that otherwise intelligent and educated people have a seemingly never-ending capacity for gratuitously ignoring history in pursuit of "solutions" to contemporary "problems". What is so woefully sad is that the re-introduction of failed ideas in the arrangement of human affairs almost always has both direct and indirect consequences and costs, in human terms. Resurrecting and repeating bad ideas and failed policies result in unnecessary and at times significant human suffering.

Belzer correctly points out that this business is very different from telephones and utilities, where economic deregulation does not have a direct effect on safety. Wake up America, and follow the money! We are trading human life for cheaper goods! The government cannot now, and likely never will be able to put enough police officers on the roads to enforce truck safety standards. The motor carriers are simply not making enough money to maintain their trucks! Freight rates dictated by unlimited competition will not ever cover the cost of doing business. In the last decade more Americans died in truck accidents than in the Vietnam War...225 per week and rising...the equivalent of an airline crash every seven days. Minimum, compensatory freight rates, and financial and safety fitness entry standards are necessary for safety in the trucking business! Economic deregulation, without safety fitness entry controls has been a miserable failure! In my state, I can start and operate a trucking company with less training and expertise than is required to become a barber!

Transportation deregulation advocate Robert V. Delaney once said: "The goal (of trucking deregulation) is to create an environment in which any public or private carrier that is safe and financially responsible can haul anything anywhere at any price for anyone at any time." What happened to the "safe and financially responsible" part of the equation? Deregulation advocates knew of the safety consequences, better than most, yet they chose to ignore the warnings! Is global economic transportation integration worth the social costs? No, integrating the surface transportation system, virtually overnight, through heavily lobbied federal preemption has not been worth the price we've paid! To the Delaney crew I say: "Your shiny new cheap pairs of Taiwan blue jeans are all worn out and, I hope, shrinking around your privates!" Your moral and ethical obligations did not end with your statistical predilection of great economic gain at any cost. You knew the dangers and you remained silent, or worst yet knowingly opted for the trade-off! ... Read more