OTA Dispatch Issue 3, 2021

31 www.ortrucking.org Issue 3 | 2021 NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER of invention, so they say. Meaning that the primary driving force for most new innovations is an actual need. This is especially true when it comes to an industry looking for ways to conquer a problem, become more powerful, more efficient, safer, etc. The strive to improve and evolve has led us to where we are today. Some developments have been revolutionary, touching every part of our lives, for better or for worse (electricity, television, internet, etc.). Others have been more specific to our industry, but no less impactful. Oregon’s trucking industry has seen a lot of changes and OTA and its members have been a part of them for over 80 years. Technological “advances” can often cause disparate thoughts. On the one hand, the promise of new equipment or tech that can improve the bottom line and make things easier and safer is appealing. On the other hand, the labor and learning involved to efficiently adapt and adopt that new technology can be intimidating. It can be assumed that many longtime diesel technicians yearn for the days when the only “chips” they needed to worry about were of the potato variety. Still, time—and progress—march on. But what happens when, instead of necessity driving invention, these inventions are put in the driver’s seat—the classic tail wagging dog scenario? The trucking industry is facing such a scenario TOP TEN Worst Inventions in History For every good invention, thousands of others manage to slip through before anyone thought to question the practicality of their design. Here are a handful of the top disasters in recent history: DETACHABLE DOG SACK The Detachable Dog Sack lets your pet ride outside the car in a pouch attached with rubber-padded hooks to the open window of your vehicle, so you won’t have fur in your car. IPHONE FINGERS iPhone Fingers, ranging from small to extra-large, is the best in latex digital protection to keep your iPhone smudge-free. PEDAL-POWERED WHEELCHAIR The Pedal-Powered Wheelchair for those who can’t stand... but can still pedal. INFLATABLE DARTBOARD The Inflatable Dartboard, complete with a “puncture repair kit.” BATTERY-POWERED BATTERY CHARGER A rechargeable battery that recharged your cell phone’s battery via a mini USB port. METHOD FOR COLLISION RECOGNITION WITH A PEDESTRIAN After a hit-and-run accident, it might be nice to know whether you hit a person or a traffic cone. Hopefully you’ve already stopped to find out. ANTI-EATING FACE MASK Anti-Eating Face Mask is essentially a metal cage that attaches to your face to prevent those without self-control from ingesting solid foods. ZERO-GRAVITY SPACE PEN NASA spent millions developing a pen that could write upside down and in space. Russians used a pencil. HELICOPTER EJECTION SEAT Theoretically, explosive charges blow off the blades before launching those inside up vertically. Might get messy if those charges don’t go off.