Don't change the route because of gas prices?" Fine, I’ll spend 4 hours in a deadlocked traffic jam while the frozen cargo melts.
I work as a regional delivery driver for a wholesale food supplier. Most of the time it’s straightforward, but we recently got a new "Operations Coordinator" (let’s call him Kevin) who is obsessed with data and "fuel optimization."
Last month, Kevin implemented a strict policy: all drivers must follow the GPS route provided by the company’s new AI-logistics software. No deviations. His logic, which he explained in a very condescending memo, was that "human intuition regarding traffic is statistically inferior to the algorithm," and that every extra mile driven to avoid a jam is "unnecessary carbon emission and a waste of company resources." He literally told us that if the GPS says to stay on the highway, we stay on the highway, because the system has already accounted for the most fuel-efficient path.
Last Thursday, I was hauling a shipment of high-end frozen seafood to a resort. About 10 miles from my exit, I saw the dreaded sea of red brake lights. A massive tanker had flipped, shutting down all four lanes. My personal GPS immediately suggested a detour through a backroad that would add only 5 miles but save me hours.
I called Kevin to get authorization to deviate. He actually laughed. He told me, and I quote: "The AI sees the delay, and it still hasn't recalculated a detour, which means staying put is more fuel-efficient than idling through stop-and-go backroads. Do your job, stay on the manifest route, and stop trying to be a hero. Any unauthorized miles will be docked from your performance bonus."
Alright then. Malicious compliance engaged.
I put the truck in park, turned on a podcast, and sat there. And sat. And sat. For four hours, the highway was a parking lot. Since it was an unusually hot day for April, the reefer unit (the cooling system) had to work overtime. Kevin’s "fuel-efficient" plan resulted in the truck idling for 240 minutes straight while the cooling unit sucked back more diesel than if I had driven 50 extra miles.
The fallout:
By the time I reached the resort, the cargo - nearly $15,000 worth of premium seafood - had started to soften because the reefer couldn't keep up with the extreme heat and the prolonged engine idling. The resort manager refused the entire delivery.
When I got back, Kevin tried to write me up for the loss. I simply handed my boss the recorded call and the timestamped logs showing I followed Kevin’s "statistically superior" route to the letter. Not only did the company lose $15k in stock, but they also had to pay me 4 hours of overtime for sitting on a highway doing nothing.
Word is, the "AI-optimization" policy is being "reviewed," and Kevin was last seen frantically explaining to the Regional Manager why his fuel savings report showed a massive spike in idle-time waste.