Logistics, Inequalities and the Politics of Time in Contemporary Russian Trucking

Abstract

Based on mobile ethnography among long-distance truckers, the paper explores the temporal dimensions of their everyday work. In the neoliberal Russian trucking industry, large transport companies and their clients prioritize ‘efficient’ logistics, relying on computational calculations and an urge to keep the goods moving. Accordingly, corporate temporal policies are shaped by clock time logic. However, the reality of truckers’ everyday mobility is filled with contextual factors such as traffic jams, time zone changes, and weather conditions that disrupt the clock time logic. The clash between the smooth temporal politics of logistics and the unpredictable experiences of truckers leads to conflicts, requiring drivers to adjust their pace, routines, and bodies, often resulting in a sense of vulnerability and uncertainty. Despite these challenges, the paper highlights how truckers skillfully navigate various rhythms, finding a sense of game-like enthusiasm in their work. By examining the contradictions between logistical clock time and drivers’ time, the study sheds light on the inequalities surrounding the labor of longhaul truck drivers and explores the social, emotional, and bodily effects of these inequalities. Through an inside look into the drivers’ perspective from inside their cabs, the paper provides insight into the workings of 24/7 capitalism in Russia.