If you have a friend, neighbor or relative impacted by America’s continued battle with progress in industry, HBO has a documentary flick brewing for you. It is called “The Last Truck” and it’s a singular view on the impact of a auto manufacturer closing down yet another facility supposedly without care to it’s labor force.
It’s a human story of course but one that you may have heard and seen time and time again. The basics are: company can’t make a good product, consumers don’t buy over-hyped product, company isolates it’s weakest link, the plant announces a closing, the proud work force – neglected by it’s own political state leadership and it’s company’s inability to make a great product – has to find a new gig. While this is told to bring to light how proud and loyal a work force was, it is unfortunate that both the company (GM in Dayton) and the Union were unable to retool for the modern rigors of consumer preferences. As a predictable result, families and friends where left blindsided by obsolete technologies and methodologies. If the film does anything for Dayton it hopefully will be that the American worker will wake up to the fact that jobs aren’t guaranteed especially when products are made that miss the mark on consumer preferences.
Since audiences would prefer to see, dwell and relish on the glory of once what was vs. the potential glory of what can be, The Last Truck by HBO should be a barn burner. Filmwise, these are elements that make movies interesting and compelling. Distribution wise, this film is scheduled for Eastern Airtime beginning in January.