'Be Prepared to Stop': A Documentary About the Trucking Industry in Crisis

How long can our society get by without trucks? How about five days? A new documentary, Be Prepared to Stop, presents a portrait of the trucking industry in crisis. Chief among its woes is the nation's crumbling infrastructure, with no solution in sight for funding critical repair, maintenance and construction of roads, highways and bridges. But the film goes even further, to show us the everyday lives of truckers, as well as key issues related to driver safety, and the failure of government to act on multiple fronts. As the film puts it, ''America's 'Check Engine light' is on.'' On this episode, we speak with the filmmakers, co-director and executive producer Jennifer Clymer, and co-director and producer Marijane Miller. They recall how they became aware of the industry's dire plight, what they learned in making the movie, and what steps need to be taken now. It's all about adopting a nationwide view of citizens' self-interest — or, as the filmmakers put it, ''the ultimate connectivity movie.''