That would make things much easier, yes. I don't think that's how many DM's run it, however. Basically this comes down to individual tables and playstyles...which is the topic of this thread. Even if you hew as closely to the books as possible, every table is going to have different operating procedures and rulings in areas where the books don't offer much guidance. Some groups handwave certain finicky things, while others think that not to do so ruins the game on some fundamental level.
We've seen tables where DM's are quick to shift from combat to chase scenes and don't have monsters chase down players to the bitter end. There are tables where DM's require you to actually escape combat before even getting to that point.
Some tables think tracking rations is tedious, and really, as the game progresses, is a problem that vanishes with certain background features/skill checks/prepared spells. Some tables don't track ammunition, because if the Wizard can firebolt 2000 times a day, why are we worried about making sure the Ranger spends 100 gp to do the same thing? Maybe they are assumed to reclaim some arrows. After all, money is not really useful after a certain point.
Other groups think this is blasphemy, and offer useful things you can spend money on, like a base of operations or even an airship to get around in style.
Some groups prefer a small group of players, others have an entire train of camp followers and hirelings in tow along with the players. And you know what, that's fine, as long as this is what the individual table enjoys.
Too often we run into an issue where one person who is used to/expects/prefers the game be run the way they like it, is very dismissive of those who don't play the same way as them. "If you played the game the right way", they say, "you wouldn't have any of these issues". Wow, fantastic. Great advice.
Who says your way is the right way again?
Some tables find D&D to be easy mode and immediately gravitate towards "gritty realism" and "encumbrance" and fiddle with the rules to make things harder- and now they aren't playing the same game as everyone else.
Others find the base game to be fairly tough for their groups, and don't find killing their characters so that they will "get good" to be a profitable endeavor.
And just like Matt said, people from these disparate groups have little common ground as a result.