Technology evolves each day and makes our lives a little better and a lot easier than what it was yesterday. One such piece of tech that’s making our roads safer for drivers is the truck dash camera systems.
Truck cameras have become more common than ever, with an increasing number of fleet operators relying on these state-of-the-art equipment systems.
By fully recording every detail inside the vehicles and on the road, truck dash cams offer a number of benefits to the truckers.
Does this modern transportation tech come at too hefty a price for you to consider getting it for your entire fleet?
Do the costs of truck dash cams in the market outweigh their benefits? And, what exactly are those benefits, anyway?
Let’s find the answers to all of these questions. Read on!
Cost Considerations Of Truck Dash Camera Systems
AÂ truck camera system can come in a range of prices. You will find affordable cams in the market, too, such as ones from Samsara, which meet all your criteria regarding the availability of features.
Choosing the right brand is crucial for that combination of quality and affordability. The price of dash cams depends on several factors. You will have to start by selecting the kind of camera you want.
You can opt for front-facing or dual-facing dash cams. There are exterior and interior cameras like driver cams that are available too. The dual-facing ones, with two lenses to film both the road and the interiors of the vehicle, will cost more than the single-lensed front-facing cams.
The additional features also factor in the price. Things like video quality and AI capabilities are necessary for a truck dash cam to be beneficial to your fleet, but these will add to the price.
Make sure to choose wisely after considering all the factors. Don’t go for a camera system solely because it’s the cheapest one you could find.
Benefits Of Equipping Trucks With Dash Camera Systems
Now, let’s come to the part that makes investing in truck dash cams worth it. Right from road safety to ensuring legal compliance, the dash cams can change the face of your fleet business like never before.
Here are the benefits associated with truck dash camera systems.
1. The strongest piece of evidence in road accidents
One of the main reasons to get a dashcam is that it gives you the strongest piece of evidence in car accidents.
Without any solid video evidence, it’s easy for the other driver to blame you for the accident. You might be forced to pay a hefty fine for no fault of yours.
2. Bringing undisciplined drivers to book
As a trucker, you must have had to deal with unruly drivers from time to time. If you have a careless driver who puts the lives of others in danger, it’s essential to take necessary actions against him.
A safety program for fleets is very important as it includes truck dash cams that will give you all the information you need to reprimand the undisciplined driver. The video footage gives you all the evidence you need.
3. Effective in preventing insurance fraud
A common type of fraud these days is insurance fraud. Maybe the other driver caused the accident and put the blame on your driver. This way, the other driver will get the insurance money if you don’t have any evidence to prove otherwise.
The dashcams help in protecting you from insurance frauds. You can easily claim the insurance money by showing the video footage.
Moreover, such equipment systems also earn you the trust of the insurance company, and they might offer you discounts on insurance premiums.
4. Record incidents even when you’re away from the fleet
The dash cams can be kept on even without making sure that the engine is on. So, you can record incidents while being away from your fleet.
Suppose you return to your parking lot and notice a big scratch on the bumper. Maybe you are unable to find a particular vehicle because it’s not in its designated place.
All you need to do is access the footage from the dash camera, and you will know who the culprits are.
5. Role of dash cams for coaching and training    Â
Though an ELD is the best way to train new drivers, a truck dash cam is also a big help.
Using a dashcam, you get to see exactly what your driver sees from behind the wheels. With the videos, you get to point out their errors or praise them for what they did right. It will help your truckers to easily learn the rules of trucking.
You can even decide on their bonuses and raises based on their on-road behavior.
Maximizing The Benefits Of Dashcams With Telemetry
The benefits mentioned above must have painted a clear picture of the usefulness of truck dash cameras. You can now understand that the video footage from the camera can protect your reputation and your drivers.
However, the images and the videos don’t offer a comprehensive view. You will have to go for an integrated solution combining the dashboard camera footage with advanced telemetry.
Video telematics systems work hand-in-hand with truck dash cameras to offer the fleet managers the insights that they require. The managers can create automatic reports as well as create driver scorecards.
They can even set customized events by combing telematics data and dashcam information. The advanced cameras come with trigger settings integrated with telematics to offer crash detection and event analysis for the fleets looking to effectively enhance their performance.
The Bottom Line
The truck dash cams can genuinely change the way you prepare tax reports and monitor performances. This is evident because more and more fleet managers are relying on this equipment to bring more efficiency in their systems.
So, did you invest in state-of-the-art camera systems yet? If not, then it’s high time to start looking at your options and getting the cameras installed for your fleet.
