In Cab Cameras On The Driver

I really need some advice on how to handle this topic: I have been driving approximately a total of 6700 miles with no problem with 2 different driver trainers. Their trucks had no cameras in them at all. Several company trucks also do not have a camera in them either. I get issued a 2015 Frieghtliner this afternoon and it has a camera in that is on all of the time not just while driving. I am extremely uncomfortable about this. I'am a lady and know that anyone can see me in my cab anytime they want to. I called people and made it very clear I either want it taken out or give me another truck!!!!!!! At no time in my pre hire letter or in my contract letter that I had to sign stating I would have to drive 75,000 miles for them or pay back $3000 cost for their safety training. At no time in orientation a 4 week process cameras in trucks were never mentioned and never mentioned that we would have to drive under these circumstances. At no time talking with the recruiter it was never ever mentioned. In the company profile home pages cameras are never mentioned at all. Can you please give me advice on how to handle this issue. I have a right to my privacy!!!! The company is Roehl. I am highly p*ssed off because only a few trucks out of 2100 drivers have them in their trucks. Sounds like discrimination and extremely unfair. I will appreciate any advice. Thank you.

Doesn't seem right to me either. That would be a deal breaker. I'm working for the company, I'm not their inmate.

I drive with that camera, I've had it for two months. (Swift)

The Swift story goes like this (should work for Roehl as well.):

Yes the camera is "on" in all the time. However, nothing is kept at all or sent to headquarters unless there is an "event" - a sharp bump, or a sudden slow down.

If the recording is sent to the office, it's only about 10 seconds of video both before the event and after (20 seconds total).

Your company is not really interested in what you do when you're not driving, but the camera is set to record all the time and then after 10 seconds forget what it saw.

We have had raging wars talking about the in-cab cameras here at Trucking Truth. But this is the future. For the larger companies they are being installed in all the trucks.

My camera is situated so that when I close the front privacy curtain the camera is on the outside and the inside view is blocked. Probably, when you are not driving you might be permitted to cover the lens for added privacy.

The company will "sell" this to you as a way to protect yourself if a four wheeler makes a stupid move in front of you and you clip them. You are certainly free to find another company to drive for. But it's like standing on an iceberg. After a while your iceberg will shrink down to nothing and you will get wet anyway.

Playing the victim, seems unbecoming. Fyi the cams are not always on or recording. Use the search option and look at all the driver camera posts. Once you understand what the camera and recorder actually do you should feel better about it.

I don't know about Roehl, but Melton can only access the video in the event of an crash. It doesn't even upload directly to Melton, it goes through another company who then send the video to Melton. They only see the first few minutes before and after the crash. They can't just pick a truck number and start watching you. Also when shut down the privacy curtain covers the camera.

I know a lot of people dislike the camera, but they have saved many drivers from false accusations when it comes to folks doing brake checks and foolishness.

Mabey put a piece of tape on it.

Mabey put a piece of tape on it.

That's a good way to get a Greyhound ticket home if you get caught.

Mabey put a piece of tape on it.

That's a good way to get a Greyhound ticket home if you get caught.

Actually, for breaking company policy you take Shank's mare.

Rebelliousvamp I feel the same way!!!! If it's not in all the trucks and only in a few its discrimination against a few drivers. I have an over 35 year clean driving record not even a warning. So I'm doing something right. It's one thing if it was part of the hiring agreement or I was advised upfront that there were cameras in all trucks but at no time was cameras ever brought up. To some of you it may not seem like a big deal but I have also been told they have mics in them to. In the cameras that is. I will follow the chain of command somemore tomorrow. If it could not be taken out then the man who issues the truck would not have turned to me and said I can take it right out for you just call your fleet manager and let her know that you don't want it in here. Know one just says that so freely if it hasn't been done numerous times already.

I think the truck distributor guy was funnin' ya.

you just call your fleet manager and let her know that you don't want it in here.

This is probably like asking Hillary Clinton to cast her vote for Ted Cruz. Ain't gonna happen!