In Cab Cameras On The Driver

I don't know much about trucking but I do know something about these camera's. My last job my branch had about 135 pickup trucks with these camera's. They made the mistake I see here too. Initially they installed 20 units that the vendor gave us to try out. But they did not explain to anyone how they worked and the employee's were freaking out about it. One of my managerial duties was overseeing this program. I have had multiple discussion with the vendor of the camera system and they operate as many have said. They record 10 seconds before and after an event and they do not run if the truck is not running.

There was a attempted homicide that happened 'on' one of our trucks. The police tried to get video from the truck but there was none. They can be used for 'evil' depending on how the company set's it up. There are many items that can 'trigger' an event, that is largely decided by the company.

I had several employee's that it helped with regards to truck damage. Without the video evidence their story would have been hard to believe.

Each month Melton sends on a safety letter email. I copied the following from this months email.

Drive Cam FAQ's Answered Question: Why is the camera always on? Answer: The camera continuously records 10 seconds of video. Every second it adds one second to be saved and deletes a previously saved second. Once an event is triggered the unit saves an additional 10 seconds so we receive a total of 20 seconds of video.

That is consistent with my camera's operation. It only uploads once triggered by an event. I fairly certain all of the newer technology works this way. My camera stops recording when the truck's engine is shut-off and/or parked/stationary. Same with you?

Ours stay on continuously. Just in case someone hits you at the truck stop. But the curtain prevents it from seeing inside the cab.

SouthernJourneyman, just help me out here. Why would the camera need to be on focusing on the empty drivers seat when the truck is NOT moving? You say that it is to capture someone hitting your truck, ok, wouldn't you want the camera then to be facing outside, rather than on the empty drivers seat? I am all for outside facing cameras (dash cams) but see limited value in having the camera on the driver.

I think he's saying the outward facing camera can capture footage but the inward facing camera is blocked by his curtain.

One time I was sound asleep in the middle of the night and a guy at the fuel island forgot to set his brakes and his truck rolled like 200 feet and slammed into me. Bounced me off the back wall of the sleeper and onto the floor. Smashed my hood to bits. 3:00 a.m.

I remember getting out of the truck, figuring out what happened, and thinking, "Where is the driver of this truck? Did he take off or something?"

Then just 30 seconds later here he comes running out of the building toward me. I told him when he got there, "No sense in running now! I stopped your truck."

He was Canadian so I forgave him. Turns out he was born that way.

SouthernJourneyman, just help me out here. Why would the camera need to be on focusing on the empty drivers seat when the truck is NOT moving? You say that it is to capture someone hitting your truck, ok, wouldn't you want the camera then to be facing outside, rather than on the empty drivers seat? I am all for outside facing cameras (dash cams) but see limited value in having the camera on the driver.

It is a single unit that has both an outward facing lens and an inward facing lens. They operate simultaneously. So you cannot turn off the one without turning off the entire unit.

Hope that explains a bit better.

He was Canadian so I forgave him. Turns out he was born that way.

Hey now. Tsk tsk

This just happened to me this evening and I have to say I'm glad I had the camera.

In Atlanta rush hour I used an on ramp. Of course my lane disappeared and I was forced to merge left. A car hauler was next to me but he seemed to slow down to let me in front, which is the courteous thing to do.

As I merged left it turns out that's not the car hauler's intention! He honked his air horn, but since I was already mostly in front of him in the lane (and my original on-ramp lane was gone by this point), he moved to the left lane, sped up a bit, and then swung his truck right towards my left side and zoomed on past. He had clipped my left mirror! Immediately I activated the camera, which has that 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after feature. Anything that is activated is automatically sent to the office. When the guy clipped my mirror, I heard the "thunk" but I did not know what had been hit. That's why I activated the camera. In case there was something more serious, I would have proof that it really wasn't my fault. On top of that there driver cam would show that I was driving normally, watching all the traffic and being a good driver.

Got a copy of my Swift Driver Cam:

Wow! I mean, there's absolutely no questioning what happened right there and you were obviously doing your job perfectly. Cameras don't lie. If you screw up, they'll show it. If you were in the right, they'll show it.

Really surprised at the acceptance of driver facing cameras here. Is there ANYTHING we won't put up with to ingratiate ourselves with the nannies and busybodies of the world ? All I know is the day one gets put in my truck is the day I stop driving it. Surely I needn't explain why. And no the fact that the 7-11 or the bank or the federal building has one doesn't make it ok for me. I don't live in the 7-11 or the federal building. I've seen two somewhat conflicting lines from people on this, sometimes from the same people... A.) that companies are phasing them in slowly to gauge the benefits and what not and B.) that they are inevitable and you the driver better bow down and accept it or get your malcontent behind out of the business.

Well, I know A is true. I know there are many times more trucks without driver facing cameras than there are with them. And I have a pretty good idea how to make B not come true. And that is if any driver who was assigned a camera in his face and was opposed to the idea simply refused to work under those circumstances. You quit if they don't back down, and you get a job with any one of the hundreds of other carriers not using these insidious devices the very next day. And probably, as is the nature of the business, get a two cent raise and a signing bonus out of it.

The time to discourage this sort of thing is now ...or maybe a year ago...I had never heard of these things then, or even six months ago but I'm not here much or talking to other drivers in person....anyway....it's a trend that could have been (still could be ?) and should be strangled in the crib.

Sigh. Another rabble rouser.

The cameras are here. They'll stay here. As you suggest, you might want to look into another profession, like maybe herding sheep.

The testing phase was over a few years ago. Insurance companies like them, so the company likes them. The cameras are coming "slowly" because it takes a while for a small crew to install them in so many trucks. No, the Eye is not on you all the time, only when those fateful events happen.

This battle has been fought here twice already. Please read this topic from the start before adding your $0.02. (Meaning, Yes your opinion needs to be posted, but see what's already here, then post you're additional thoughts.)