When it comes to fleet tracking, you must keep track of everyone and everything, ensure optimal efficiencies, and reduce the risks of legal liabilities. Fleet dashcams are an excellent tool to enhance your fleet’s monitoring and location tracking capabilities.
Thankfully, plenty of tech solutions help you get it done effectively. However, there’s still one aspect that may leave you exposed to problems. And that is not knowing exactly what happens during a route.
Table of Contents:
- What is a fleet dashcam?
- Why invest in fleet management dashcams?
- Five preferred features for fleet dashcams
- Other dashcam considerations
What is a fleet dashcam?
On transportation routes, be they by land or sea, typically, the only stakeholder who sees and understands the entire journey is the driver. Especially on long-haul routes, it can be hard to track where all your vehicles are, when they’re in use, how they are handled, and the obstacles they may face.
GPS-enabled dashcam technologies have come a long way over the past few years. While traditional dashcams serve to record video footage to review in the case of vehicle damage, theft, or accidents, today, there is so much more they can do.
Why invest in a fleet management dashcam?
Fleet management dashcams do so much more than just record footage. While investing in a dashcam system to install in your vehicles may be seemingly costly up front, the long-term savings are entirely worth it.
Fleet managers are also using video to record drivers’ habits on the road. This can present coaching opportunities if they discover driving despite fatigue or distracted driving. By identifying and correcting these behaviors early on, fleet management companies can reduce the chances of an accident that could cost in terms of legal fees, insurance expenses, vehicle repairs, damaged assets, higher worker’s compensation premiums, and most importantly, lives
Fleet management dashcams that are enabled with GPS sensors capture and share data that a driver can’t do manually on their own. For starters, fleet dashcams can lower your insurance premium costs because they enable drivers to focus on the road and avoid accidents. The cameras also hold drivers accountable and can be used for training and implementing strict safety protocols.
Dashcams can help drivers anticipate risks and ensure they have ample vision of all their blind spots. Thanks to artificial intelligence, today’s dashcam technology can provide drivers with in-cabin alerts regarding nearby traffic volume or incidents and help them reroute to avoid precarious situations.
Similarly, dashcam footage can help in case there is an incident with a fleet vehicle. The footage can be used to prove culpability and captures visual cues from the entire route. Dashcam footage can identify and flag hazardous roads or waterways and be used to communicate danger points to the relevant authorities.
GPS-enabled dashcams can also ensure that assistance is deployed as soon as possible in the case of an incident involving your vehicle or others. The footage is inherently valuable and can help law enforcement or security teams understand how and why an incident occurred, in some cases in real-time.
Five fleet dashcam features to look for
Investing in dashcams for your fleet is a lot to pay for upfront. You know you’ll get your investment back in equipment, insurance, and liability savings, but you’ll want to be sure to do your research before deciding which system is the best for your fleet.
Multiple cameras
Some dashcams are equipped with multiple cameras or channels that simultaneously face different directions to record the front and rear of any vehicle. Some fleets opt for installing numerous cameras on separate channels, but some dashcams already have 360-degree recording capabilities.
When considering how many cameras you want to install, remember that those with four cameras on a single channel don’t have the clearest footage. It may make more sense to install two separate dual-facing cameras operating on two different channels for higher-quality images. Discussing the options with an expert is worth the time as you do your research.
Secure
Of course, with your dashcam operating on a network, security is critical. While you want to know where your fleet is, you may not want that information shared publicly. Most dashcams are password protected, but hackers can get around superficial levels of security. Government security agencies like the NSA can also access your devices through in-built backdoors. You’ll want to discuss the security measures available to protect your data with your dashcam service provider.
Installation
How you plan to install your dashcams will also be something to consider when choosing a product. Some legacy devices still connect using a USB wire, whereas the more modern cameras can be hardwired into your vehicles for stronger network power and data protection. We suggest opting for a simpler setup that you can install quickly and easily. You should also have a system that allows you to move the cameras depending on your fleet needs. Simple mounting bracketing with rotation is all you need to get your cameras up and running. And since the modern GPS dashcams run on your network, you can go wireless.
Automated alerts
Network system alerts are also important to consider. What information do you need your dashcam system to capture and transmit? Most systems can provide your central fleet management system with comprehensive fleet tracking and recording data while simultaneously alerting drivers with in-cabin audio, which is what you should be looking for.
Ongoing recording
You’ll also want to understand the recording capabilities in your dashcam system. Will you be recording constantly? Some systems give you the best of both worlds, with battery-powered automatic recording when suspicious activity is detected, even if a vehicle is not operating. These cameras are also excellent for security purposes to record theft or vandalism.
Other fleet management dashcam considerations
While that may seem like an exhaustive list of considerations, there are a few other things to consider.
What happens if the camera is blocked?
You'll need to be sure that you receive an alert immediately if your dashcam lens is blocked for whatever reason. With dashcams installed, fleet managers must ensure they are operating correctly and capturing driver activity when a vehicle is operating at all times. In some jurisdictions where a driver has a dashcam installed, and it's not being used properly, penalties or fines can drive up your overall fleet insurance. As a general rule of thumb, be sure you are aware of any legal implications when installing a new surveillance system, and be sure your service provider offers fleet operator and management training for proper use.
Types of alerts
Multiple types of dashcam alerts are available for your fleet, including real-time traffic maps, lane change warnings, forward collision warnings, go alerts, speed cameras, and even red light cameras, to name a few. Be sure to ask your service provider what alert options you have. And remember to check your jurisdiction's legal allowances for dashcam alert capabilities. Keep your fleet safe and risk-free when using dashcam technology.
To learn more about choosing the best dashcam for your fleet, and the best practices when it comes to setup and installation, we’re here to help.
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