How to Reduce Trucking Risks and Costs with Multi-Camera Video Telematics

Equipping commercial vehicles with cameras isn’t a new concept. Fleets can gain valuable insights from video telematics data, such as identifying risky driving behaviors, developing data-based safety training, and reducing the likelihood of litigation following a collision. However, many fleets limit their camera installations to the forward-facing view. While some video surveillance is better than none, fleets can reap significant safety and cost-reduction benefits by adding additional cameras around the vehicle.

Enhanced Collision Modelling and Analysis

Trucking companies don’t often fare well in court cases. Juries often sympathize with the passenger vehicle driver and may deliver nuclear verdicts that can bankrupt trucking companies. Multiple cameras can help exonerate drivers or avoid litigation by showing exactly what happened leading up to the crash.

Better Road Visibility for Safe Driving

Although camera footage can prove the truck driver wasn’t at fault in a crash, it’s best to avoid the collision entirely. Large commercial vehicles have significant blind spots, a fact that many motorists fail to understand. Multi-camera setups can give truck drivers a 360-degree view of their surroundings to reduce the risk of collisions by eliminating obscured zones, assisting with backing up, and making it easier for truck drivers to navigate tight or congested areas.

Identify and Eliminate Cargo Damage Factors, Vehicle Misuse, and Theft

Improving safety and reducing costs are among the chief concerns for many fleet managers. Some cost-raising driver behaviors are simple to identify with standard telematics, such as excessive idling, hard braking, and speeding. However, others are more subtle and difficult to detect, such as the root cause of cargo damage. Damage can happen for non-nefarious reasons, but full surveillance truck cameras could pinpoint if employees loaded or unloaded the cargo improperly or if the driver made frequent, erratic turns. Cameras are also an effective deterrent to eliminate employee vehicle misuse and thwart theft attempts.

Dashcams are a promising first step toward reducing risky driver behaviors, improving driver safety, and protecting drivers from potential litigation. However, a more robust approach to video telematics enhances these benefits significantly. Contact Interstate Motor Carriers to learn more ways to improve fleet safety.