One of the largest trucking companies in America announced they’ll be installing dual-facing cameras that record both the outside of the truck, as well as the driver inside.
In a memo that was broadcast through driver’s on-board communication systems, the president of Swift Transportation, Richard Stocking, told employees “we want you to know that we are doing this for you”. He added that the cameras will help drivers correct risky habits that they “might no be aware of.”
The cameras, made by DriveCam, will be installed in all 6081 company trucks starting in May. Owner-Operators who are contracted to Swift are not required to install the cameras. One gray area that remains is the 6,685 drivers in the company’s “lease-to-own” program.
Driver-facing cameras have been frowned upon by many in the industry, and in order to address the concerns, Stocking assured drivers that they will not be monitored in-real time; the system would only be triggered under special circumstances.
“The in-cab coach is controlled by your driving behaviors. We cannot and do not want to watch you in real time,” he said “In fact, the video recorder will only record when there is an event like swerving or braking. And then it’s only capturing 10 seconds before and 10 seconds after the event.”
When a trigger, such as a sudden stop or unexpected impact is detected, the system will instantly send the footage to DashCam, who will evaluate the footage and forward it to Swift if it meets certain criteria. This screening process is put in place to prevent insignificant events, such as hitting a pothole, from being forwarded to the company.
In other words, if you don’t get into a serious situation that warrants company review, you may still be watched.
Do you think the pros of in-cab cameras outweigh the negatives, and would you drive for a company that has them? Chime in in the comment section below.
