Are you thinking about getting a dash cam for your semi? There are some good reasons to get cameras for your truck – but not just for the dashboard. Cameras – dash cams, in-cabin cameras and rear cameras all have benefits for an owner operator or a fleet builder. Dash cams for truckers aren’t about trapping truckers – they save us more than the hurt us.
1. Cut Your Insurance Costs
A dash cam works for you because, let’s face it, there are idiots and worse on the roads. Get cut off? Brake checked? All the stupid things that stupid car drivers do without thinking about a vehicle that weighs about a billion times more than they do bearing down on them? You need to protect yourself. Whether you’re a solo owner operator or a fleet builder, your insurance rates will go down because instead of it being your driver’s word against a car driver, there will be evidence to prove what happened in an accident – and why it happened.
We can’t say how much your insurance will go down, so talk to your insurance carrier for specifics. But for anything that helps an insurance company not pay out a claim, the company is going to cut your rates.
Front facing cameras (the dash cam) isn’t the only camera that can help you cut your insurance rates. Rear facing cameras can also cut your costs, but also provide a powerful tool to help any trucker who needs a back view. Backing up is a risky time for a trucker, not only because idiots drive behind us, but because docks aren’t always visible. The blind spot behind a trailer that cannot be covered with mirrors is the idea place for a camera.
In cab or driver-facing dash cameras are probably the most controversial of all the dash cams for trucks. Who wants to feel like they’re being spied on 24/7? No one. But a driver-facing camera can be a great help when there’s a question if it’s the trucker who’s driving unsafely. Many trucking companies already require driver-facing dash cams. Soon, we may not have the choice.
2. Dash Cam Evidence for the Win
A friend who worked as a fireman had a sign in the station that had TRAIN and CAR in two columns. It showed which vehicle sustained the greater damage in a wreck. You know what it showed. CARS never win.
The same way with trucks.
When there’s an accident with an 18-wheeler, we know a lawsuit is going to follow. (See Point 1.) It’s a trucker’s word versus a car driver who ended up hurt because the laws of physics say “big vehicle smashes little vehicle” not “little vehicle totals big rig.” And we Americans love to support the underdog.
Having video evidence of an accident protects truckers when car drivers don’t obey the laws of the road or the laws of physics. That video can be the difference between staying on the road or losing their CDL.
3. Another Stream of Income
Who hasn’t watched video on Youtube*? Instagram or Facebook Reels? Even Twitter is now putting up videos. And that’s a potential way for you to make money.
Nobody tells stories better than a trucker. Maybe it’s all the time on the road to refine the story. Maybe it’s because truckers have more interesting experiences. Maybe truckers are funnier than the rest of us. 🤷🏽♂️
Getting an income from videos isn’t just about putting videos online. Learning how to edit, add music and sound effects, and most importantly, to listen to your audience tell you what they want to hear – successful YouTubers or vloggers don’t get that way by chance. (When you can explain to me why I watch a woman farmer from Ontario raise sheep, then I can explain to you how the formula works.)
Competence Pays Off
People watch videos where people are competent at their work. We watch cat videos and dog videos for entertainment, but watching people do the things that they’re good at – and can communicate well – is very compelling. Not only do we watch to learn a task or a skill, we watch because it’s interesting. Good storytellers keep our attention, even when they’re talking about building bridges or how to fix a tractor.
TruckingOffice isn’t monetized on YouTube. So we don’t have advice. But let us know if you decide to take your dash cams videos. We’d love to check out your videos, especially if you use TruckingOffice PRO or TruckingOffice ELD.
If you’re interested in TruckingOffice PRO, we have a free trial for you. Sign up now and get a free trial to discover how TruckingOffice PRO can help you build a successful trucking business. It’s not just the big logistics companies that have software to help them manage
- dispatches,
- routings,
- invoices,
- late pays,
- maintenance records
- driver records and pays.
Trucking businesses need metrics. TruckingOffice PRO provides trucker stats to show how your trucking business grows and succeeds.
So try out TruckingOffice PRO trucking software and let us know what you think about dash cams.
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