Just giving this some sunshine

I have a legit question about this. Do employers spot check their drivers while they are working to ensure they are performing their job safely? When on the clock, being paid by an employer, would it be prudent to do so? Based on the facts in the story, the actions of the driver being so distracted it was only a matter of time before this or much worse happened.

Before you try and play the 'right to privacy' card, I can look out my office window and see 40+ employees when they are being paid to work. I can call them out for not wearing eye protection, or other proper PPE and I can call them out for unsafe work procedures or not following SOPs. It's how we ensure safety and quality. Does this not apply to drivers? Yaya, unplug the camera when off duty, we don't want to see what you're doing off hours. On duty, on camera and that needs to be a live feed.

My 5 cents,
Mike
 
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MikeJr said:
I have a legit question about this. Do employers spot check their drivers while they are working to ensure they are performing their job safely? When on the clock, being paid by an employer, would it be prudent to do so? Based on the facts in the story, the actions of the driver being so distracted it was only a matter of time before this or much worse happened.

Before you try and play the 'right to privacy' card, I can look out my office window and see 40+ employees when they are being paid to work. I can call them out for not wearing eye protection, or other proper PPE and I can call them out for unsafe work procedures or not following SOPs. It's how we ensure safety and quality. Does this not apply to drivers? Yaya, unplug the camera when off duty, we don't want to see what you're doing off hours. On duty, on camera and that needs to be a live feed.

My 5 cents,
Mike
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That's a hard no from me. 42 years, millions of miles, at this week in and week out, the past 19 without being involved in a single accident whatsoever and only 1 ticket in the past 20 plus years.
Driver facing camera = immediate kiss my ass and experience goodbye. I absolutely refuse to work for any goof that mandates them period.
I know one specialized fleet which would immediately lose close to 90% of their drivers/owner-operators over it. They would essentially be shut down because you cannot simply replace that skill level.

And there's more than one wild card out there that I know of personally where if push came to shove.. it would be a violent response.
Cameras will never change a culture just like elogs and speed limiters haven't improved the industry either...
All they will do is further drive the good ones out...

Be careful what you wish for....

/Rant
 
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MikeJr said:
I have a legit question about this. Do employers spot check their drivers while they are working to ensure they are performing their job safely? When on the clock, being paid by an employer, would it be prudent to do so? Based on the facts in the story, the actions of the driver being so distracted it was only a matter of time before this or much worse happened.

Before you try and play the 'right to privacy' card, I can look out my office window and see 40+ employees when they are being paid to work. I can call them out for not wearing eye protection, or other proper PPE and I can call them out for unsafe work procedures or not following SOPs. It's how we ensure safety and quality. Does this not apply to drivers? Yaya, unplug the camera when off duty, we don't want to see what you're doing off hours. On duty, on camera and that needs to be a live feed.

My 5 cents,
Mike
Click to expand...
Very beneficial for seeing what's going on in-cab during an incident. If the driver is not at fault, it helps protect them.

So much assorted moans and groans from the drivers (none of which quit, actually) when these were announced. We've gotten these installed in all our power units. They are now working on AI assists which detects possible unsafe habits. Of course driver eating a french fry throws us "driver smoking" alerts. It's not perfect, but it is helpful.

I think a lot of these cameras are just going to be mandated by insurance companies moving forward. Why not? No cost to them, just the carriers.
Safety department likes them, and they're on an ignition off/camera off kind of set up.

And unless you look like 1992 Pam Anderson, nobody wants to pull video just to look at you, driver.
 
Thank you for educating me on some of the pros and cons and some of the potential outcomes. One member here was kind enough to call me on my cell to have a discussion about driver facing cams yesterday, it opened my eyes to a lot of details that I didn't really think of. It seems that some companies are already mandating their use (successfully) and others are cautious because you're all correct on this - a cam could protect a professional driver or could implicate a professional driver even if they are following all the rules and that would be contrary to their intended use.

Time will tell, like Jack said, some insurance companies in the future may require them.

Keep well,
Mike
 
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An employer must disclose the use of cameras. We (manufacturing facility) post signage everywhere and also ask employees to sign a disclosure during onboarding.

Funny, people still steal each others tools. So silly and a waste of my time watching the footage to see who did what, when. The one guy who is gone now was a real klepto, like legit had a problem.

Keep well,
Mike
 
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MikeJr said:
An employer must disclose the use of cameras. We (manufacturing facility) post signage everywhere and also ask employees to sign a disclosure during onboarding.

Funny, people still steal each others tools. So silly and a waste of my time watching the footage to see who did what, when. The one guy who is gone now was a real klepto, like legit had a problem.

Keep well,
Mike
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Thanks for the response Mike.
 
JACKBURTON said:
And unless you look like 1992 Pam Anderson, nobody wants to pull video just to look at you, driver.
Click to expand...

No fleet manager I know has time to sit around watching driver footage for kicks.
AI cameras don't record constantly anyway. They grab a short clip on a trigger event, hard brake, sharp turn, tailgating. That's it. No audio on ours either.

When you're behind the wheel on duty you're at work. No expectation of privacy, and commercial drivers are held to the highest standard on the road.
These cameras protect drivers too. We've beaten cellphone tickets where the officer's story didn't hold up and seat belt tickets where a cop claimed he spotted it from across a highway. Footage saved those drivers.

There's also the liability reality. Driver causes a mass casualty accident, the company gets sued into oblivion. Driver finds another job. Cameras protect everyone, and honestly, you're on camera everywhere else anyway. Shippers, receivers, stores, parking lots, the street. Nobody's losing sleep over that.

Save the privacy argument for your personal vehicle or your home. That's where it applies. The company truck? Not so much.
Just my $0.02
 
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I want to see the footage from 3 1/2 minutes later, just sayin'.

That is total bullshit for sure, what about a lens cover for when off duty, like my laptop has? I know a guy who has tape on his phone camera, big brother watching and all...

Keep well,
Mike
 
snafu said:
Sounds like a lawsuit pending..
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Plot twist:

It's actually a lot lizard and he's not even married, trying to cover his behind.

Honestly that looks a bit fake to but in my employment agreement I have a clause about having unauthorized passengers in the truck while vehicle is in transit.

I can also tell you from experience if a driver is hauling any hazmat shipments crossing the border, everyone in the truck, whether they are a passanger or not must have TDG tickets. We had a driver take his wife across the border and we got turned back because the wife didn't have a class 1 or TDG. They didn't care.
 
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