When installing cameras in your company’s fleet, it can sometimes be difficult to get reluctant drivers to buy into the idea. Most people feel some unease being under anything that feels like surveillance, especially if they don’t understand the purpose behind the decision. By helping drivers understand the reasons for installing cameras in your fleet vehicles, being specific and detailed about who and what will be recorded, and explaining the benefits for everyone involved, drivers are more likely to buy into the idea and get on board.
Step 1 – Explain the Purpose Behind Your Decision to Install Fleet Cameras
When companies make the decision to install vehicle cameras, one reason they might experience resistance from drivers is because drivers feel the company thinks of them as untrustworthy. They may also feel cameras are an intrusion into their personal lives since so much of their time is spent on the road. If you want to get buy-in from your drivers, it’s essential that you actually explain the real reasons behind the vehicle cameras while simultaneously reinforcing that it’s not because they are untrustworthy or undeserving of privacy.
Some points you might mention when explaining your decision is that vehicle cameras can help in many areas such as:
- Reducing the costs per insurance claim
- Lowering insurance premiums
- Getting the best use out of available resources
- And protecting your fleet of vehicles and drivers from other dishonest drivers who may claim false injury claims, stage crashes, or create other fabricated incidents.
Step 2 – Highlight the Benefits of Reduced Liability Risks for Drivers
No matter how professional and skilled a driver is, he or she is still at risk of false claims made against them by people who are dishonest. When you explain to them that fleet cameras will be beneficial in protecting them against such false accusations or crashes that were not their fault, they may be more likely to buy in. False claims can sometimes go so far as to threaten a driver’s commercial vehicle license (CVL), and explaining how the cameras can reduce liability in those situations can be the push someone needs to accept that cameras are more beneficial than they are dangerous.
Step 3 – Describe Who Will Have Access to Footage and What Will Be Recorded
To ease drivers’ fears over who will be able to access videos of them and what exactly will be recorded, you should talk to them openly and directly. It’s important to explain that even though the camera is installed, the camera platform that is used does not allow anyone to stream the footage as they would with a live stream service. Assure them there is no way for the public to live stream a broadcast of them to the outside world, and also inform them whether or not audio will be recorded.
Additionally, inform drivers that the camera devices also have a feature that notifies the company about “harsh” driving events, so that they understand that being unsafe will have consequences.
Finally, write all of the information about the vehicle camera program down and give it to the drivers to make sure they always have access to it should they have any questions.
What is Driver Application Management and How Can DQM Connect Benefit My Company?
Driver application management and driver document management are fairly synonymous… they refer to an online system used to store all important files and programs in one place for ease of usage and increased safety. By choosing electronic driver files, your entire company can move to paperless driver files which will help with organization, will assist you in locating documents stored within electronic driver files, and will ensure you are prepared for unexpected audits.
At DQM Connect, we are highly experienced with an effective driver application management system and making driver document management as easy as possible for your fleet. Our professional team can help you learn how to expedite the driver onboarding process, keep your files organized, automate your renewals, encourage effective communication between your staff and drivers, and significantly reduce potential difficulty in the DOT audit preparation process. Give us a call anytime at (530) 384-3884 or emailing info@im4trux.com or use our demo form at the bottom of our webpage to learn more.
