New Camera System Coming to all company trucks.

Yes... that's what a gopro is.. dash, helmut, handbar, etc. You can mount them just about anywhere.

 

I have 2 threads dedicated to it. Driver cams are a bad idea. Not a good one. And I never want one in my truck.

 

A trade truck is simply a truck that the lease is running out on and Swift is getting rid of it.
They will send you wherever they want the truck turned in. I've been sent to Memphis as well as Phoenix to do it.
They are not trying to strand you, so don't fret over that. The DM gets a message that the truck is due to be tuned in, and he sends a message to the driver informing him or her.

 

I don't think any of us disapprove of dash cams. They point straight ahead.

A lot of us strongly disapprove of driver cams however - which face the driver and inside the cab.

 

I just don't trust them at all. My husband is a good driver and they find things to pick on. He has talked to fleet manager and terminal manager. They won't let him go to another terminal and we have lost all trust in them. No way are we taking the chance of getting a truck with a camera. We won't be spied upon 24/7. Furthermore, this truck has low mileage. I just don't believe anything they say anymore, because we have caught them in so many lies we lost count. I have read lots of complaints and thoroughly researched Swift. We should have did it before he started. I sincerely appreciate your response and I will let you know what happens.

 

Nor do we. I think Dash Cams are an excellent idea.

 

Ahh.... that makes a bit more sense of the concern.
I can't imagine them coming installed with any rules, or issues surrounding being covered when logged in off duty status.

And then drapes for the berth should fix that concern. A white noise machine placed on the dash would cancel most sound any listening device would pick up, as well as idle noise inside the cab.... adding more comfort for the driver off duty as well.

Just like most people.. these companies are only out for the $$. They want cheaper insurance rates, and less regulators looking at their business. I just can't imagine a lot of time, energy, or interest available to monitor random drivers. I pretty sure the resources available are not able to stay on top of the 'incidence log' of issues that actually need to be researched.

 

Which comparisons did I not explain myself clearly on?



Having that camera there is the company screaming at you, every minute of every day, WE DON'T TRUST YOU.



It's also a reminder, WE HAVE THE POWER, YOU DON'T.



If you're in an abusive relationship, whether it's with a person, or your employer, you walk. You show some self respect and you walk.



The employer – employee relationship is one of the most important you can have in this life. And it's one of the most imbalanced in terms of power.



Swift has power here, and they're abusing that position of power.



Further, if Swift is keeping you out on the road for weeks at a time, that truck is your home. You may be comfortable with your boss putting a camera in your bedroom. Most of us, clearly, are not.



There needs to be a clear dividing line between work time, and free time. If the camera is there 24-7, Swift needs to pay you 24-7. If you don't have any privacy, it's not free time.



It's living at work. Say at the gas station. It's fine to have a camera watching while you're working, right?



Now, let's give you a cot to sleep on, 2 feet away from the cash register. You can't go home. You don't get to go out to eat after your shift. You don't relax on the couch. You don't get to sit at the table and help your daughter with her homework. Or wake up next to your partner. Or have hobbies. For weeks at a time, you live at work.



Some may believe these companies when they say the camera isn't watching all the time. When they say it can't. And very tech-savy people – some of whom actually work with this technology in their careers – have already been on here for years debunking that lie.



You may feel some comfort in knowing big brother is watching all the time. I don't understand that at all.



I don't understand an attitude of giving up your rights, your freedom, your privacy, and being happy about it.



I need to be able to turn work off, to get away from it, have some time to gather my thoughts and come back to work well rested. And with the sacrifices that drivers are already making, with all that is already being asked of them, they deserve that right.



As for saving your backside? Nine times out of ten this will be used to burn drivers.



A company that has rules in writing which say they have the right to fire you over power inverters. Well, would they really?



Isn't it more likely in reality to work this way;

Driver makes delivery on time. Driver earns stop pay. Stop pay does not show up on driver's check. Driver complains. Driver is told shut up and be happy you have a job. Driver says, WTF? Driver is told, we know about that power inverter. We could fire you for that, but we're over-looking it.



For now.



If driver continues to demand his stop pay, driver is punished with sitting for days without pay.



Please read some of the threads from Central Ref drivers who didn't get paid for their accessorials for over 2 months by Swift.



Or;



Driver is told to bend the rules. Run over hours. Go be an unpaid security guard at a trailer drop lot when you're logged as sleeper berth time. Driver says no. Driver says, I like my cdl, I want to keep it clean. Big stick is waived to make the driver comply.



Because they could fire you for the rule violations, and they have you on camera doing it. Even if all you were doing was watching tv in the sleeper. Oh, you have a tv. So you have an inverter. That's a policy violation. Which, on your DAC could mean any number of things to the future employers you might want to put applications in with someday.



So. Driver. The company can now lay down the law. You will bend the rules. We'll keep this between us. Mister dispatcher-man can keep overlooking these policy violations. For as long as you're willing to be his ****h. You get to keep your job. Or, you can be fired and have your permanent record burned.



This is a big stick that the company has over the driver to force him into line. But towing the company's line won't always keep your record clean, or your CSA score good. Companies already have too much power over their drivers to “encourage” them to break the rules.



I think you believe the company can be trusted with this power to do the right thing. I've worked for bad employers, I know better. Otherwise, we could probably agree.



Cameras that can be used as an enforcement tool to make drivers break the rules, so that the load can get there on time whether you're well-rested or not is much more likely to lead drivers into bad situations than it is to exonerate them after the fact.





I WANT A CAMERA IN MY TRUCK.





You want a camera in your truck? I do, too. My camera, under my control could save my butt, in many situations. We agree. And I can't foresee a circumstance where it could be used against me. And since a webcam on a usb cable can be had for under $20, I will have one.



Which video are you talking about? I saw a few from people walking around with cameras after it happened. I'm not sure which one you're talking about that could exonerate a driver. The ones I saw said one thing to me – that those drivers should not have been out there driving in that weather. They should have been parked safely until that mess got cleaned up.



Why would anyone drive in that mess unless you knew you could handle it, or you were being pressured to?



Which could mean that leverage was used against them, by their companies, because drivers are often told to just drive, we don't care about the weather, we care about getting it there on time.

 

What! I have never been asked to do anything illegal, also I have been paid properly for everything.

 

STANDING OVATION!!!!!!!!!!!! Lone Bear gets it!! STANDING CONTINUOUS OVATION!!!!!