Driver facing cams

Discussion in 'Canadian Truckers Forum' started by Canadianhauler21, Jul 17, 2021.

  1. Canadianhauler21

    Canadianhauler21 Heavy Load Member

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    I'm actually surprised how many companies have driver facing cams these days. I went to apply for a new job since my company got sold off. I called around and nearly a quarter of the companies I called had driver cams.

    I went back to my old company who also had driver facing cams but now they have a new AI system that monitors everything. The owner showed me a few clips of a driver who looked at his lap for one second on his phone and he got flagged for distracted driving. Another driver ran a stop sign in a truck stop and that also got flagged. The owner pays $700 extra per month as a safety bonus to put up with them, drivers can also choose their own governor speeds. But I'm not sure being watched like a hawk is worth they much.

    Where do people draw the line? I thought driver facing cams were illegal in Canada so how are companies allowed to use them?

    I'm not sure if I can stay unemployed, I need work but I also don't want to put up with AI nonsense. Unless I work for a few weeks until I find something better?

    Feedback appreciated.
     
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  3. mudflap77

    mudflap77 Heavy Load Member

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    Only according to the lunch counter lawyer's. Quebec Supreme Court sided with the union against sysco in Quebec and we all know Quebec is its own world. For some reason all headlines are portraying this as a federal ruling and not just a provincial one.
    I am no supporter of driver facing cameras. But the company owns the equipment and no one is forced to drive for a company that employs cameras.
    Also driver need to stop ##### around with their phone while driving!!
     
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  4. Phantom Trucker

    Phantom Trucker Medium Load Member

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    Apparently TransForce does not have them. I know a guy who runs for one of their companies and he said they have the forward facing cameras, but not driver facing because it’s illegal.

    TransForce isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but they own so many carriers, one of them might be a fit for you.
     
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  5. dunchues

    dunchues Medium Load Member

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    For myself, I wouldn't be interested in a company that used them under any circumstances. I'd imagine most of the time its a stipulation of their insurance company due to low performance levels, but I couldn’t bear being watched myself.
     
  6. BigHossVolvo

    BigHossVolvo Road Train Member

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    Outward facing camera's affect insurance, inward facing camera's are for control and punishment. Insurance companies I've talked to, say they want nothing to do with driver facing cameras (Except ICBC of course), they just want outward facing cameras, with tamper proof recording data. This is why police only have outward facing vehicle camera's and body camera's. If they had inward and upward facing camera's, that just a ton of ammunition to push blame/liability off onto them.

    Again, this is about control, deleting safety bonuses, reducing pay, driver harassment, etc etc etc. No amount of money or treats is worth dealing with being watched. If something does happen, the company is going to hold up the inward camera footage, and say you were operating "outside of company procedures/policy" and walk away. Enjoy taking a Nuclear Verdict in the ###.

    My company has made it clear, they are never going driver facing camera's or audio recording. We are going outward facing camera's, with offside video storage. I used to be against this, but people are now crashing into trucks on purpose due to scumbag lawyers, and the media pushing the "trucks are dangerous and you can be a millionaire if one hits you" narrative. So far these Out Facing Camera's have ended 2 lawsuits against my company, from cars that intentionally ran into our trucks; then put on a performance for the police and sued (I seen the footage, it was beyond obvious what happened lol).
     
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  7. Trucker K

    Trucker K Medium Load Member

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    I found this article online regarding the issue.

    Are driver-facing cameras legal? - Truckstop Canada

    As for most unionized courier companies in Canada I believe they are not legal and most don't use driver faced cameras. Privacy concerns are the number #1 issue.
     
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  8. mudflap77

    mudflap77 Heavy Load Member

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    Again this is misleading. Stating "Canadian truckers won a landmark battle" is not true. This was won in Quebec who has always been able to do their own thing.
     
  9. Canadianhauler21

    Canadianhauler21 Heavy Load Member

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    So basically from what I'm getting from you is that driver cams is to shift blame onto the driver instead of the company. The company is registered in Nova Scotia so I doubt they are doing it for cheaper insurance rates. Forward facing in my opinion is plenty. I'm going for a quick Chicago trip tonight with them, I told the owner if I hear anything in my first week I'm leaving the company. I'm constantly looking for another company at the moment, sometimes you gotta take what you can to pay the bills.
     
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  10. mudflap77

    mudflap77 Heavy Load Member

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    They will be the same as outward facing cameras. They can either save you or hang you.
     
  11. BigHossVolvo

    BigHossVolvo Road Train Member

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    That's how its been explained to me, from multiple sources now. If the driver facing footage helps them, Hurray! if the driver facing footage make them at fault, they push it off on the driver and walk. Lawyers/Insurance companies love options, and inside/outside camera's, that's enough ammo for them to make up any #### story they want, to win any fight they need to. Same goes for Audio, were you listening to aggressive music, were you talking to yourself, were you dead silent? Any lawyer can spin any of those things, into a "state of mind" argument to assign blame.
     
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