How to Get Driver Buy-In

A common question we hear from fleet safety managers is how to address the concerns of their drivers when installing fleet cameras. With the current driver shortage, keeping drivers happy is top of mind for most fleet safety managers. You know that connected dash cams have many benefits for your fleet and will help keep your drivers safe. So how can you communicate that effectively to your team? These are the four things to keep in mind when you implement a new video safety solution:

1. EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE INSTALLING CAMERAS

You have good reasons for installing connected cameras in your fleet. It’s important that you share those reasons with your drivers. If you don’t, many drivers will assume that you are installing cameras because you don’t trust them or because you want to spy on their personal lives. When you announce the video safety program, highlight the many business objectives dash cameras will help you achieve.

Focus on things like lowering insurance premiums, reducing costs per claim, maximizing available resources, and ensuring the visibility of field-based teams. Remind your drivers that even though you trust them, there are many dishonest third-party drivers on the road and connected cameras will protect your fleet against crash for cash, staged incidents, and false whiplash injuries.

2. MAKE SURE DRIVERS KNOW HOW CAMERAS BENEFIT THEM

After you have explained the benefits to the company, tell your drivers how connected cameras will benefit them. Connected dash cameras will help exonerate your drivers from false claims made against them. This is important because false claims can have negative impacts on drivers for many years and can even threaten their CDL. Sometimes drivers even face criminal charges for road incidents, even when those incidents are not their fault. Connected cameras protect drivers from these false claims and resolve liability in real time. Oftentimes, trucks are seen as guilty until proven innocent in road incidents, and cameras can help prove your drivers are innocent .

3. EXPLAIN WHAT IS RECORDED AND WHO HAS ACCESS

One of the primary concerns we hear from drivers is that they are worried their employer will record personal information about them or that the footage will be used inappropriately. It’s important to clear these misconceptions up as quickly as possible. Give your drivers a clear, written policy that explains who will be able to access the information the SureCam devices collect. It’s also important to make it clear that no one will ever be able to login to a live feed from the device. The devices are event recorders, not live streaming tools. Even the SureCam support team will not be able to remotely access a live feed from the camera.

Explain the event-based nature of the SureCam platform to your drivers so that they understand only harsh driving events will trigger a notification. You should also make it clear to your drivers whether or not the devices installed in their vehicles will record audio. The SureCam platform is purpose-built with privacy in mind. Our team is here to help if you have any questions about how to explain the privacy features to your drivers.

4. DISTRIBUTE A DRIVER GUIDE SO EVERYTHING IS IN WRITING

Distributing a driver guide can be a convenient way to communicate all of this information to your drivers. Your SureCam account rep can provide you with a customized driver guide for your fleet that answers many frequently asked questions. We can even add your logo and contact information to make sure that your drivers have the right point of contact to address any questions or concerns.

With these tools in hand, safety managers can help their drivers understand the importance of a video safety solution and mitigate driver dissatisfaction and complaints. 

If you’re ready to take the next step toward installing cameras in your fleet let's talk.