Swift In Cab Camera

I have been working for Swift Transportation for about a year and a half and have been happy. The have a reputation, but they hire many new drivers and it is to be expected.

They have a good 401k, ESPP, detention pay, good miles from a large company and probably similar to the rest of the trucking industry.

My opinion changed 100% when they installed my in cab dash camera, which is mandatory for all drivers. It records every minute of what you are doing inside and the front of the truck (ie dash cam). So, when you are sleeping, it's recording. When you are changing, recording and someone has access remotely to view the video and regularly check.

There are write-ups of drivers not using seat belts in terminals. If you touch your phone, you will be written up and need to come into the office to speak with a safety coordinator. If you are eating a sandwich while driving, grounds for dismissal.

I welcome the outside facing camera. However, the in cab camera watches every move you make and is privacy invasion. The cab is where I live and every movement is being recorded and potentially watched by someone remotely.

They may legally have the right to install the cameras, but we have the choice not to work for a company that does not value privacy.

Although you are entitled to your opinions, you are not entitled to use our site to call people idiots for making career choices you don't agree with so I edited out that garbage. And considering that many of your "facts" are flat out wrong we'll go ahead and point the idiot finger back at you, and it's well deserved.

You don't have to work for a company with cameras in their trucks and you're free to share that opinion. But it would be nice if you would get your facts straight before you go slandering companies or spreading misinformation.

The cameras are not recording all the time. [Edit: They do record all the time. I'll explain in a follow-up comment]. They only record transmit when they are triggered by a certain event like hard braking, leaning too hard laterally, or a significant bump like those caused by a huge pothole or a collision.

And to say they don't value privacy is childish to be honest. You're driving their truck and they're financially responsible if you screw up. They have every right in the world to monitor what you're doing.

Again, you don't have to like it, but where do you get off calling people names for their career decisions or spreading misinformation? If you want to have an intelligent, fact-based conversation about this topic then let's have it. If you're going to get your facts wrong and criticize people then you're in the wrong place.

I have been working for Swift Transportation for about a year and a half and have been happy.

There are write-ups of drivers not using seat belts in terminals. If you touch your phone, you will be written up and need to come into the office to speak with a safety coordinator. If you are eating a sandwich while driving, grounds for dismissal.

Have you considered staying with the company and simply driving the truck safely and responsibly? Just a thought.

The cameras are not recording all the time

Let me fix this. I always word this wrong. The cameras do indeed record constantly but they do not transmit the video constantly. They do not send video to anyone for monitoring unless there is an event that triggers the camera to do so, like hard braking or an impact of some sort.

So yes they're always recording, but no there is not someone on the other end watching it. They only save the recording and send it in for monitoring if an event triggers it.

Additionally, the cameras can be remotely activated, so footage can be captured and uploaded without an event occurring. (I have first hand experience with this, but you can check the DriveCam website if you don't believe it.) What if this happens while you are off duty and engaged in a very personal phone conversation (it records audio, too) or what if a husband and wife team are engaged in a moment of intimacy and the camera is remotely activated? Seems like an invasion of privacy to me.

Additionally, the cameras can be remotely activated, so footage can be captured and uploaded without an event occurring. (I have first hand experience with this, but you can check the DriveCam website if you don't believe it.) What if this happens while you are off duty and engaged in a very personal phone conversation (it records audio, too) or what if a husband and wife team are engaged in a moment of intimacy and the camera is remotely activated? Seems like an invasion of privacy to me.

There is a very fine legal line that Swift, or any other company that has an inward facing camera, has to follow. Just ask Swift for the TOS / guidelines.

Also, Close the curtain if you don't wanna be seen.

If I am not mistaken, the camera is off, when keys are not in ignition, anyways.

Here we go again!

I can agree with the dash cam completely understandable. Inside cam pointed at the driver seat sure make sure you are not texting and driving etc. Makes sense as Brett said they are trusting you with a very expensive machine not only that heavy if a driver is doing something they shouldn't that distracts them it shouldn't fall on the company of something happens it was operator error. Which most of the time in these trucks ends in loss of life. I almost mowed over a drunk driver that flew past me and came to a stop in front of my truck. Only thing that saved him was a car that decided to y bone the car to get it off the road. (Three lane interstate outside El paso about 2 am on new years.) I couldn't lane change because of the car that t boned the other was by my passenger step. And I was too busy breaking down gears and laying on the horn to notice the car had moved. I would have been glad to have that camera to show I was doing what I was supposed to and not my fault albeit I probably would have never drive again.

Paul J wrote:

Additionally, the cameras can be remotely activated, so footage can be captured and uploaded without an event occurring. (I have first hand experience with this, but you can check the DriveCam website if you don't believe it.) What if this happens while you are off duty and engaged in a very personal phone conversation (it records audio, too) or what if a husband and wife team are engaged in a moment of intimacy and the camera is remotely activated? Seems like an invasion of privacy to me.

Paul tell us about your first hand experience of a remote camera activation and upload.

I know first hand how the Swift cameras operate and are configured. Involved with two different beta tests. Swift cannot invoke/ activate a remote upload, not possible. Only event triggered .

Lived with a camera for two years and never had anything like that happen. Operate your truck safely and the camera is a non-issue, benign.

I have been working for Swift Transportation for about a year and a half and have been happy. The have a reputation, but they hire many new drivers and it is to be expected.

They have a good 401k, ESPP, detention pay, good miles from a large company and probably similar to the rest of the trucking industry.

My opinion changed 100% when they installed my in cab dash camera, which is mandatory for all drivers. It records every minute of what you are doing inside and the front of the truck (ie dash cam). So, when you are sleeping, it's recording. When you are changing, recording and someone has access remotely to view the video and regularly check.

There are write-ups of drivers not using seat belts in terminals. If you touch your phone, you will be written up and need to come into the office to speak with a safety coordinator. If you are eating a sandwich while driving, grounds for dismissal.

The reason for the in-cab camera is that they have had multi-million dollar lawsuits against Swift. Now, if you are driving and take a drink of coffee and are in accident, even if was not your fault, Swift can use the video as evidence, so they are not sued. You had better have a good lawyer, because if it is a serious accident, you could spend a considerable amount of time in jail.

I welcome the outside facing camera. However, the in cab camera watches every move you make and is privacy invasion. The cab is where I live and every movement is being recorded and potentially watched by someone remotely.

They may legally have the right to install the cameras, but we have the choice not to work for a company that does not value privacy.

I was planning on leaving Swift in November and return after six months, but there is no way I can return now. I have to deal with this camera until then.

Clueless Driver, clueless!!!