In-Cab Video by Rosco Vision Systems

by | Jan 8, 2019 | Fleet Management, DashCams

Rosco-Dual-Vision-In-Cab Video

In-Cab Video & Snapshots by Exception

Interior video, even at night, is readily available. The Rosco Vision System Dual Vision video camera can be operated as a fully integrated solution with the Geotab GPS tracking device or as a standalone system. The integrated solution utilizes the Geotab rules engine to trigger snapshots which are automatically uploaded to the cloud. Fleet managers have a variety of options from this commercial grade video safety system.

 

  1. Up to 3,000 hours of rolling video
  2. Forward-facing and in-cab video camera on the Dual-Vision camera
  3. Add an interior dome camera to monitor cargo
  4. Backup camera to reduce collisions
  5. Up to 8 exterior cameras
  6. Audio recording option
  7. Utilize with or without Geotab

Geotab Personal Mode

by | Jan 6, 2019 | Geotab, GPS Tracking

Geotab Personal Mode Adds Flexibility

 

Geotab has created a personal mode that will allow drivers and fleet managers to temporarily hide their vehicle tracking in the Geotab application. When personal mode is used, location, speed, and engine data will not be visible. The driving data will still be collected while in personal mode, however, it will be stored as private.

The purpose of personal mode is for companies to temporarily not track drivers that take their vehicles home after working hours. This feature can be set to automatically turn on when work hours are finished (for example 5 pm to 8 am) or when a vehicle enters a specific zone. This is a great feature for companies that will let their employees use company-owned vehicles for personal use. Geotab personal mode can also be used when operating in sensitive areas to hide vehicle movement.

 

Geotab Personal Mode

 

The personal mode feature is downloaded through the Marketplace inside of the Geotab application. Once it is downloaded, it can be configured so that privacy mode will turn on automatically or it can be left alone so that drivers can turn it on and off themselves. For a driver to enable privacy mode, they will need to install the Geotab Drive app on their phone or smart device. A member of the admin team will also need to create the driver in the database and set them up with a password so that they can log into the Drive app. If your company is using E-Logs/HOS, you do not want to download the Geotab Personal Mode Add-In as it will affect your duty status logs and you may no longer be in compliance per the FMCSA.

In-Cab Video Data Management

by | Jan 5, 2019 | DashCams

Controlling Costs With In-Cab Video

When using in-cab video, understanding how camera settings impact your video quality and monthly cost will ensure you find a balance between the two. In general, the default settings have been found to be the best for the average customer. Changing these can increase your cost exponentially so be careful. In-cab video (ICV) is all about data transfer cost. The smaller the video files and the fewer you transmit, the less chance there is for expensive overage fees. These variables also determine how much data can be stored on the SD card in a looping memory. If you normally get 300 hours of recordings, you would only get 150 if you double the size of the data files. Learn more

Data File Size

in-cab video
Be careful what you change to avoid expensive data overage fees

File Sizes

There are 3 primary variables that impact the data volume used from the monthly data plan. Testing should be done on 1 camera before making changes to all to avoid expensive overage fees.

 

  1. Frame-rate-per second (fps) – The number of images that are captured per second. 7 fps is about what the eye can see. Moving this to 14 fps will double the data being transmitted and consume more of your data plan.
  2. Resolution – The quality of the images captured can make a big difference in the file size. This impacts the data transmitted as well. A standard resolution image is often good enough and produces a file of 2 megs. Going to HD might make the same file 8 megs or 400% more data.
  3. Exception settings – Video exceptions should be for the most important exceptions only. Exceptions such as accident detection or movement after-hours should produce video clips. Creating video exceptions for speeding events could create an excessive amount of exception videos that have no real value. Each in-cab video deducts from your data bucket so choose wisely. If you opted for the live streaming service, leave some data available to stream a few times per month without going over your data plan.

Live Video

Live video is an option for some in-cab video systems. This enables a user online to “see” through the camera and view in the cab or outside the vehicle. This can be handy in specific applications but it consumes a lot of data. Live streaming should be limited to special situations or spot checking. Live streaming cannot be run continuously due to the cost so most cameras timeout after 60 seconds. You can then enable it over and over if needed.

SD Cards

The in-cab video cameras contain an SD card to store video continuously. The number of hours that can be recorded depends on the above variables as well as the size of the SD card itself. 64 gig cards hold a lot of data. If you use a slow or smaller SD card you can run into issues. If an event is not captured as an exception video clip, the SD card can be inserted into a computer and the looping video reviewed to find a particular date and time.

Learn More

Dashcam Catches Flying Car

by | Jan 2, 2019 | Fleet Management, DashCams

Upper Deck Parking

Dashcam Catches Vehicle Crash
Car jumps median, caught on dashcam
“Recreational marijuana slows response time and will lead to increased accidents.”

Dashcam Catches A Car Crash Into the Second Story of a California Building

Source: Time.com

A dashcam caught a car traveling at a high rate of speed crashing into the second story of a dental office. The car hit the median at a which acted as a ramp, launching the car into the second story office. The passengers were relatively unharmed and one person was able to escape from the vehicle before fire rescue arrived.

The passengers admitted to being literally high on narcotics. Cameras are about the only defense a fleet operator has to combat a wild story such as this. The Fleetistics GPS tracking system, includes telematics and HOS but can also be integrated with in vehicle camera systems to capture exact information during an accident.

GPS tracking is great but there are behaviors and situations that a dashcam can prove invaluable. When it comes to proving your innocence, there is nothing like having video. The flip side is, video can be subpoenaed and quickly be used against you. If your company is focused on fleet safety, a dash camera system is a good investment.

Learn More on Dashcam Video
Accident Reconstruction

GPS Tracker Highlights Abuse

by | Jan 1, 2019 | Fleet Management

Truck Abuse

Car tracker exposes fishing trip
What is the cost to the employer in time, liability, and fuel?

Car Tracker Exposes Employee Gone Fishing

We’ve seen this a thousand times over the years. Company fleet vehicles being used to facilitate recreational activities. Car trackers can sometimes highlight this and other types of vehicle misuse, but it can be difficult to catch if you don’t know what to look for.

What you want to look for in the GPS tracker website is vehicle activity that is off route, movement after hours, or a vehicle that stops tracking unexpectedly. Other indicators might be low productivity per hour compared to others, higher fuel costs or lower MPG per dollar generated or higher wages and fewer service calls completed.

Addressing unwanted driving starts with proper implementation. Read the Fleetistics guide to introducing car tracking to your employees.   CLICK HERE