How to Choose Camera Solutions for Your Fleet

Purchasing mounted cameras for your fleet vehicles provides many benefits, but deciding which cameras to buy for your fleet management solution isn’t easy. That’s why we put together some questions to help you decide. 

1. What issues do we need to solve?

Ask your fleet managers what they struggle with the most. Is it accident investigations? Theft? Safety? Collision evidence? Driver coaching? 

Put cameras on your meeting agenda, and make a list of issues that come up that need solutions. 

To open a dialogue with your managers, bring up some of the most common uses for cameras. For example:

• Safety— Dual-facing cameras can detect speeding, tailgating, and driver distractions and alert drivers in real time to prevent collisions before they happen. This keeps drivers, vehicles, and everyone else on the road safe. 
• Driver Coaching — Use cameras to audit and coach drivers against distractions that cause crashes and other behaviors like rapid accelerations and braking that cost money in resources like fuel, engine components, and brakes.
• Accident Investigations — Own a video recording of exactly what happened in a collision to protect your business from frivolous litigation. 
• Theft Prevention — Cameras protect valuable cargo, fleet vehicles, and your brand.  

2. What metrics will indicate value?

Here are some key performance indicators (KPIs) that you might consider as you keep your ROI in mind:  

• Collisions per million miles

• Risk rating

• First notice of loss (FNOL)

• Claims processing time

• Number of at-fault claims

• Repair costs

• Complaints

• Fuel Costs

If you know your KPIs in advance, you can make sure that the camera solution you choose will provide the data you need for your reports. Fleet management software that creates reports from the video recordings allows you to gather support from stakeholders. 

3. Which internal operations should be linked?

For the camera system to be efficient, integration with key operations within your company is imperative. 

Cameras for first notice of loss (FNOL), should link to your Claims Processing department. Video for driver risk management should link into your HR system. Investigation teams that deal with collisions and loss should be looped in. 

Depending on which integrations you need, decide which camera solution can support APIs that automate and allow the flow of data between departments to avoid silos and under-utilization of the camera system itself.

4. Who will be in charge of the camera system?

List all the people who will need to use the video telematics dashboard and who will analyze the data it provides. What will be their role? How will this affect their current workload?

Some roles you might include on this list are:  

• Risk Manager

• Fleet Manager

• Health and Safety Officer

• Human Resources Manager

• Legal or insurance personnel

Bringing management in on this decision early ensures that the camera system is used to its full capacity and meets its expectations.  

5. What are our goals for the future?

Think about how your fleet will be changing over the next few years. What will it look like in 5 years in regards to operations, number of vehicles, and personnel. 

Choose cameras that have features that you may not even use at the moment but that might be incredibly useful as your fleet grows. 

Invest in up-to-the-minute technology that allows for add-ons and updates so that your system won’t quickly become obsolete.  

Now, take a look at the video and camera options on the market. With the answers to these five questions in hand, you should be prepared to make an informed decision about the best cameras for your fleet. 

Nexxo Fleet offers assistance to businesses that are in the process of choosing the right cameras and video data solutions for their fleets. Contact us with your questions. We’re glad to help.