After deploying video technology from SmartDrive in its trucks, central U.S. trucking company Fortune Transportation says it was surprised how soon video capture — and the fast access to footage via the SmartDrive solution — delivered a return on investment.
After a head-to-head assessment, Fortune selected the SmartDrive product based on its open platform and features including immediate offload and access to video, an "Extended Recording" capability and analytics with key performance indicators that integrated into Fortune's existing driver scorecard program.
"Between the two systems we tested, only SmartDrive was able to provide us video within minutes of our driver's collision," stated Kent Kelly, general manager of Fortune Transportation. "In the first couple of months, we had two traffic collisions, and the ability to download the video and send it to the driver for law enforcement review negated the need to send investigative resources to the scene, saving us several thousand dollars per incident.
"While I did expect to see ROI, I had no idea that it would come so fast," Kelly continued.
Immediate access to video helped protect a Fortune driver and avoid an insurance claim in a collision back on Valentine's Day, according to a release. A passenger vehicle and Fortune truck collided, and the driver of the passenger vehicle accused Fortune's driver of leaving his lane, causing the passenger car to spin out and hit the truck.
Kelly was alerted and within minutes had the collision video, which clearly showed the Fortune driver had stayed in his lane and the passenger vehicle was at fault. The Fortune driver was then able to review the video with a state trooper at the crash scene and avoided a citation, and the company didn't need to waste time and resources fighting a costly claim.
Watch below: SmartDrive's Extended Recording feature catches a near-miss during Fortune's pilot run of the video system.
According to SmartDrive, the Extended Recording feature of its video product allows fleets to access up to 100 hours of contextual video on-demand. That allows fleets that use it to tap video for low-impact and side-swipe collisions as well as all types of issues on the road, from delivery verification to security incidents, SmartDrive says.
"SmartDrive's Extended Recording service has been a significant benefit in terms of helping drivers understand the value of in-cab video and providing us with more context on significant incidents," stated Kelly. "During our pilot, SmartDrive captured a near-miss collision the other provider's solution did not get. Our Fortune driver did all the right things and we subsequently used this video to showcase his great performance to other drivers, giving them a real-world example of the protection video delivers."
Fortune also uses the technology as part of its onboarding orientation for drivers. Kelly uses actual incident videos to explain how the program works, according to the release, and showcase the protective and professional benefits of the system.
