If you are looking for the best dash cam for truckers, it is essential to consider high video quality, clear display, and loop recording abilities. With these features in mind, we listed the top five products on the market right now. Feel free to check them out below!
When driving along highways, I always think about how trucks are susceptible to unexpected traffic incidents, just like other vehicles on the road.
So I did my research and found out from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that there were 5,096 fatal crashes involving trucks in 2018. This number was a 1% increase from 2017 statistics.
If you want to protect yourself when driving, I recommend considering a trucker dash cam. It comes in handy for worst-case scenarios such as accidents, traffic violations, or even insurance frauds.
With these in mind, I’ve put together a list of the best dash cam for truckers. We researched countless articles and customer reviews to come up with these top picks.
We also included the reasons to buy a trucker dash cam and factors to consider when purchasing one.
Without further ado, read on to learn our top picks!
Reasons to Buy a Trucking Dash Cam
Driver safety is among the top concerns in the trucking industry. The introduction of new technology, such as dash cams, can play a significant role in minimizing road accidents and protect truckers.
If you are still not convinced whether you should install a dash cam or not, we present these four reasons why you might need one.
Record incidents
The number one reason to get a dash cam is the capability to record incidents.
A trucking front camera can document events on the road. Thus, it can serve as an accurate report in case of accidents. With video evidence, you can rest assured that other drivers won’t be able to frame you for an accident that is not your fault.
A dash cam also captures smaller details such as license plates. So if you encounter a reckless driver, it’s easy to use the camera’s footage as proof of his behavior on the road.
Furthermore, a dash cam can help protect your truck from thieves. Although it might not technically prevent them from breaking in, the camera provides a record for the police. This footage can help the authorities find the criminals faster.
Increase driver awareness
Besides recording important events, a dash cam also helps increase road awareness when you are driving.
A dash cam can serve as a second pair of eyes that allows you to see blind spots. It can even offer other safety features like lane change assistance or parking mode.
Prevent fraudulent claims
Although passenger vehicles are at fault for 81% of car-truck crashes, drivers are likely to blame truckers.
If you have a dash cam installed, you can provide evidence of what exactly happened to the authorities. Thus, you can prove that you are not liable for the accident.
You can also protect yourself from other fraudulent claims like insurance scams. In this type of fraud, a driver purposely causes an accident and blames the truck driver to receive compensation for damages. With a dash cam, you can prove that you’re not at fault.
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3 Best Dash Cam for Truckers
With these reasons in mind, you might be interested in buying a trucker dash cam. But how do you choose the best one among countless options on the market?
To narrow down your choices, we listed down the best dash cams for truck drivers.
WheelWitness HD Pro Dash Cam – Best Overall
The WheelWitness HD Pro Dash Cam packs powerful features for a small device.
This trucker front camera features Sony’s Exmor CMOS Sensor and 6-glass precision lens. It can capture sharp full HD 1080p footage in both day and nighttime.
WheelWitness also includes an emergency G-sensor. It can detect accidents and save the video clip automatically for later review.
Moreover, this dash camera comes with an On-The-Fly-Zoom option. It allows 4x zoom while the camera is still recording. This feature comes in handy if you want to record another vehicle’s license plates.
Accessing your files is also made easy with the dash camera’s Wi-Fi compatibility. It lets you transfer and share clips instantaneously from your phone. It also enables remote control. Plus, the built-in GPS is fast and responsive if you ever need road instructions.
Finally, it is simple to install. Just insert the SD card, mount the included suction cup, and plug in power. The dash cam will automatically turn on and off with your vehicle.
Considering all these qualities, we chose the WheelWitness HD Pro as the best dash cam for truckers. We recommend buying one to protect yourself on the road.
VaVa 4K UHD Dash Cam – Best for 4K
The VaVa 4K UHD Dash Cam is in a higher price range, but its excellent features might be worth the splurge.
It boasts 4K Ultra HD video resolution and a 155-degree wide-angle lens for clear, detailed footage. The Sony IMX317 sensor also makes a big difference in quality and color. It offers four times the clarity, even in low-light.
Besides Ultra HD video, the VaVa dash camera also allows you to capture still images with the Snapshot button. There’s no need to take your eyes off the road or hands away from the wheel. You can attach the button on top of the steering wheel.
Additionally, it has a built-in parking monitor that can operate in a range of temperatures (-4°F to 122°F), ideal for various weather conditions. The front camera can even quickly rotate to record clips at any angle, including the car’s interior.
Furthermore, the VaVa dash cam allows you to view and share files from your phone. Just install the app to access these features. You can even tweak various settings through the app.
Despite these pros, this dual dash camera comes with a few cons. First, it uses a lot of storage space due to the larger 4K video files. That means less room for saving more clips.
The VaVa cam also does not include an SD card. To record videos, it requires a fast U3 microSD card. You must invest in several memory cards since 4K videos take up a lot of space.
But if you really want to record crystal-clear footage, the VaVa 4K UHD can meet your needs. It’s among the best dash cams for truck drivers.
Old Shark 3-Inch Dash Cam – Best Budget
The last item on our list of the best dash cams for truck drivers is the Old Shark 3-Inch Dash Cam.
It features a Sony night vision sensor with a wide aperture at f/1.6. This dash cam delivers high-quality 1080p videos both day and night in various weather conditions.
Additionally, Old Shark offers a 170 degrees field of view. It captures more details than your average dash cam.
Moreover, this camera has a seamless loop recording. It automatically shoots videos when you start the vehicle and turn off once the engine stops. Plust, it boasts a parking mode for recording videos when you are away from the truck.
On top of all these features, it includes a G-sensor with motion detection. In case of accidents and collisions, it automatically saves the footage, so you can have evidence to present.
The only thing we didn’t like about the Old Shark 3-Inch Dash Cam is its poor performance under heat or extreme temperatures.
But for less than $100, this dash camera offers excellent value for your money. Consider getting one if you’re on a tight budget.
How to Choose the Best Dash Cams for Truckers
With so many dash cams on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. You need to consider your trucking needs and preferences before purchasing one.
Here are the things you need to look for in a dash cam for truckers.
Video Quality
Perhaps the most important factor to look for when shopping is the video quality. Consider dash cams with high-quality resolution and a wide recording angle of around 170 degrees.
In general, most models can record in full HD to give you sharp footage.
But if you have the budget, you might want to upgrade to dash cams with higher resolutions like 2K and 4K. These resolutions offer highly-detailed videos, even in low-light.
Display
Besides video quality, you must look for a dash camera with a large built-in display.
The bigger the display, the easier it is to preview videos in real-time. A larger screen also allows you to access settings quicker.
Both the WheelWitness and Old Shark dash cameras have 3-inch screens for accurate real-time preview.
Loop Recording
Some dash cams can only record up to a few minutes. This can lead to problems later on when you need to record important events.
It’s best to buy a dash cam with loop recording. This feature allows the device to capture footage as soon as you turn on the car’s engine. It will then shut down once the engine is off, saving battery life and card space.
Safety Features
With the right safety features, a dash cam can help increase driver awareness.
Depending on your needs, consider a camera with blindspot systems, red light tracking, and lane change assist.
Other basic safety features include night time recording, accident and motion detection, and parking mode systems.
Conclusion
That summarizes our list of the best dash cameras for truckers.
We chose the WheelWitness HD Pro Dash Cam as the best overall. It uses Sony’s Exmor CMOS Sensor and 6-glass precision lens to deliver high-quality 1080p resolution footage. It also has a large 3-inch screen that offers a clear live-view of the road. Finally, it allows for remote sharing and control using Wi-Fi.
Click this link to buy the WheelWitness HD Pro Dash Cam now.