KeepTruckin is an ELD and fleet management provider established in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, USA. In 2018, the company announced the launch of its dash cam. It claims to provide a single source of safety truth for fleets.
There are three models of Smart dash cams provided by KeepTruckin:
- DC 2: Road facing dash cam.
- DC-33: Road facing dash cam.
- DC-34: Road and driver facing dash cam.
KeepTruckin Dash Cam Price/Cost
KeepTruckin has not clearly mentioned pricing for its dash cam on the website. The lack of transparency has been highlighted by verified business owners in the review section on the website and other online portals.
For road facing dash cams, each unit costs $300, with an additional $30 per month. The dual-facing dash cams are $400 a unit and entail a $40 monthly charge. All monthly charges must also be paid upfront per year.
Also, the dash cam would only work as long as the truck driver also used KeepTruckin’s ELD system. We are not sure if this is still the case or not; however, having to use the KeepTruckin ELD system does make this less flexible of an option for truck drivers. Especially since KeepTruckin’s Pro ELD plan costs $35 per month as well.
Assuming all the information above is still accurate today, due to the high monthly cost and also requirement to integrate with the ELD system we have rated this platform a D on pricing.
Score: D
Design
KeepTruckin offers both road-facing and driver facing dash cams. KeepTruckin’s Smart dash cam is a compact device measuring just over 2” x 2” x 1”. The dash cam integrates directly with the KeepTruckin’s ELD device. To start recording, drivers can simply plug the dash cam via a USB port.
Score: B
KeepTruckin Dash Cam Installation
The KeepTruckin dash cam has a fairly easy installation process. The dash cam can be installed on the windshield easily by sticking it using the adhesive pad. Once mounted on windshield, the dash cam is to be connected to the KeepTruckin Vehicle Gateway using the USB cable. It offers ‘plug-and-play’ functionality. This means, upon installation, the dash cam starts auto recording the HD footage and uploading it on the KeepTruckin dash cam dashboard.
Score: B
Memory
KeepTruckin’s Smart dash cam does not feature a memory slot. The videos captured by the dash cam are uploaded on the dashboard. A fleet manager or owner can access these videos when the camera is plugged in and running.
Score: C
KeepTruckin Smart Dash Cam GPS tracking
Tracking is one of the most important aspects of fleet management. KeepTruckin smart dash cam provides a GPS tracking system. It gathers the drivers coordinates every minute when the vehicle is in motion. However, this device is a separate plug-in and needs to be tethered to the dash cam.
Score: B
Software
KeepTruckin provides its software to aid the recording platform. The software provides features like two-way messaging to aid efficient communication between the driver and the fleet owner. The app can be downloaded on a smartphone device. The app is supported both on iOS and Android platforms. KeepTruckin smart dash cam also provides cloud-based platform independent of any operating system.
Score: B-
Video storage and download
The ELD device connects with the dash cam via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The dash cam natively integrates with the KeepTruckin ELD device. When an ELD device records a critical event like hard braking, acceleration, corner, or an accident, 10-second high definition video before and after the event is captured. The videos captured on the dash cam integrates to the driver’s ‘Scorecard’ section. To access the footage, the driver has to select the ‘Events’ tab from the dashboard. From the list of recorded events, a driver or fleet owner can select the desired footage to see the details of the event. These include information like driver and vehicle information, time, location, speed, intensity, etc. The videos can also be downloaded from the same window.
The vehicle location history page gives information about where a particular event occurred along with other relevant details. This includes time, intensity, bearing, speed, etc.
The videos can be accessed by the fleet owner even when the dash cam is connected and running. The fleet owner can retrieve video footage stored locally on the dash cam. The video should however not be associated with harsh acceleration, brake, or cornering event.
The videos are automatically tagged according to context leading up to the event. This helps fleet managers in filtering and prioritizing the events at the time of review.
The fleet manager or admin can only retrieve video footage from previous 35 hours of driving event.
Fleet manager is notified about any removal or tampering of the dash cam. Here is a sample of the video that a KeepTruckin dash cam takes: https://youtu.be/DdFIz4pRjyQ .
Score: B-
Dashboard
The dashboard has a simple and easy to understand layout. The options that one might require are listed neatly on left-side of the dashboard. The center section displays necessary information like graphs, charts, etc.
Score: B-
KeepTruckin Customer support
KeepTruckin offers multiple channels for customers to obtain customer support. It provides online guide for installation procedure. The website also has a blog section to help the users. KeepTruckin also supports 24/7 email support. Companies that opt for Custom package get an access to premium support as a part of the package. While all this is good in theory, KeepTruckin doesn’t quite shine in this area.
Score: C
KeepTruckin Driver Manual
KeepTruckin ELD Manual
Pros
- Customizable reports and data.
- Easy hardware and software installation.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.
- Available on both Android and iOS platform as well as cloud-based platform.
- Reliable dashboard with relevant and important vehicle, driver, and event information.
- Integration of the dash cam and the ELD device.
- Integration of the videos on the dashboard.
- Video annotations with appropriate tags.
Cons
- Lack of transparency in pricing plans.
- To use a KeepTruckin dash cam, one has to pay for KeepTruckin’s Plus fleet management package. This is an added cost and not convenient for if a fleet owner does not want a full management system, or already has a good fleet management system in place.
- The GPS tracking device is a separate plug-in to be tethered to the dash cam.
- Unreliable customer support.
- Only compatible with cellular-enabled gateway.
- No status tracking functionality built in to the dash cam. A fleet owner will not be able to see whether a vehicle is inactive, in the garage, or out of service.
User review
The KeepTruckin dash cam review is not complete without a scan of general user experience. Though there are many good reviews for this product, there are some that are negative as well. Ones standing out is the compulsion to pay for KeepTruckin’s Plus fleet management. The unreliable customer support is highlighted by verified customers as well as the lack of transparency in the pricing plan.
Score: B
Does KeepTruckin Dash Cam Record Audio?
The KeepTruckin dash cam cannot record audio.
Overall KeepTruckin Dash Cam Review
KeepTruckin’s dash cam does come with a lot of features that aid in an efficient fleet management. The installation process is simple. The software has an easy to understand interface.
If a fleet already has an ELD system in place, they still will be required to pay for the KeepTruckin’s ELD system to use the dash cam. This becomes a major issue in the KeepTruckin dash cam review. The device does not come with a built-in status tracking feature.
Though KeepTruckin is a good option, it is wise to keep your options open when it comes to dash cams.
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