The best dash cam software for fleets

Dash cams, or dashboard cameras, are proven to increase driver safety, reduce accident risk, and lower costs. In fact, a study from the Journal of Safety Research found a 60% reduction in the number of incidents and an 86% reduction in accident-related costs when dash cams were used in combination with driver coaching. 

But what makes a good fleet dash cam solution stand out from the rest? Comparing different types of dash cam hardware is a great place to start. But the software that comes with your dash cam solution is just as important—if not more critical—to compare and vet. 

Software is what you’ll use to review video footage, coach drivers, and analyse safety trends. Since it will become a day-to-day component of your safety team’s workflow, dash cam software is a key element of any fleet safety program’s success.

In this guide, learn what sets a good video-based fleet safety solution apart, including the most important dash cam software features for fleets.

What is fleet dash cam software?

If you Google "dash cams" or “dashboard cameras,” you're likely to find dash cams meant for consumers on websites like Amazon or Walmart. Some of the most popular consumer dash cam brands include Sony, Garmin, and Vantrue. While these consumer dash cameras can be helpful for people looking to install an inexpensive camera in their personal vehicle, they’re not meant for commercial fleets. Some have a memory SD card that must be manually retrieved to download footage, posing logistical challenges for fleets managing a much higher volume of vehicles and drivers. Plus, they often include only very basic media playback software, with no tools for reviewing incidents or coaching drivers at scale.

Dash cam solutions for commercial fleets are built for scale—both in terms of the hardware features they offer and the back-end software they provide for your safety team. Dash cams for commercial fleets, like Samsara AI Dash Cams, connect to telematics devices and can detect safety-related events like harsh braking, speeding, and collisions. That way, these dash cams can auto-upload video footage from safety-related events to an online dashboard, which your back-office staff can use to review safety-related events and coach drivers effectively. 

Overall, dash cam software for commercial fleets is more advanced because it offers tools and functions for administrators to review incidents and coach drivers. The best fleet dash cam software allows you to:

• Organize and review dash cam footage for hundreds or thousands of vehicles

• Leverage AI technology to proactively coach drivers and reduce incidents

• Assign incidents to specific safety managers for review

• Coach drivers consistently and effectively

• Gamify driver safety scores to create friendly competition

• Customize harsh event detection settings for different types of vehicles

• Request additional footage for recent driving history

• Analyse and report on safety trends over time

• Get real-time alerts and view video footage from a mobile app

11 important fleet dash cam software features for fleets

Many fleet dash cam solutions come with an online dashboard with tools for reviewing dash cam video footage, coaching drivers, and more. Here are a few key software features to look for in a dash cam platform, plus why they are important for building an effective fleet safety program:

How to choose the best dash cam software for your fleet

A variety of different dash cam software solutions are available on the market today, including options from Samsara, Motive, Lytx, and Netradyne. With so many choices, how do you determine which one is the right fit for your fleet? Here are a few of the most important functions to evaluate when selecting the best dash cam for your fleet.

1. AI safety detections

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have enabled dash cams to detect safety events and risky driving behaviors in real time, helping fleets take a more proactive approach to safety. While Motive, Netradyne, and Lytx offer basic features like harsh event detection and tailgating alerts, Samsara sets itself apart with the most advanced and comprehensive AI capabilities. Trained on over 180 billion minutes of video, Samsara’s AI technology and deep learning models power industry-leading features like Drowsiness Detection based on 17 indicators, giving safety managers the tools they need to effectively coach drivers and reduce incidents.

2. Video access and storage

Fast, reliable access to video footage is critical for protecting drivers, resolving disputes, and minimizing liability. Compared to other solutions like Motive, Netradyne, and Lytx, Samsara stands out with instant, in-platform video retrieval, encrypted storage, and up to 746 hours of configurable footage. These video capabilities far exceed the delays and limitations of other solutions like Motive. Built with security and ease of use in mind, Samsara empowers safety managers to quickly investigate incidents, exonerate drivers, and maintain fleet-wide data compliance and trust.

3. Driver app

Drivers face increasing complexity on the road, making strong communication with the back office essential for maintaining productivity. While Samsara, Netradyne, Motive, and Lytx all offer mobile apps with safety alerts and video playback, Samsara sets itself apart with its fully integrated, customizable Driver App that drivers love. Samsara’s Driver App combines coaching, feedback, event review, and training all in one place, making it the most comprehensive platform for fleet safety programs.

For a deeper dive into how these dash cam software solutions compare to one another, explore our guide, A Head-to-Head Comparison of the Best Dash Cam Solutions.

Why Samsara? A complete video-based safety solution for fleets

Samsara offers an advanced video-based safety solution that combines internet-connected AI Dash Cams and cloud-based safety and coaching software to help fleets of all sizes reduce accidents, prevent false claims, and lower costs. By providing visibility into vehicle locations, near-misses, and driver behavior, Samsara lets fleets take action on their data to improve safety. 

Samsara’s combination of cutting-edge hardware and user-friendly, scalable software makes it an ideal safety solution for fleets of all sizes. For example, DHL leveraged Samsara to reduce incidents and minimize costs. Across 20 sites where Samsara is fully deployed, DHL Express achieved a 65% decrease in harsh driving incidents, 26% reduction in accidents, and 49% reduction in accident-related costs. DHL Supply Chain has seen a 50% decrease in both speeding and mobile usage—as well as a 50% decrease in driver turnover. Their innovative use of Drowsiness Detection alerts and Lane Departure Warnings allows them to quickly verify instances of drowsiness and proactively get fatigued drivers off the road, preventing accidents and saving lives.

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Below are a few of the hardware and software features that set Samsara’s video-based fleet safety solution apart.

Samsara hardware highlights

Samsara AI Dash Cams analyze the road and driver behavior in real time. By sending alerts to drivers and actionable insights to managers, our intelligent cameras are proven to improve driver safety and lower fleet costs.

• Front-facing resolution: Captures clear road-facing footage in 1440p high definition.

• Driver-facing resolution: Records in-cab video with 1080p resolution.

• Front-facing field-of-view: Offers a 129° wide-angle view to capture more of the road ahead.

• Driver-facing field-of-view: Features a 167° view with AI-optimized adjustments for maximum in-cab visibility.

• Mounting: Secures firmly with industrial-grade VHB adhesive for reliable, long-term installation.

• Night vision – front-facing: Uses HDR to enhance visibility in both bright and low-light road conditions.

• Night vision – driver-facing: Equipped with infrared to capture clear nighttime in-cab footage.

• LTE connectivity: Supports 4G LTE with fallback to 3G or Wi-Fi for continuous connectivity.

• Multi-carrier connectivity: Utilizes multiple carriers to maximize coverage and ensure network redundancy.

• Offline recording: Supports local storage to record footage even when offline.

• Driver privacy mode: Includes a privacy mode to disable driver-facing video when needed.

• Recording LED: Features a visible LED indicator to show when recording is active.

• Dash cam button: Allows drivers to instantly save a 30-second video clip with the press of a button.

• Camera Health Report: Provides real-time reporting on dash cam status and functionality.

Samsara software highlights

Samsara is powered by the cloud and IIoT technology, providing fleets the real-time visibility required to review incident footage, coach drivers, and mitigate risk. With tools for standardizing incident review, coaching drivers consistently, and tracking improvements over time, Samsara’s software is built to help your team create a robust, effective fleet safety program.

• AI safety detections: By leveraging our industry-leading AI models, safety managers can improve coaching, enhance driver performance, and reduce incidents by accurately detecting risky behaviors in a variety of scenarios, such as distracted driving, drowsiness, mobile usage, speeding, and more.

• Coaching workflows: Samsara equips fleet managers with the tools such as real-time In-Cab Alerts and In-Cab Nudges™ to develop proactive coaching strategies tailored to their drivers’ specifications, empowering drivers to build safe habits in the moments that matter.

• Auto-uploaded footage: Dash cam footage is automatically uploaded to the cloud and available for review in minutes.

• Instant video access: Samsara provides instant, in-platform access to secure, high-resolution video with up to 746 hours of encrypted storage so safety managers can quickly and easily exonerate drivers and investigate incidents.

• Streamlined incident review: See footage and review incidents as they occur, plus assign events to specific safety managers for coaching.

• Connected telematics data: Video recordings are annotated with g-sensor and GPS data.

• Automatic and manual tags: Prioritize incidents that need coaching by tagging footage with event type, like harsh braking or rolling stop.

• Filters: Segment your data based on event type or tags.

• Safety Scores: Customizable driver safety scores based on harsh events, speeding data, and more.

• Driver App: Drivers have access to an interactive, all-in-one mobile app that combines coaching, feedback, event review, and training.

• Reporting tools: Trend graphs track safety improvements and fleet risk over time.

• Real-time alerts: Customizable SMS and/or email alerts related to safety.

Want to learn more about how Samsara compares to other dash cam software solutions like Motive, Netradyne, and Lytx? Check out our complete guide, A Head-to-Head Comparison of the Best Dash Cam Solutions. 

Want to discover how Samsara AI Dash Cams can transform your safety operations? Explore our Cameras and Video solution and contact our team today.