You might be concerned about the fleet vehicle safety when parked at a place. The dashboard cameras with parking mode will give you the best solutions by monitoring your vehicle and surroundings and keeping a record of events in case of any attempt of theft or tampering.
Dashcams with parking mode have features that sense any unusual movement, impact, or shock and start recording the details happening around the vehicle.
It can capture images even at night or under poor lighting conditions. You can access the video footage in real-time and for future reference to identify the reasons and take necessary actions to ensure the safety of your fleet.
How Does The Parking Mode Work?
Parking mode means that the dashcam is capable enough to identify when the vehicle is parked using the built-in GPS technology. This mode allows you to activate the camera fixed to the truck while it is parked and the engine is off. The purpose is to record video footage in case of a hit-and-run or vandalism incident as the vehicle remains unattended.
The dashboard camera records and saves files only when it detects an event, which may be an impact sensed by the camera sensor or a motion detected within the camera’s field of view. This facility ensures not filling up the memory card with continuous footage that may be irrelevant, but specifically, keeping a record of any incident.
Cameras with parking modes mostly have a G-sensor that can detect impacts. Some cameras support optical motion detection, which is more effective if you park the vehicle in a quiet spot.
In a busy parking place with a lot of movements around, there are chances of camera recording all of the time, depleting battery power and filling storage space.
Best Dashcams with Parking Mode
Dashcams with parking mode are a reliable safety solution as they allow recording an event when the vehicle is not in motion. This footage produces details of the incident around the truck when parked, such as someone trying to damage or break into it. Various brands are available that are reliable and efficient in protecting vehicles in parking mode.
7 Best Dashcams with Parking Mode for Truckers
Dashcams with parking mode are a reliable safety solution as they allow recording an event when the vehicle is not in motion. This footage produces details of the incident around the truck when parked, such as someone trying to damage or break into it. Various brands are available that are reliable and efficient in protecting vehicles in parking mode.
It has high-resolution and high-performance front and rear cameras, which make it one of the best tools to keep your fleet safe and productive. It is suitable for small vehicles and also for commercial trucks. The parking mode enables the system to take photos automatically at specified intervals.
Key features
- Both front and rear cameras work at a time to capture the front and behind view.
- The integration with the mobile app gives instant access to different settings.
- You can receive alerts in case something happens around the vehicle.
- The motion-activated parking mode activates the camera to record any incident occurring around the vehicle.
- This camera can function in low-light conditions to capture clear images.
Samsara CM32 is a dual-channel dashcam that records high-definition video of an event from both sides. This dashcam offers valuable support while analyzing any accident and for fast insurance claims. It allows you to access and use video recordings before and after the accident or even alert drivers to enhance performance.
Key Features
- Infrared LED for video capturing under poor lighting or at night. It will ensure that you do not miss the recording of any critical event.
- It allows feedback, alerts the driver through the speaker, and guides him to follow the desired safety practices.
- It can capture images up to 30-frame-per-second.
Verizon connects offers an all-around dashcam solution for fleet operators. It can start functioning with a simple installation process and begin recording the event as the engine starts and work effectively even in parking mode.
You can access the video recording from cloud storage using your digital application. It classifies the video into several categories depending on the severity so that sorting becomes more accessible as per requirements.
Key features
- HD camera of 720p captures every detail with a 150-degree field of view.
- It is durable enough to withstand heat, dust, and vibration.
- Stores data in cloud storage for up to 90 days.
The BlackVue DR900X-2CH dashcam has some advanced features that make it a high-end device. BlackVue has been the first dashcam manufacturer to support cloud connectivity for remote access. The user-friendly mobile application allows you conveniently browse file settings and enable camera connectivity with the internet to upload videos for later access.
Key features
- The front and the rear cameras record in 4K resolution, providing superior video quality.
- It is convenient to install and implement in the parking mode.
- The advanced cloud features allow access to videos through an online platform.
- It has a low voltage cutoff function to avoid depleting the vehicle battery.
- You can select the areas of the field of view that should trigger the camera when motion is detected.
The Thinkware U1000 is a robust unit with a dual-channel system that records video at the front and rear of the vehicle. A few additional and optional features are available at some extra cost. It is the best parking mode dashcam with features best suited for your fleet.
Key features
- It records excellent 4K video quality through the front camera and 1440p through the rear camera.
- The camera has a wide field of view and captures images at 30 frames per second.
- It has a 42MP Sony Starvis image sensor.
- It has a radar-activated buffered parking mode which allows the camera to start recording as soon as it detects motion or an impact near the vehicle.
- It has multiple features, including an optional hard-wiring kit and battery pack.
You might be concerned about the fleet vehicle safety when parked at a place. The dashboard cameras with parking mode will give you the best solutions by monitoring your vehicle and surroundings and keeping a record of events in case of any attempt of theft or tampering.
Dashcams with parking mode have features that sense any unusual movement, impact, or shock and start recording the details happening around the vehicle.
It can capture images even at night or under poor lighting conditions. You can access the video footage in real-time and for future reference to identify the reasons and take necessary actions to ensure the safety of your fleet.
This camera can be easily mounted on the truck windshield, and its compact size does not obstruct the driver’s view. It has a larger screen for easy viewing of captured videos with details. The device is reliable, hardy, and weather resistant.
Key features
- The wide viewing angle of 165 degrees allows a more comprehensive view
- It has night vision functionality, enabling recording in parking mode during the night.
- The G-sensor activates the camera by detecting any impact and keeping records of any incident.
- GPS tracking allows fleet managers to locate the vehicle easily.
The Vantrue N4 is a dashcam that supports three channels with two inside and one outside camera. It is a powerful tool with various advanced features and is most effective in recording emergency events by implementing motion or impact detection in parking mode.
Key features
- The Vantrue N4 has a front camera view of 155°, a 165° view inside the camera, and a 160° view for the rear camera.
- The front camera has a resolution of 1440P, and each of the other two cameras is 1080p.
- It can function under poor lighting and adverse weather conditions to keep the recordings clear and accurate.
- The G-sensor automatically detects the impact and locks the video footage, avoiding the chance of deletion or overwriting.
- The camera can record in time-lapse mode with an interval of 2, 5, or 10 minutes.
- It has a mandatory loop recording function that automatically overwrites the oldest file to keep memory space free.
It has an adjustable camera that rotates 360 degrees to adjust to desired positions.
Advantages of Parking Mode Dashcams for Fleets
Dashcams are surveillance cameras mounted in the vehicle that record footage of the road ahead, behind, and sometimes the interior.
The initial cost of a dashcam may be higher, but this video-based safety solution provides a cost advantage in the long run by avoiding accidents, damages, and repairs.
The camera also monitors driving behavior, which boosts driving standards and avoids penalties due to safety violations. The main advantages of installing dashcams in your fleets are as follows:
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Enhance Safety
The cameras operating in parking mode facilitate your vehicle safety by keeping a watch when it is not moving. It significantly reduces the chances of theft or vandalism as you can identify the miscreants from the video footage and take legal action.
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Better Accountability
Dashcams enable you to monitor any risky or wasteful activities by drivers. The video recordings allow you to monitor unsafe driving or parking practices and communicate with drivers based on clear evidence. The presence of dashcams enhances drivers’ accountability in following safety norms, avoiding violations, and controlling risky behaviors.
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Lower Insurance Costs
Safety becomes a crucial factor in determining insurance costs. Dashcam means higher security and reduced risks, so the insurance company may offer a discount, credit, or subsidy on premium for installing cameras in your fleet. Dashboard cameras installed in your vehicle offer favorable conditions for insurance companies by avoiding risk and chances of damages.
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Real-time Monitoring
The GPS-enabled dashcam solutions allow you to track when and where your driver parks the truck. You can assess the suitability of the parking space, safety precautions are taken, and any possibility of getting hit by other vehicles or charged for violating regulations. You can guide the driver accordingly to take appropriate actions to protect your automobile from potential hazards.
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Better Resource Utilization
Dashcams can facilitate better resource utilization as you can get alerts about the frequency of stoppages by drivers and movements within and beyond predefined areas marked by geofencing. You can increase the engagement of the workforce towards improving efficiency in operations. Video monitoring allows you to identify inefficient and productive performance and take necessary actions.
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Easy Settlement of Claims
Internet-connected cameras can record and upload incident footage to the concerned, making it easy to identify the cause of the accident, theft, or damages. It facilitates claim settlement smoothly and avoids unnecessary cost involvement due to false claims. The recorded images provide crucial visual evidence to expedite the claim process and protect your vehicles from damage liabilities and repair losses.
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Legal Support
The video footage recorded by dashcams can provide supporting evidence for legal proceedings and verdicts in case of a hit-and-run by another truck while your vehicle is parked. The video recordings are reliable proof of the actual scenario with details of crucial references like number plates etc.
Different Forms of Parking Mode
A dash cam with parking mode works differently than usual because it can record incidents you cannot record while the vehicle is moving. Dashboard cameras primarily offer solutions due to their ability to capture accidents or collisions.
Still, they also effectively monitor other non-collision incidents that may happen while the vehicle is parked. Cameras with parking mode have the potential to keep a close watch on your automobiles in turned-off condition. It captures images in different modes, which are as follows:
The Simple Parking Mode: In this process, the camera starts recording as soon as it detects any impact or movement in the field of view. The video recording will capture the event and allow you to identify the reason or persons involved. It is the most simple and efficient method of protecting your vehicle from theft or vandalism attempts. This is not very effective in a busy space with people moving around because the motion activation makes the camera active frequently.
This mode is suitable for a vehicle parked for several days as it saves power. This parking mode is the most energy efficient, but it takes time for the camera to turn on and start recording, so whoever triggered the impact might already be gone.
Buffered Parking Mode: This method allows you to view a video recording of 20-30 seconds, covering the incident when an impact or motion is detected. The buffered parking mode is preferable as you get a continuous video of the incident following the shock or movement that triggered the camera to start.
In the buffered recording, the camera records continuously and saves the footage to the dashcam’s internal memory as a cache. In the event of an impact, a few seconds of footage before the trigger will be saved in the microSD card, along with the recording after the impact. In this way, you can get comprehensive coverage of the entire incident.
Time-Lapse Mode: It is a way of image capturing in which the camera shoots a still picture at frequent intervals. The frequency may vary from one or two frames per second instead of multiple frames as employed in normal mode.
The series of images gives a complete view of the time-lapse version of the event that happened around your vehicle while parked. The time-lapse mode takes still pictures instead of continuous recording, which saves a lot of memory space.
You can set the cameras to switch to simple recording after a certain period of detecting an event. It is ideal for someone to get a quick overview of what is happening around your parked vehicle.
The Practical Applications of Parking Mode
In parking mode, a dashcam goes into hibernation when your vehicle engine is shut off. It saves power and minimizes unnecessary recording, thereby not occupying storage space. As the camera detects motion in front of the lens or the sensor identifies any impact, it turns on and begins recording. This feature can come in handy in various situations, such as the following:
- Vehicle damaged by another truck: Any other vehicle impacts your truck from behind and activates the rear camera to start recording.
- The vehicle involved in a hit and run: Some other vehicle may hit any of your parked trucks.
- An attempt of theft or vandalism: Fleet vehicles are prone to theft or vandalism by miscreants, so you must record any such attempt for evidence.
- Undeserved parking fine: Your vehicle cameras can produce visual evidence to counteract parking fines for the wrong reasons.
You can choose the parking mode as motion-activated or impact-activated, based on the parking location. Motion detection is considered more reliable because it senses any movement and records the event from the beginning till the end. Impact activation enables the camera to start capturing the event whenever an impact or vibration triggers the camera to activate, but it may not cover the entire incident.
Choosing the Best Dashcam in Parking Mode
As a fleet business owner, consider buying a dashcam to protect your fleet from potential risks and damages. You must understand that such cameras have various features to serve different requirements. The most basic function is recording surroundings while your vehicle is running or parked.
Some cameras have features to perform specific functions in addition to basic surveillance. Before deciding what dashcam to buy, please note the below features that you should look for in a camera with parking mode.
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Dual Channel
The system must support front and rear cameras because it increases the field of view. It gives you a better idea of what is happening around the truck while it is parked.
Dual channel cameras provide maximum protection when you apprehend chances of theft or vandalism in the parking space. You need to install and synchronize two SD cards which is a bit more complicated, but the dual channel provides added security and peace of mind.
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Video Quality
The image quality is the most desirable criterion so you can use it as a reference for preview and analysis. Cameras with higher resolution are becoming a benchmark today, which provide super-quality imaging with clarity, sharpness, and details in a recording.
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Storage Capacity
The storage of image files requires high storage space. The high-resolution cameras generate files of larger sizes, so it is necessary to consider fixing a high-capacity SD card to store all the recordings. You should invest in cameras with microSD card compatibility to ensure that you can save multiple videos that your camera captures.
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Night-Vision
The dashcam operating under low-light conditions and at night vision enhances the ability to record images at any time, giving your vehicle extra protection.
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Design Criteria
You would prefer cameras with compact design and convenient installation facilities. The camera should perform efficiently while the vehicle is running and conveniently switch to parking mode whenever required. The design must fit with the purpose and the surroundings.
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Power Backup
You need the camera to continue recording even when the ignition is off. A hardwiring kit is employed to draw power from the car battery through the fusebox and supply it to the dashcam.
Another solution is to attach an external battery pack that powers your dashcam without putting any load on the truck battery. A modern battery pack holds enough charge to keep your camera running for 20 to 48 hours.
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Reliability
The device must be reliable enough to perform in different situations, including poor lighting conditions, rain, or dust. When choosing a front and rear dashcam with parking mode, it is essential to make a market analysis and review the product’s reliability.
The parameters like ease of operation, battery backup, technical support, and warranty are critical factors that indicate the quality and reliability of the item.
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Advanced Feature
Modern dashcams can work on a cloud platform that will send you an alert and upload the footage of the incident recorded. You can check the video feed remotely over the internet through the digital device and take appropriate and immediate actions. If someone breaks into the truck and takes away the camera, you can still access the footage stored on the cloud.
Conclusion
This article highlights the advantages of dashboard cameras to increase driver and vehicle safety, decrease accidents, and provide visual evidence of events that allows fleet managers to improve fleet efficiency and productivity.
We have also provided the list of the seven best dashcam brands with features such as dual-channel, more storage capacity, night vision, superb video quality, and reliable power backup.
You will also learn how these cameras offer advantages like improving safety and accountability in driving performance, dealing with accident claims with visual evidence, and keeping records of theft or damage attempts.
We are sure this information would provide valuable insights to analyze and choose the best camera for your fleet vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do I need a dashcam with parking mode for my truck?
A: A dashcam with parking mode can help protect your truck from theft or vandalism when it’s parked. It can also provide valuable evidence in case of an accident or other incident that occurs when the vehicle is parked.
Q: How does a dashcam with parking mode work?
A: A dashcam with parking mode is designed to activate and record video footage when it detects motion or an impact while the vehicle is parked. Some models may also have a time-lapse feature that allows for continuous recording.
Q: What features should I look for when choosing a dashcam with parking mode for my truck?
A: When choosing a dashcam with parking mode for your truck, you should look for features such as high-resolution video recording, wide-angle lens, motion detection, impact detection, and loop recording.
Q: How much does a dashcam with parking mode cost?
A: The cost of a dashcam with parking mode can vary depending on the features and capabilities of the device. Some entry-level models can cost as little as $50, while more advanced models can cost several hundred dollars.
Q: How do I install a dashcam with parking mode on my truck?
A: The installation process for a dashcam with parking mode can vary depending on the make and model of the device and the truck. However, many devices come with instructions and can be installed by a professional installer or a knowledgeable DIYer.
James Johnson is a former truck driver who now works as a writer, specializing in the trucking industry. With over 15 years of experience on the road, James has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by truck drivers and the trucking industry as a whole. His writing focuses on issues such as safety, regulation, and the latest industry trends. His work has been featured in several trucking publications and he has received recognition for his contributions to the industry. In his free time, James still enjoys being around trucks and often attends truck shows and other industry events.