B.A.M. Trucking deflects false claim, saves $200,000 on insurance premiums

When you’re in the trucking industry, driving is what makes you money, but it can also cost you in false claims and accidents. After B.A.M. Trucking heard that dash cameras could help reduce insurance premiums, Owner Brad Medford chose Verizon Connect Integrated Video. What they didn’t know was how much it would save them when they were falsely accused of causing an accident and had the video footage to show their innocence.

“I cannot imagine our trucks not having Verizon Connect. It protects the driver, and it protects the company.” - Cindy Medford, Office Manager

The challenge

Brad Medford started B.A.M. Trucking to continue the family business. Switching between a mechanic and driver, he put in long hours to get his company off the ground, learning how to manage employees and grow his business along the way. But recently, he faced a new obstacle to his profitability: rising insurance premiums.

His insurance agent suggested he look into fleet tracking software and dash cameras. He advised that “it would open up more marketplaces if we had the Integrated Video and GPS systems in our vehicles.” Brad took the plunge to see what the technology could do.

The solution

It’s no secret that truck drivers don’t always trust technology, especially when they’re being recorded. As driver Alan Brewster put it, “always the biggest issue when you’re a truck driver is everything is your fault. There’s an accident, you’re at fault.” Adding a video recording felt like it was going to be another way to unnecessarily monitor otherwise good drivers.

Despite these objections, when Brad realized how much they could knock off their premium with Verizon Connect Reveal and Integrated Video dashcams, he knew he had to go for it. “We called Verizon, and we were very impressed with their technology. It opened up more of a marketplace and a reduction on our annual insurance premium by $200,000.” And they would soon realize just how important recordings of drivers on the road would become.

The results

One day, they received a text message from someone accusing their driver of causing an accident. Luckily, Brad had already seen the footage with an alert from the Integrated Video software. He was able to watch the video and see that the other vehicle had purposely stopped in front of their truck, causing the accident. “She tried to sue us three different times, but with the video from Verizon Connect that we sent her, they dropped it each time.”

After the incident, Alan has changed his perspective on having dashcams in his truck: “If you’re a trained professional and you have a camera in your truck, and you go out and do your job every day, you have a witness.” He’s glad that the video showed they weren’t at fault and feels it can help protect him from future false claims.

On top of their insurance savings, Office Manager Cindy Medford says the camera footage “probably saved us tens of thousands, just with one accident.” Whether you’re a driver or a fleet owner, Integrated Video can help you cut costs and mitigate risk—and that’s good business.