What is the best dash cam for truckers you ask?
If you are in the market for a new dash cam, you want to make sure you are putting your hard-earned cash into the right product. Additionally, long-haul truck drivers have slightly different needs when it comes to a dash cam!
That’s why this article reviews the best products on the market, highlighting the features that make them great. Furthermore, there is a buying guide to inform your decision and make sure you get the product that suits your needs!
Read until the end if you want to know our top pick!
So, without further ado, let’s dive in.
Best Dash Cam for Semi Trucks – Overview
There are a lot of Dash cams on the market and many of them are great products. However, this list has been compiled to find the best products for truckers.
There are a few features we believe are very important for semi-truck drivers which are factored into our list. If you would like to see the functions we think are important have a look at our buying guide.
Before we dive into the detailed reviews, here is an overview of the dash cams that made the list.
| Image | Dash Cam | Benefits | Check price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | WheelWitness HD PRO Mark II | New and improved model | |
 | Vantrue N2 Pro Dual 1080P | Up to 60FPS | |
 | REXING V5, 4K Dash Cam | Modular Capabilities | |
 | Old Shark HD Night Vision Truckers Dash Cam | Budget Pick | |
 | BlackVue DR900X 2 Channel Dash Cam | Premium Pick | |
 | Garmin Dash Cam 66W | Driver awareness alerts |
Dash Cam for Truckers – Detailed Reviews
1. WheelWitness HD PRO Mark II
This is the new and improved version of the HD Pro, a very popular offering from WheelWitness.
This is a stylish option that is easily installed and powered by your 12V car lighter power outlet. Furthermore, the cord is long enough to be placed discretely, even in a semi-truck cabin.
This camera is perfect for truckers because it has a really wide field of view and it can be controlled with your phone. So, once it is installed, you do not need to inconvenience yourself by trying to access the physical device.
It is packed with really important features for truck drivers. These include G-sensor, motion detection, High-definition (HD) 1080P video, exposure settings for Nightvision, and Loop recording. For definitions and explanations of these features, check out the buying guide below.
This device is also compatible with their GPS module as well as their rear camera if you are looking for two views or require a backup camera. You can also get a hardwiring kit so that the camera automatically turns on when you start your truck. However, these are all optional extras that you will have to pay for.
This newer model is also better engineered for temperature resistance
Overall this is a quality option at a great price, that provides all the necessary functionality for a trucker.
PROS
- 170 degree field of view
- Loop Recording
- G-sensor
- Motion detection
- Optional GPS and rear/backup camera
- Can operate in any temperature
CONS
- May require exposure adjustments for good nightvision
- GPS and rear camera are not included
- No SD card included
2. Vantrue X3 WiFi Dash Cam
Vantrue is a big name when it comes to dashboard cameras and they are generally highly rated.
This dash cam is stylish and built specifically with trucks in mind.
This product has all the bells and whistles. Including a g-sensor (with accident mode which saves and locks the recording), loop recording, wifi, and HD video (1440P). Furthermore, it has unmatched HDR night vision which balances the light and dark according to the external light, motion detection, and parking mode.
You also get a wide 170° lens which, as we know, is great for truckers. Overall, this device includes all the functionality you would need as a semi-truck driver and more.
PROS
- Excellent night vision internally and externally
- Wifi compatibility and app
- G-sensor with accident mode
- 1440P with 30FPS, 1080P with 60FPS
- Loop recording
- Time-lapse mode
- 170° field of view
- There is also the optional GPS system
CONS
- No SD card included
- GPS system not included
3. REXING V5, 4K Dash Cam with Modular Capabilities
Rexing is already a very established brand when it comes to dashboards cameras (and more including, action cameras and body cameras). This provides a lot of security with regards to the quality of their product as they specialize in cameras that capture movement.
This cutting-edge dash cam is modular meaning you have the option of adding and customizing your bundle. You can easily add on an in-cabin camera, a rear camera, or a waterproof rear camera.
It has a 4K resolution which is very useful for a trucker cam because you have a lot more pixel information. As your camera will be further from the road, having a higher resolution is helpful if you need to zoom in.
This device is packed to the brim with features. You get the usual parking mode, g-sensor, loop recording, wifi and app, night vision.
However, this device also has voice control functionality. This allows you to use voice commands to start/stop recording, take photos, mute/unmute audio, and more. This is also a useful feature for truckers, especially if you have installed your cam out of hands reach or as a safe way to operate your camera while driving.
If you are looking for a cheaper alternative with similar features by Rexing (without the modularity) you can have a look at the Rexing V1 which is also a great option.
PROS
- Parking mode
- G-sensor with collision detection by
- GPS logger (records location data along with video)
- 170° wide angle lens
- 4K at 30FPS
- Night vision
- Voice control
- 18 month warrantyS system
CONS
- Upmarket price point
- No SD card included
4. Old Shark HD Night Vision Truckers Dash Cam
This device from OldShark is one of the best budget dash cam that is suitable for semi-truck drivers.
It is not the most stylish but it is definitely packed full of all the features you would want. These include night vision, loop recording, accident detection and lock, HD 1080P resolution, parking mode, temperature resistance and 170° wide-angle lens.
You will not get wifi at this price point which is a useful feature for truckers but perhaps the price makes it worth it for you.
On the plus side, this dash cam comes with a 32Gb SD card so you will not need to buy your own unless you require greater storage capacity.
PROS
- Auto On – even with the 12V auxillery power
- Parking mode
- 32Gb SD card included
- G-sensor with accident detection and lock
- Loop recording
- 170° wide-angle lens
CONS
- No wifi
- No GPS compatibilty
5. BlackVue DR900X 2-Channel Dash Cam
This is a premium dash cam with premium benefits and options. Not to mention its design is both sleek and minimal.
It has a wide 162° lens with 4K resolution on the main camera and 1080P on the secondary camera. You will get all the usual features including excellent night vision, impact and motion detection, loop recording, parking mode, temperature resistance, etc.
However, it will also automatically turn on parking mode when you turn off the ignition and it includes a voltage monitor to keep track of your car’s battery. Additionally, you can set a voltage cut-off or timer to preserve battery life. This device is also compatible with BlackVue’s parking mode accessories like their battery pack which, when installed, means you do not even need to use your car’s battery at all.
This device is also jam-packed with some of the most cutting-edge features. You can control functions with voice control, connect your dash cam to BlackVues cloud services which offer greater protection of your footage. Additionally, you can purchase their LTE module which allows you to connect to the cloud via 4G with a sim card.
It just doesn’t stop with the number of features this product has, and we cannot list them all here. However, some other highlights include:
- Remote live view (using parking mode)
- Continuos recording of 1FPS in parking (allow for 54hours recording on a 32Gb card)
- Voice notifications
- GPS log and speed overlay for videos
This device is has a high price point but the features are massive so if the extra functionality is worth it to you this may be the product you’ve been looking for.
PROS
- Fast Wifi (4G LTE is also an optional feature)
- BlackVue Cloud – Save and protect important files
- GPS functionality and speed overlay for videos
- Loop recording
- Accident detection and lock
- Modern design
- Duel cameras
- Voice control
- 32Gb SD card included
CONS
- LTE requires extra part
- High price point
6. Garmin Dash Cam 66W
Garmin is a well-known electronics brand that you have most likely heard of. They produce a wide range of consumer electronics and they are known for their quality and reliability. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a look at their dash cam as you can be sure of its quality.
The device is small, modern, and nice to look at. However, despite its size, it has a large number of features.
It has the widest lens of any dash cam we have looked at, boasting a 180° field of view and a high resolution of 1440P. It has all the features you would expect like loop recording, parking mode (requires additional cable) accident detection and lock, and HDR provides quality footage in low-light.
This is another dash cam that has voice control and of course, wifi capabilities allowing you to control function and access videos through their app. You also have the option to connect via Bluetooth which sets this device apart.
Another unique feature allows you to use and sync up multiple Garmin dash cams into a single video for a multiple channel experience. This would allow you to hook up different views using the Garmin mini or any other Garmin cams if you like.
On top of all that, this nifty device also includes a whole bunch of driver assistance. This includes alerts like a forward collision warning, lane departure warning, red light alert, speed camera warning, and ‘GO’ alert which notifies you if the traffic in front of you has started moving. All of these features could be handy as a semi-truck driver so this device is certainly worth your consideration.
Overall, this is a powerful device that covers the base requirements for a good dash cam and then adds a few unique features on top.
PROS
- Built in GPS stamps
- Accident detection and video locking
- 1440P video resolution
- Parking surveilance functionality
- Driver awareness alerts
- Voice control
- Automatic recording when attached to power source
CONS
- Parking mode requires extra cable
- Memorey card is not included
Buying Guide
Most Important Features for Truckers – Our Opinion
In our opinion, when it comes to the specific requirements of semi-truck drivers, these are the most important features to consider:
- G-sensor/accident detection
- Loop Recording
- HD video
- Night Vision
- Wide Lens angle
- Wifi/App
You need to evaluate your own driving circumstances in order to best determine which functions are essential. To understand what these are and why they might be important for truck drivers, see below.
G-sensor/accident detection and Video Lock
G-sensor (gravity sensor) or accident detection, as it is called in some cases, refers to the ability of your device to detect sudden changes in acceleration or deceleration.
So, if your truck is hit or you are in an accident, the device will detect this.
Why is this useful though?
Well, this is useful because if you are using a good dash cam it will prompt it to lock that footage so that evidence is saved. This will include seconds of video before the impact and after.
This kind of detection is also used in parking mode to detect incidents so in general, this is a really important feature not just for truckers.
Loop Recording Explained
This may be referred to by other names depending on the product. However, the concept is the same.
Loop recording refers to the camera function that overwrites old footage when your memory card is full. Therefore, even if you have maxed out the memory on your card you will still be able to collect video data.
Data that has been locked from an incident will not be overwritten.
Video Quality/Resolution – Explained
This refers to the number of pixels that are in each frame of your video. In case this is a new topic for you, videos are essentially a bunch of images played one after the other in order to trick your eye into seeing fluid movement (see Frames Per Second (FPS) below).
Each image is made up of lots of little single-colored squares called pixels. The more of these pixels you have, the better the quality (and the higher the resolution as it is referred to). This is because more pixels equals more detail.
To visualize this, have a look at the image below. The left is a high-resolution image and if you look closely you will see a tiny green rectangle (indicated by the left arrow) which is represented on the right if one were to zoom in.
This shows you how having so many of these little colored squares make up the detail in an image.
So, as you should be able to see, this is an important feature for truckers whose cameras are further away from the road because the details are smaller. In this case, having a higher resolution allows you to see the details clearer and zoom in if you have to.
The minimum resolution you should consider is 1080P or full HD as it is known. The ‘1080’ refers to the number of pixels in the height of the video. This simple graphic will help put the different resolutions into perspective:
Aspect ratio is another part of the understanding and it simply refers to the ratio between the length of an image and the height of an image. Most video these days has a 16:9 ratio. You don’t need to worry about this though.
Night Vision
This refers to the ability of your dash camera to capture good footage even in low light conditions. Most of the cameras will have a high dynamic range (HDR) or Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). This refers to the different exposure levels that are captured in your camera.
So, practically what is generally happening is that your camera is taking images with multiple exposure levels and combining them into a single image. The longer the exposure, the more light that is let in, and the shorter the exposure, the less light that is let in.
Many of these cameras with good night vision will also adjust the camera setting according to the external light readings.
If you find yourself driving your semi-truck a lot at night, then this may be a very important function for you.
Lens Angle
Lens angle refers to the field of view your camera is able to capture. You will find anything between 130° and 180° with dash cameras. This visual explains it well:
As a trucker, you will want a wider angle due to the height of the cab. We have only included options that are 160° and up for that reason.
Wifi/app
When you install a dash cam in a truck, due to the large cabin size, it may be difficult to reach easily (depending on where you installed it. So, it is handy to be able to connect to your cam via your phone to access your videos and operate the camera as needed.
With wifi enable devices you will be able to connect to the dash cam like you would a wireless router. These products will have an app you need to download that will allow you to access your footage and other functions once you’ve connected via wifi.
Some dash cams like the Garmin for example allow you to do the same but over Bluetooth.
Frames Per Second (FPS) Expalined
So, if you read the above about video quality and resolution you know that video of made up of still images that are played sequentially to create movement. The more frame you are seeing per second, the better the movement and the more detail captured.
This is probably best explained if you were to think about recording a video to 1 frame per second. Every second, the camera would take an image. So if a second is made up of 1000 milliseconds, you are missing roughly 900 milliseconds of data.
Now contrast, this with recording a video at 30 FPS. You are missing far less information.
This information is especially useful when things are happening really fast as the amount of movement you can get in a second is dramatic and you don’t want to miss important frames.
Most of the above cameras have 30 or 60 FPS which should be good enough for your needs.
GPS Combo
This is an important consideration and it refers to whether or not the dash cam you buy has built-in GPS or not.
Some of these have maps that you can observe while driving. However, in most cases, the built-in GPS simply logs the location data allowing you to combine video footage with location data. Some can even add speed data.
This could be useful data depending on the circumstances so think about your driving condition or incidents you may have had in order to evaluate the necessity of this feature.
Storage capacity
This refers to the Micro SD card that stores the videos on your device. Some of the above devices come with an SD card but more often than not, you will have to buy one yourself.
These cards comes in 32gb, 64gb, 128gb and 256gb sizes.
Video information is generally quite large so our recommendation is to go with the highest capacity you can afford but not lower than 32gb as you will be overwriting far too much data with loop recording. Any smaller is simply too small in this day and age.
Cloud capacility
Another aspect of storage is whether you can save videos to the cloud. If your device is cloud-enabled, then you have the ability to save important videos and free up internal storage on your device.
Single Channel vs Multiple Channel
This refers to how many cameras are included in your dash camera bundle. The most common are single and dual-channel. Single meaning that you only have one camera and dual of course means that you have two.
Have more than one is potentially useful for a trucker if you want to set up and record another angle on top of your front view. This is often placed at the rear and can be used as a backup camera in some cases but it is not limited to the rear.
Keep in mind that you may need to connect the secondary camera to a power source (such as your rear brake light) as well as the main camera. This is a lot of distance to cover on a semi-truck. Thus, make sure the length of cable is enough or buy an extension cable for this purpose.
Parking mode
This is a function that causes your front or rear camera to start capturing video when motion is detected. This adds a layer of protection if you are worried about being bumped into while your car is parked.
However, this will require hardwiring or external battery power to continue operating while your vehicle is parked.
This is more likely to be useful with smaller cars than trucks which are more prone to minor parking dings from other drivers.
Installation – Hardwired or Auxillery powered?
Most of the above options will plug into your lighters auxiliary power outlet and have a long enough cord for discreet installation. These options generally have internal batteries so you can plug them in until they are charged and use them without a cord for a certain amount of time.
However, with these options, you will need to remember to turn on your camera manually.
This brings us to hardwiring.
When you hardwire your device, it will automatically turn on when you start your truck. This means you will never forget to turn it on and will always be covered.
Most of the above companies will come with a hardwiring kit or offer an additional kit that will allow you to hardwire your dash cam. So, if this is important to you, and you have the technical skills to do it, you should be able to do it with every option above.
Hardwiring is also beneficial if you want to use parking mode effectively.
Do you need a Dash Cam?
You may be questioning whether you need a dash cam at all or you a wondering what the benefits may be…this video may help:
Final Words
Dash cams are a great way to add a level of safety and security. This is especially true for semi-truck drivers who drive for long periods of time, day and night and are much more at risk for road incidents. A dash cam will provide evidence in disputes and capture negligent driving in your surrounding. Furthermore, parking mode adds another level of security when you are stopped.
There are also specific considerations when it comes to a dash cam for semi-truck drivers and we have made this list with those in mind.
We stand behind every camera in this list as each one is great for different reasons and there are options for individual needs.
However, if we had to choose a top pick, it would be the Rexing V5. The modularity of this cutting-edge model allows you to customize for your specific needs. It also has a 4K resolution so fidelity is no question.
A really close second would be the Garmin because the driver awareness alerts are highly beneficial to truck drivers.
Finally, our premium pick would be the BlackVue DR900X as it is the most technologically advanced, feature-packed, and stylish option.