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As a semi-truck driver, safety, security, and efficiency are crucial on the road. A quality dash cam not only offers protection in the event of accidents but also provides valuable footage for insurance claims and driver monitoring, especially for professional full-time truck drivers.
In this guide, we’ll explore the essential dash cam features to look at for all truck drivers out there, helping you select the best dashcam setup for your trucks to enhance your driving experience and ensure peace of mind on every journey.
Best Dash Cams For Trucks
What to Look for in a Good Dash Cam for Trucks in 2025?
When choosing a dash cam for your truck, it’s essential to consider features that provide both security and functionality on the road. We’ve rounded up some features that collectively help create a reliable, efficient, and secure driving experience for truckers out there.
4G Connectivity
A dash cam with 4G connectivity lets you upload videos directly to the cloud or connect with fleet managers without having to stop and manually offload data. This feature is particularly beneficial for fleet management, as it provides an efficient way to monitor your trucks’ routes, behavior, and safety in real-time.
Additionally, having remote access to footage can be vital during emergencies, helping you or authorities quickly assess situations. With 4G connectivity, truck drivers can stay connected and enhance their safety and security on the road.
NightVision
For truck drivers, driving at night is often unavoidable, making night vision a crucial feature. Truck dash cams with superior night vision capabilities ensure that even in low-light conditions, you can still capture clear footage with all the details included. This is especially important for incidents occurring in dimly lit areas or during late-night driving when visibility is limited.
High Resolution and Frame Rate
It’s 2025 now, and a dash cam with 4K UDH high resolution and a high frame rate (30 fps or more) is always recommended for truck drivers. This is to ensure that the footage is sharp and smooth, making it easier to capture details like license plates, road signs, and other crucial information. The higher the resolution and frame rate, the clearer the video, which can be vital in legal situations or disputes.
Parking Mode
Parking mode allows the dash cam to continue recording while your truck is parked and turned off. This feature provides extra security when you’re not around, capturing incidents like theft, vandalism, or hit-and-run accidents. Many trucks are parked for extended periods, so this feature adds an additional layer of protection for your vehicle.
GPS Tracking
A GPS feature in your truck dash cam tracks your vehicle’s location, speed, and route. This data can be vital for navigation, evidence in the event of an accident, or fleet management. GPS tracking also provides an accurate record of your driving habits, which can be helpful for route optimization and managing driving time.
ASDS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems)
Dash cams for trucks equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ASDS) offer safety features like lane departure warnings, forward collision alerts, and pedestrian crossing warnings. These intelligent features help prevent accidents and keep you aware of your surroundings, especially during long and monotonous drives.
Extended Storage
Truck drivers often log long hours on the road, meaning a dash cam that can support extended storage is essential. Look for a dashcam for trucks that can support large SD cards, preferably up to 512GB. Larger storage means you can store more footage without worrying about overwriting critical data. This is especially useful if you need to keep footage for insurance purposes or legal reasons.
You can check our SD selection guide for more information in order to pick the best-fitting SD card for your dash cam.
Truck Dash Cam Types and Truck Types
There are several dash cam arrangements you can set up for your truck, depending on factors including the size of your truck, your budget, the scale of your fleet and businesses, etc. To simplify the process, let’s list the truck dash cam arrangements and see which trucking camera setup fits your truck.
Single or Dual Channel Dash Cams
- Pickup trucks
- Cargo vans
- Delivery Trucks
- Towing Vehicles
Single and dual-channel dash cams are great choices for smaller trucks or light commercial vehicles. A single-channel dash cam records the view from the front of the vehicle, while a dual-channel dash cam provides front and rear views, making it ideal for trucks that need extra coverage. These models are more affordable and easier to install.
3-Channel Dash Cams
- Moving trucks
- Refrigerated trucks
- Delivery trucks
- Field Service Trucks (e.g., plumbers, electricians).
- Dump trucks
- Semi-trucks
For those requiring more comprehensive surveillance, a 3-channel dash cam can record the front, rear, and cabin views. It offers a more complete view of the environment around the truck, including the driver’s cabin for monitoring behavior. These truck dashcams are a bit more expensive than single or dual dashcam setups and require a bit more handy work to install.
Commercial Truck Camera Systems
- Semi-trucks
- flatbed trucks
Commercial truck camera systems offer more extensive coverage and typically come with multiple cameras for side views, cargo areas, and inside the vehicle. They usually come with a central control and communication unit, along with several cameras. Thus, the price to fit this whole system onto your truck can be pricy.
Commercial truck camera systems are designed for large-scale commercial uses, with features like multi-angle monitoring, central syncing GPS tracking, and integration with fleet management systems, making them more suitable for large trucking operations.
Our Picks of the Best Dash Cams for Semi Trucks
Newly Upgraded 4K, 4G & WiFi-6
Z50 Pro
5.0
- 4K + 1080P Recording
- Front + Rear Cameras
- 4G Connectivity
- WiFi-6 Ultra Fast Connection
- Upgraded 3” IPS Screen
- Equipped With ASDS
- GPS Tracking Log
- Loaded with Supercapacitor
DDPAI's Flagship 4K Dash Cam
Z60 Pro
- 4K + 1080P Recording
- 3-Channel Expendable With πLink
- GPS Tracking Log
- Realcube + NightVIS for Better Image Quality
- Loaded with Supercapacitor
- D2save Storage Technology
Your Go-to 4K Truck Dash Cam
N5 Dual
- 4K + 1080P Recording
- Front + Rear Cameras
- Loaded with Supercapacitor
- Built-in GPS Log
- Optional Radar Detection Add-on
How Does DDPAI Make Dash Cams for Trucks Durable?
Dash cams for trucks need to withstand tough environments, constant vibrations, and extreme weather conditions. DDPAI focuses on creating robust, reliable dash cams that can handle the demands of professional truck drivers and fleet operators.
Strong Construction
DDPAI dash cams are built with durable materials to ensure they can endure the rough conditions of long-distance truck driving. From extreme temperatures to heavy vibrations, our sturdy design ensures the camera remains intact and fully functional, without encountering recording failures.
Supercapacitor
Unlike regular lithium-ion batteries, DDPAI dash cams use Supercapacitor as part of the powering unit of the dash cam. This is especially important for truck drivers, as the dash cam can operate under extreme conditions consistently, such as high heat in summer or extreme cold in winter, without compromising performance or reliability.
Secure Mounting
DDPAI dash cams feature advanced mounting systems that ensure the camera stays securely attached to the windshield, even during bumpy drives or harsh weather conditions. This secure setup guarantees the dash cam remains in place to capture critical footage without the risk of camera shifts, vibrations or even falling off the windshield.
Intelligent Hard Wiring & Power Management System
DDPAI’s intelligent hard wiring system connects the dash cam directly to the vehicle’s power source, ensuring it continues to operate without interruption. The IPS power management system optimizes power use and extends the life of the dash cam, and it can automatically detect voltage changes to protect the truck battery, reducing the risk of battery deficit.
You can purchase DDPAI’s intelligent hardwiring cable through our official online store. You can also check our ACC or VCC guide, as well as our dash cam installation guide for more details and instructions.
D2save Technology
DDPAI’s innovative D2save technology ensures that even in the event of a sudden SD card read failure, critical footage is protected and stored in emergency memory chips. This system prevents the overwriting/corruption of important footage and ensures that crucial evidence is safely and correctly stored, and remains retrievable whenever needed.
Truck Dash Cam or Commercial Truck Camera Systems?
When deciding between a truck dash cam or a commercial truck camera system, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of both options. Each has advantages based on your specific needs, whether you’re an independent truck driver or part of a larger fleet operation.
Pros and Cons of Regular Truck Dash Cams
Pros:
- Affordable: Regular truck dash cams are generally more affordable compared to commercial truck camera systems, making them accessible for individual truck drivers or small fleets to deploy.
- Easier Installation: Regular truck dash cams are typically easier to install and require less technical expertise. Most models are plug-and-play and can be mounted on the windshield in minutes.
- Wide Range of Features: Many modern dash cams for trucks offer excellent features like night vision, GPS tracking, and parking mode, already providing good enough functional coverage for truckers.
- Privacy: Consumer dash cams for trucks are usually off-gride (except some 4G dash cam models), so they are generally more discreet than commercial camera systems and don’t compromise the privacy of drivers, especially with cabin-facing cameras.
Cons:
- Limited Coverage: Using consumer-grade dash cams as trucking cameras may encounter limited coverage issues, with the dash cam usually recording only front, rear, or interior views. If you need additional cameras for the side or cargo area monitoring for your semi-trucks or 18-wheelers, this would not be the perfect choice.
- Less Robust: Consumer-grade dash cams may have the potential to be not as durable or suited for the demands of heavy-duty truck driving as commercial-grade systems.
- Lack of Centralized Fleet Management: Regular dash cams typically don’t integrate with centralized fleet management systems, limiting the ability to monitor and manage multiple vehicles effectively.
Pros and Cons of Commercial Truck Camera Systems
Pros:
- Comprehensive Coverage: Commercial truck camera systems provide extensive coverage (usually customizable and tailored by truck), including front, rear, several side views, and cargo areas, ensuring full visibility of the truck’s surroundings.
- Built for Heavy-duty Use: These systems are designed to withstand the rigors of long-term truck driving and recording, including harsh weather, vibrations, and frequent use.
- Real-time Monitoring & Fleet Management: Commercial systems usually offer real-time monitoring and business-grade fleet management capabilities, allowing fleet operators to track driver behavior, optimize routes, and ensure safety.
- Integration with Other Systems: Many commercial trucking camera systems can integrate with telematics, GPS, and other fleet management systems for a complete safety and tracking solution.
Cons:
- Higher Initial Cost: Commercial truck camera systems come with a higher upfront cost, due to the complexity of the setup, and the need for multiple cameras as well as the control devices.
- More Complicated to Install: These systems often require professional installation and may involve more complex wiring and configuration.
- Maintenance: Commercial-grade camera systems require ongoing maintenance, including software updates and hardware checks, to ensure continuous operation.
- Overkill for Smaller Fleets or Individual Drivers: For independent truckers or small fleets, commercial truck camera systems may be excessive, both in terms of cost and functionality.
Are There Legal Concerns About Using a Dash Cam in My Truck?
While dashcams are legal in most areas, it’s important to check local regulations regarding privacy and recording. For example, in certain states or countries, recording audio may require consent from those being recorded. Always make sure to follow laws about data storage and video use, especially for commercial purposes.
For more information regarding your local regulations, check our guide on dash cam law in the US, as well as the guide on dash cam legislation in EU countries and regions.
Drive Safe with the Right Dash Cam Setups
Choosing a dash cam for your semi truck ultimately depends on your specific needs, budgets, and usage. Regular truck dash cams offer affordability, ease of installation, and a wide range of useful features for individual drivers, while commercial systems provide robust, all-encompassing coverage, ideal for heavy-duty use and fleet management.
For more information, explore our range of trucker-ready dash cams, or get in touch with our team to find the perfect match for your needs.
