How Long Should A Trucking Fleet Keep Dashcam Footage?

A customer reports damage at a loading dock three days after a delivery. Your fleet manager wants to check the dashcam footage, but is the recording still available, or has the camera already overwritten it?

This is why trucking fleets need to understand how dashcam storage works and establish a clear video retention policy.

There is no single retention period that works for every trucking company. Routine driving footage, safety events, customer complaints, and accident recordings serve different purposes. How long you keep each depends on your camera system, operational needs, insurance requirements, and legal obligations.

How Long Should Trucking Companies Keep Dashcam Footage?

For routine driving footage, fleets should maintain a recording window that covers their normal incident reporting and review needs. Safety events may need longer storage, while footage related to crashes, insurance claims, or legal disputes should follow a separate preservation process.

The first step is understanding the difference between recording capacity and retention policy.

These are policy categories, not mandatory retention periods. A fleet should establish specific timeframes based on its operations and professional guidance.

How Does Truck Dashcam Loop Recording Work?

Most commercial truck dashcams use continuous loop recording. Instead of stopping when the storage fills, the camera automatically replaces older recordings with new footage.

This allows the camera to keep recording without requiring drivers to manually delete files. However, it also means that footage can disappear before anyone realizes it is needed.

Recording Hours Matter More Than Calendar Days

A dashcam that stores 60 hours of video does not necessarily preserve 60 hours of driving.

For example, if a truck records 10 hours daily, 60 hours provides approximately six days of footage. If the camera records continuously, those same 60 hours cover only two and a half days.

The actual retention window depends on recording activity, storage capacity, camera settings, and whether multiple cameras are operating.

Additional Cameras Can Reduce Storage Capacity

A road-facing camera and an in-cab camera record separate video streams. Recording both can use available storage faster than recording with one camera.

Fleets using dual-camera systems should confirm their actual recording capacity rather than relying on the advertised maximum for a single camera.

Local Dashcam Storage Vs. Cloud Video Retention

Local storage and cloud retention are two different parts of a fleet dashcam system.

Local storage typically holds continuous recordings directly on the camera. These files remain available until the device overwrites them.

Cloud storage holds footage uploaded from the camera to a remote platform. Depending on the provider, uploaded clips may remain available for a set number of days or longer.

Not every second of continuous footage is necessarily uploaded. Some systems automatically upload specific driving events while allowing managers to request other recordings when needed.

An internet-connected fleet dashcam can give fleet managers remote access to selected recordings, reducing the need to wait until the truck returns to the yard.

Before choosing a system, confirm how recordings move from the camera to the cloud and what happens when local storage fills.

How To Set A Fleet Dashcam Video Retention Policy

A useful commercial dashcam retention policy separates footage according to its purpose rather than treating every recording equally.

The appropriate retention period depends on when the footage might be needed and what happens if it is no longer available.

Routine Driving Footage

Start by examining how quickly your company normally receives complaints or reports of minor incidents.

If customers frequently report loading dock damage several days after delivery, your fleet needs enough recording history to investigate those situations.

A longer local recording window can provide more flexibility, but storing all routine footage permanently may not be necessary.

Safety And Driver Coaching Events

Harsh braking, sudden acceleration, and other driving events may require review by the safety team.

Keep these recordings available long enough for supervisors to investigate the event, discuss it with the driver, document the outcome, and complete any required follow-up.

The retention schedule should match how often your safety team actually reviews footage.

Customer Complaints And Property Damage

A disputed delivery, damaged gate, or reported parking lot collision may require footage from a specific vehicle and time.

Once the complaint is identified, preserve the relevant recording rather than relying on the camera's normal overwrite cycle.

The footage can remain associated with the complaint until the investigation is complete and any applicable preservation requirements are satisfied.

Accidents And Insurance Claims

Footage connected with a serious incident requires different treatment.

Recordings may be needed to determine what happened, evaluate liability, respond to insurance claims, or support an investigation.

Video showing lane position, braking, and surrounding traffic can provide important evidence for driver exoneration when a driver is incorrectly blamed for a collision.

Accident footage should be preserved according to the fleet's claims procedures and legal guidance, not automatically deleted when ordinary retention periods expire.

Why Every Fleet Needs A Written Dashcam Retention Policy

Without a written policy, video management often depends on who happens to receive a complaint or review an event.

One manager may save footage immediately, while another assumes the recording will still be available next week.

A consistent policy should establish:

• Which recordings are routinely retained
• What events require footage preservation
• Who is responsible for managing recordings
• Who can view, download, and share video
• When footage may be deleted
• How insurance claims and legal holds are handled

Assign responsibility to specific roles so important footage does not disappear while employees assume someone else has preserved it.

Who Should Have Access To Fleet Dashcam Footage?

Storing footage is only part of the responsibility. Trucking companies also need to control how recordings are accessed and shared.

Safety managers may need video for coaching, while claims personnel may need footage related to collisions. Dispatchers and other employees should receive access only when their responsibilities require it.

Driver-facing recordings deserve particular attention because they can capture conversations and activities inside the cab.

A good policy establishes approved uses, limits unnecessary sharing, and explains when video may be downloaded or provided to third parties.

Downloaded recordings should also remain protected. Saving a clip outside the fleet platform should not automatically make it available to everyone in the company.

Clear rules help drivers understand how recordings are used and reduce unnecessary concerns about monitoring.

When Should A Fleet Stop Routine Video Deletion?

Routine overwriting may be appropriate for ordinary driving footage, but the situation changes when a recording becomes relevant to an incident, investigation, or anticipated legal dispute.

The fleet should have a process for securing relevant footage before it disappears.

A legal hold may require certain recordings to remain preserved beyond the company's normal schedule. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(e) addresses the loss of electronically stored information that should have been preserved for anticipated or ongoing litigation.

It does not establish one universal dashcam retention period for every trucking company.

Carriers should have legal counsel review their retention rules, preservation triggers, and procedures for releasing footage from a hold.

How Blue Ink Tech Handles Dashcam Video Storage

Blue Ink Technology provides connected dashcam technology that helps trucking companies capture driving events and access footage without relying entirely on a driver's return to the office.

Understanding the difference between onboard storage and uploaded recordings is especially important when planning video retention.

How Long Does BIT Dashcam Store Local Footage?

BIT Dashcam typically stores approximately 62 hours of recorded video when using only the main camera.

When both the main camera and optional secondary camera are recording, the system typically stores approximately 35 hours before beginning to overwrite older files.

The actual number of days available depends on how many hours the camera records each day.

How Long Does BIT Keep Uploaded Dashcam Videos?

Blue Ink Tech currently keeps dashcam videos and images uploaded to the BIT website indefinitely.

This applies to media that has actually been uploaded, not every minute of continuous video remaining on the camera.

Blue Ink Tech notes that its uploaded-media retention practice may change in the future. Fleets should therefore continue maintaining their own preservation procedures for important recordings.

Connected Dashcam And ELD Capabilities

The BIT Dashcam ELD combines HD video, GPS tracking, driving alerts, and electronic logging capabilities within one connected system.

Fleet managers can remotely access video and monitor events without depending entirely on manual footage collection.

When investigating where a vehicle was operating, historical route information can also help narrow down the location and time associated with a reported event.

Blue Ink Tech supports its products with an in-house U.S.-based team in West Virginia, giving fleets access to people familiar with the technology they use.

Questions To Ask Before Choosing A Retention Period

Before finalizing your commercial dashcam retention policy, consider how footage is actually used across your operation.

Ask yourself:

• How many days typically pass before an incident is reported?
• How frequently does the safety team review driving events?
• Does the fleet use one camera or multiple cameras?
• Which recordings are uploaded automatically?
• Who can preserve footage before local storage overwrites it?
• What preservation requirements apply to insurance claims or legal disputes?

The answers will help determine whether your existing storage capacity supports your company's needs.

Final Thoughts: Keep The Footage Your Fleet Needs

A trucking fleet should not choose its dashcam retention period based only on how much video the camera can hold.

Routine recordings, safety clips, customer disputes, and accident footage all have different purposes. Your policy should reflect those differences while clearly defining storage limits, preservation responsibilities, access permissions, and deletion procedures.

With connected dashcams and a consistent retention policy, fleet managers can spend less time worrying about missing recordings and more time using video to protect drivers and manage everyday operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do Trucking Companies Keep Dashcam Footage?

Retention periods vary by company, camera system, and footage type. Routine recordings may be overwritten automatically, while safety events and accident footage may be retained longer according to company policy and applicable requirements.

Does Dashcam Footage Automatically Delete?

Most dashcams use loop recording to overwrite older routine footage when local storage fills. Uploaded or separately preserved clips may follow different retention rules.

How Long Does BIT Dashcam Keep Video?

BIT Dashcam typically stores about 62 hours of footage with the main camera or about 35 hours when both cameras are recording before older local files begin to be overwritten.

How Long Does Blue Ink Tech Keep Cloud Dashcam Footage?

Videos and images uploaded to the BIT website are currently retained indefinitely. This policy may change, so fleets should maintain separate preservation procedures for important footage.

Should Trucking Companies Keep Every Dashcam Recording?

Not necessarily. Routine recordings can follow a defined storage schedule, while safety events, complaints, and incident footage may require longer retention.

How Long Should Accident Dashcam Footage Be Kept?

Accident footage should be preserved according to applicable legal requirements, insurer instructions, and the carrier's claims procedures. There is no single retention period appropriate for every incident.

Can Fleet Managers Delete Dashcam Footage?

Deletion should follow the company's access and retention policies. Relevant footage should not be deleted when an investigation, claim, or legal hold requires preservation.

What Is The Difference Between Dashcam Storage And Retention?

Storage describes how much footage a camera or platform can hold. Retention describes how long recordings remain available under the company's established policy.