Cameras Cut Supervalu’s Trucking Costs

ORLANDO, Fla. — Minneapolis-based Supervalu saved almost $66,000 on annual repair, liability and workers’ compensation costs in the trucking operation at one of its distribution centers as a result of installing an onboard camera system.

The system, installed in 100 tractors at the DC beginning in December 2010, helped to reduce “risky driver maneuvers,” as well as ill-advised habits like cell-phone use and eating while driving, said Supervalu’s Dale Peleski, regional director, risk control, during a session this week at the Supply Chain Conference here, sponsored by the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute. Supplied by DriveCam, San Diego, the system offered a payback in eight months, he said.

With one camera facing out and one facing the driver, the camera is always on but only sends video clips triggered by specific events, such as hard-braking, rapid acceleration, bumps in the road and collisions; the clips, processed by DriveCam for Supervalu, encompass eight seconds prior to the event through four seconds following it.

In some cases the video serves to “exonerate” drivers involved in accidents, Peleski said. “Good drivers really want this,” he added, though “you do have perhaps riskier drivers who aren’t too happy [about it].”

Also at the session, Rob Jones, safety manager, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Kansas City, Kan., described using a similar on-board camera system from SmartDrive Systems, San Diego.