Toasting fleets' AI camera innovation - from wine spills to safety and operational gains?

When a regular shipment of wine kept arriving with part of the load smashed, no one could explain why. The driver of the lorry was stumped. The telematics data showed no speeding, no harsh braking and no obvious incidents that would account for such damage.

In the end, global logistics execution and supply chain services platform, EV Cargo, installed a camera in the trailer to see exactly what was happening. And what they saw changed how they investigate damage across the fleet.

Clark Podger, Head of Digitalization and Innovation at EV Cargo, explained: 

Normally, dash cams are focused on the road or the driver, but we used one trained on the cargo instead.

The footage revealed that the damage occurred just minutes after collection and always on the same stretch of road, less than a mile from the depot. While traditional telematics hadn’t flagged any issues, the video showed that despite being strapped, the pallets of wine shifted dangerously during the early part of the journey. Podger said:

It wasn’t about harsh driving. It was about loading technique. Small gaps between pallets, strapping that was ineffective in places, and low-speed impacts around roundabouts. The damage was happening before the driver even hit the motorway.

Now, the way that the vehicle is loaded has been altered to make it more robust and speed restrictions put in place along parts of the route. Thanks to an inquisitive mind and the nifty use of existing technology, the wine now reaches its destination without a drop being spilled. And what began as an R&D fix for a single issue has since become a standard diagnostic tool across the fleet. Podger continued:

We still have that trailer set up. And when damage happens elsewhere, we use it again. It gives us the visibility the data alone doesn’t.

Smart thinking is a powerful addition to proven tech

And that’s not the only innovative use for cameras. Recently, diginomica reported on Samsara’s new AI Multi-Cam system, which provides 360-degree visibility around commercial vehicles while using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify pedestrians, cyclists, and other potential collision risks in real-time.

It can even “see” things in “blind spots” using AI-generated alerts that warn drivers of nearby dangers.

This use of contextual AI is a significant step up from static monitoring tools. Instead of merely flagging harsh braking, for example, the AI is now able to evaluate the context of any incident. So, while a driver may ordinarily be penalized for harsh braking, with this new technology — and in the context that a driver slammed on the brakes because someone had walked out in front of traffic — this would now be flagged as a defensive maneuver and they would be rewarded.

Reframing data as a tool for recognition

That same principle — rewarding good decisions, not just flagging bad ones — can also shape how technology is introduced to the workforce. Which is exactly the approach Amber Kirkby, Fleet Systems Team Leader at Lanes Group, took ahead of the roll-out of dual-facing dash cams and vehicle trackers across 650 vehicles. Kirkby elaborated:

It’s fair to say that we received some pushback from drivers who thought it was an invasion of their privacy. We took their concerns on board and realized we couldn’t approach this in a heavy-handed way. So, we focused on how we could reframe the use of cameras. That’s why we shifted the emphasis away from ‘we’re watching you’ to ‘we want to recognize all the good things you’re doing’. That shift in tone made all the difference.

What followed was a full driver rewards program using data to track safety scores, speeding and driving improvements. The results speak for themselves. Over a seven-month period, mobile phone usage and inattentive driving at Lanes dropped by 92%. Repeat safety events are also down and driver engagement is up.

Each of these problems shows how technology and a practical approach to problem-solving can turn everyday challenges into opportunities for meaningful change. By applying fresh thinking to familiar tools, these organizations didn’t just fix what was broken, they improved the way they work.

For me, it’s a sign of increasing digital maturity in a sector long underserved by technology. It’s no longer about how much data you collect, but how effectively you use it to drive insight, action and outcomes. A dash cam isn’t just a camera. Nor is a fuel report simply a list of numbers. Viewed through the right lens, these everyday tools become catalysts for operational change.

Whether it’s wine deliveries, fuel theft or driver safety, the lesson is clear. True innovation doesn’t always demand disruption or new investment. Sometimes, the smartest move is simply to reimagine and use what you already have.