One thing that every trucker knows how to do is use their mirrors. Mirrors are crucial for safety, and every trucker needs to be an expert at using them.

However, technology is constantly changing the way truckers are trucking. Now, smart monitors are taking the trucking industry by storm.

However, are smart monitors worth it, or are traditional mirrors already good enough? Find out all that and more by reading below.

Traditional Mirrors

Trucks are packed with mirrors—rearview, down view, blindspot, and more. All truckers are familiar with traditional mirror setups.

Traditional Mirrors Pros

One of the main upsides of mirrors is that all drivers know how they work. There’s not a lot of complexity to mirrors—as long as they’re set up correctly.

Also, drivers are used to using their mirrors and switching to another system might be difficult. On top of that, mirrors are relatively cheap to replace and are reliable.

Traditional Mirrors Cons

One of the major downsides to traditional mirrors is a lack of complete visibility. Most truckers know to check their blindspots a few times just to be sure, but the gaps are still there.

Depending on the weather, mirrors can get blurry from too much rain or snow. That lack of visibility in a bad storm could lead to an accident.

Mirrors also need to be maintained and adjusted regularly. Traditional mirrors aren’t a set it and forget it system.

Smart Monitors

Smart monitors are a digital replacement for traditional mirrors. External digital cameras are project video straight to digital monitors inside the cab of the truck.

Smart Monitors Pros

The best part about smart monitors is the clear images they provide—a large field of view, clean images of traffic, better view at night, and no blind spots.

These images are right near the driver, with no possibility of rain or snow clouding the video. On top of that, smart monitors display lines in the camera system to give you an estimate of how far objects are from the truck.

Additionally, smart monitors will save about 2-3% in fuel economy because of the lack of wind-catching mirrors.

Smart Monitors Cons

Probably the biggest con is that of cost. Of course, a smart monitor system is not as cheap as traditional mirrors. Furthermore, some truckers may be too used to traditional mirrors and may not want to switch over.

There have also been some concerns about the camera system failing. Although there are redundancies, camera or monitor failures are possible.

Lastly, there are limited options because only one company is allowed by the FMCSA to replace mirrors with monitors. All other smart monitor systems must have mirrors attached to the truck.

Should You Upgrade to Smart Monitors?

Now you might be wondering, is it worth it to upgrade to smart monitors? At the moment, smart monitors look like they could be the future of mirrors.

Many truckers who were skeptical of the technology now fully embrace it. The technology of the smart monitor setup gives a much better view around the truck, especially at night.

Newer drivers who aren’t used to mirrors would benefit greatly from upgrading to smart monitors. Experienced truckers will likely want to stay with their mirrors, but it may only be a matter of time until they see that smart monitors have a lot to offer.