I have changed my mind on this issue in the past couple of years.
My last job was as a software engineer. We created school bus software for public school systems – routing (create the most efficient routes based on students, etc) and GPS tracking. Our systems would collect specific GPS locations, as well as hard stops, when the stop sign/blinking lights were enabled, when door was opened, etc.
This was “real time” as well. So, parents could see where their kids’ bus was, or get notifications if it was going to be late. If a bus driver stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts or at home instead of the designated route, school administrators would see. And in at least one case, GPS data was admitted into court when a driver swore that he didn’t swerve into the opposite lane, causing an accident.
While there were some who cried that this was a great violation of privacy, I argued that in this particular case, the violation of privacy was justified in that it was specifically targeting the transportation of children.
Well, the fact that I was directly involved in writing this software and collecting/analyzing this data probably had some influence on my perspective. It also tainted my view of privacy issues overall, and I greatly minimized the threat that tech companies pose via data and privacy.
I was wrong.
Specifically to address your question – I don’t like the idea that trucking companies are installing video cameras to monitor truck drivers. “Safety” can be used to justify any invasion of privacy, and in this case I don’t think it’s justified. While @zenvelo‘s point is well taken re: protecting the driver if s/he is driving properly and gets in an accident, corporations generally don’t invest large sums of money to protect their employees. This will most likely and often be used against the drivers.