Certified Auto Mall Cuts Liability and Builds a Culture of Safety with Vestige AI-Powered Vehicle Cameras
Vestige cameras protect against false claims and transform driver safety culture
“Having the camera has saved us millions of dollars in fraudulent insurance claims,” said Mike Stahnten, Owner, Certified Auto Mall.
“I tell everyone I know: if you’ve got trucks on the road and no cameras, you’re crazy. I couldn’t sleep at night without them.”
Mike Stahnten can tow just about anything.
And has the receipts to prove it.
From delivering semi trucks across the country to hauling an exotic sports car to discerning South Florida clients, the New Jersey tow truck operator built Certified Auto Mall Towing & Recovery into a thriving business by carving a unique niche in the tow market.
With three locations in New Jersey, Stahnten supports local and state law enforcement and will help the occasional stranded motorist as well. His instagram is title “I tow everything” and features six-figure autos atop a flatbed and a crane arm lifting a dirt-covered small airplane.
In short, he’s built a diversified business that operates in the congested Garden State and across the country.
A veteran of the industry for 25 years, Stahnten said the skyrocketing costs of doing business has made operating profitably more challenging than ever. Insurance costs are climbing far faster than inflation for most commercial vehicles operators and the tow industry is not immune from this pervasive challenge.
To combat the risks on the road as well as rising insurance costs, Stahnten invested in Vestige vehicle cameras to ensure his staff and clients are always protected against the unexpected – not to mention untoward – lurking around every roadside berm.
He turned to Vestige after learning from other tow truck owners about the reputation the safety camera firm enjoys among the industry thanks to its unique position providing 360-degree cameras, body cameras and wearable panic buttons.
The very first accident a truck was involved in after installing the cameras justified the investment.
“The first accident we had, a box truck sideswiped our flatbed,” he explained “The truck said we moved into their lane and drove off. But we had the record and showed it to the cops and it showed just the opposite.”
The cop wrote them a ticket and our driver was cleared the same day.”
Risks with every tow: How to stay ahead of fraudulent claims
Operating a fleet in the towing and transport industry – especially in the dense and aggressive traffic conditions of the Northeast – comes with constant risk.
In this high-stakes environment, claims of damage, injury, or fault are not just probable – they’re inevitable.
“We had people say we scratched their car, or we hit them,” said Stahnten. “We tow thousands of vehicles a year, and even if just a few people make false claims, the liability can be massive”.
He said the Vestige safety cameras exonerate his team from a handful of false claims every year.
“People are having a bad day when their car is towed and they’re willing to make up just about anything,” he said. “Then we tell them their car has been under camera surveillance since the moment the cop showed up and all the way until it was stored.
“That’s when they curse us and leave.”
And sometimes the cameras can even capture the inexplicable.
One early incident that stayed with Stahnten was when a drunk pedestrian attempted to cross under a stopped tow truck. The man became stuck and then fled the scene.
Without video evidence, Certified Auto Mall would likely have faced a lawsuit – and disbelief.
“The guy was so drunk he was somehow unaware of the danger and the risk,” he said.
“Even the insurance adjuster said, ‘If you didn’t have this video, nobody in the world would believe this story’.”
The Solution: Vestige Vehicle Cameras with Real-Time Coaching and AI Monitoring
Certified Auto Mall installed Vestige’s AI-powered camera system, deploying three cameras per vehicle: a front-facing dash cam, a driver-facing cabin camera, and a rear tow camera.
This setup provided full-coverage monitoring of both driver behavior and towed assets.
When asked why he chose Vestige over other vendors, Stahnten said it came down to functionality and service.
“I needed a three-camera setup, and some of the bigger companies couldn’t deliver it. Vestige could. And they were able to deliver it right away,” he said.
Equally important, the cameras could be accessed in real-time to help coach drivers in tight or unfamiliar recovery situations.
“If a driver calls and says, ‘I’m stuck, I don’t know how to do this,’ we can see their live feed and talk them through it,” Stahnten explained. “It’s not just safety. It’s training in real time”.
Vestige has also innovated to serve its deep client base in the tow industry, including PTO-based timestamps on the video to make it easier to locate incidents associated with a specific incident.
The cameras are integrated with the power take off trigger so each raising or lowering of the bed or boom places a unique timestamp on the footage, delivering greater efficiency when a manager needs to find a specific piece of video content.
“We’ve been serving scores of tow truck companies for more than a decade and we know how to help them get the most out of their vehicle camera investment,” said Twain McDougal, President, Vestige.
“It’s about a commitment to the industry and to customer service that ensures the exact right footage is available for the right person at the exact right time.
“We know that can mean the difference between a lengthy legal battle and going home immediately free and clear.”
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Results: Preventing Fraud, Lowering Liability, and Improving Culture
Certified Auto Mall’s investment in cameras has paid for itself many times over, Stahnten said.
In several cases, third parties tried to file fraudulent claims, blaming Certified Auto Mall drivers for collisions they didn’t cause.
But video evidence told the truth – and often led to tickets issued to the other driver.
“We had a car sideswipe us and try to blame our driver,” said Stahnten. “With the video, the cop saw the truth and issued them the citation on the spot”.
Stahnten was also able to persuade his insurance company to help cover the cost of the vehicle cameras.
For over a decade, Stahnten pushed his insurers to acknowledge the value of his camera investment.
“They’re never going to say, ‘Thank you for saving us money,’ but they finally started giving us credits per camera,” he said.
The investment signals that Certified Auto Mall is serious about safety, training, and operational control.
Accountability and Safer Drivers: AI-powered cameras transform company culture
Vestige cameras have shifted the safety culture of the company.
Footage is reviewed regularly to ensure drivers follow protocol – especially around distracted driving. The latest generation of cameras with AI capabilities now alert managers in real time if drivers appear drowsy, pick up a phone, or behave unsafely.
“It even tells them, ‘Hey, you look sleepy, take a break,’” Stahnten said. “And we get that alert right away so we can address it. It’s next-level accountability”.
Initially, some drivers resisted the idea of always being watched.
But Stahnten was adamant: “If you’re not doing anything wrong, what’s your concern?”
Over time, drivers came to accept and even appreciate the technology – especially when it protected them from false claims.
Stahnten noted that the system also serves as a tool for internal advancement. “We do a lot of exotic car transport, so when someone wants to step up to that kind of work, we use camera footage for training and feedback,” he said.
Vestige Fleet Multi-Cameras & GPS Tracking Features
Vestige Fleet Multi-Cameras & GPS Tracking Features
With Vestige, you can install up to eight HD dash cams on each vehicle. The cameras will be placed all around the vehicle, including one monitoring the driver’s actions, giving you a full view of everything that is happening.
Live Video Streaming
With our 4G LTE remote connection, you can access live high-quality video footage of everything the cameras capture. This integrated video solution lets you track performances easily and check for any unsafe driving behaviors that need improvement.
Cloud-based Video Portal
All video recordings will be retrievable from the cloud for 90 days. You have easy access to video clips for a post-incident analysis, making performance tracking more streamlined. You can also access additional video evidence for an accident in the portal, allowing you to protect your business from liability claims with video proof.
Automatic Video Uploads and Alerts
Vestige allows you to create notifications for vehicle accidents and other harsh driving events. You can get alerts within minutes of an unsafe event. The event video file will be uploaded to the cloud right away, allowing you to watch it anytime you want with on-demand video retrieval.
Operational Simplicity and Exemplary Client Support: The Vestige Difference
Real-time visibility into vehicle feeds also improves operations, not just safety. And when issues arise – such as a unit needing a reboot – Stahnten says Vestige’s customer support is “extremely responsive.”
“I just text Megan or Corey and 80% of the time, it’s fixed in minutes. They’ve been great,” he said.
He said the cameras are now foundational to keeping the business solvent and secure.
The costs of doing business in towing have skyrocketed.
“A flatbed that used to cost $60,000 now costs $180,000,” said Stahnten.
Between rising insurance premiums, emissions regulations, and labor challenges, managing risk is no longer optional—it’s a matter of survival.
Add to that the aggressive driving culture of the Northeast, and it’s clear why Certified Auto Mall treats video as essential infrastructure.
“Somebody cuts in front of you and slams on the brakes – if you don’t have a camera, that’s your fault,” said Stahnten. “I tell everyone I know: if you’ve got trucks on the road and no cameras, you’re crazy. I couldn’t sleep at night without them”.
Why Vestige?
For Certified Auto Mall, Vestige stood out because it delivered what others could not:
- A 3-camera configuration available from day one
- Live video access for real-time coaching
- AI alerts for distracted or drowsy driving
- High-touch customer support with fast resolution
- Hardware upgrades backed by continuous innovation
Advice to Other Fleet Operators
Stahnten recommends Vestige to any business operating a fleet, not just towing companies.
“Whether you’re a plumber, a delivery business, or a trucking company – if you’ve got employees driving your vehicles, you need cameras,” he said. “The more people know what this technology can do, the faster they’ll realize the cost of not having it is way higher than the investment.”
For Certified Auto Mall, Vestige isn’t just a camera system – it’s an insurance policy, a training tool, a real-time coach, and a cultural compass.
In an unpredictable and high-liability business, it’s given Stahnten peace of mind and empowered his team to operate with confidence.
“In today’s world, everyone’s got a lawyer and a GoPro. The only way to protect yourself is to have your own footage. Vestige gives us that, and a whole lot more.”
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