name: Samsara Vocabulary
description: >-
  Vocabulary and taxonomy for the Samsara connected operations platform covering
  fleet management, driver safety, ELD compliance, IoT telematics, and industrial
  asset tracking terminology.
version: '1.0'
created: '2026-05-02'
modified: '2026-05-02'
url: https://www.samsara.com/

terms:
  - term: Vehicle
    definition: >-
      A motorized vehicle tracked in the Samsara platform. Can be a truck, van, car,
      bus, or heavy equipment. Identified by a unique Samsara ID and optionally a VIN.
    tags:
      - Asset
      - Fleet
      - Telematics

  - term: Driver
    definition: >-
      A commercial vehicle operator managed in the Samsara platform. Associated with
      a Driver App account for HOS logging, DVIR submission, and messaging.
    tags:
      - Compliance
      - Fleet
      - Personnel

  - term: ELD
    definition: >-
      Electronic Logging Device. FMCSA-mandated hardware device that automatically
      records driving time and engine data for Hours of Service compliance.
    synonyms:
      - Electronic Logging Device
    tags:
      - Compliance
      - Federal Regulation
      - HOS

  - term: HOS
    definition: >-
      Hours of Service. FMCSA regulations limiting commercial vehicle drivers' maximum
      driving hours. Tracked via ELD logs in Samsara. Key rulesets include
      USA Property 70hr/8days and Canada 70hr/7days.
    synonyms:
      - Hours of Service
    tags:
      - Compliance
      - Federal Regulation

  - term: DVIR
    definition: >-
      Driver Vehicle Inspection Report. Pre-trip and post-trip inspection reports
      required by FMCSA regulations. Submitted electronically via the Samsara Driver App.
    synonyms:
      - Driver Vehicle Inspection Report
      - Vehicle Inspection
    tags:
      - Compliance
      - Maintenance
      - Safety

  - term: Geofence
    definition: >-
      A virtual perimeter defined around a geographic area. Samsara geofences can be
      circular (defined by center point and radius) or polygonal. Triggers events when
      vehicles enter or exit.
    tags:
      - Address
      - Fleet
      - Location
      - Telematics

  - term: Safety Event
    definition: >-
      A detected driver behavior event captured by Samsara AI cameras and sensors.
      Includes harsh braking, harsh acceleration, harsh cornering, speeding, lane
      departure, tailgating, drowsy driving, mobile phone use, and more.
    tags:
      - AI
      - Camera
      - Safety

  - term: Tag
    definition: >-
      An organizational label in Samsara used to group vehicles, drivers, assets,
      addresses, and users into logical categories such as regions, departments, or
      vehicle types. Supports hierarchical parent-child relationships.
    tags:
      - Organization
      - Fleet

  - term: External ID
    definition: >-
      A customer-defined key-value pair used to link Samsara entities (vehicles,
      drivers, routes) to external systems such as payroll, dispatch, or ERP systems.
      Accessed via colon-separated path parameters (e.g., payrollId:ABC123).
    tags:
      - Integration
      - Reference

  - term: Route
    definition: >-
      A planned sequence of stops and waypoints assigned to a driver for dispatch.
      Routes track ETAs, actual arrivals, and route progress in real time.
    tags:
      - Dispatch
      - Fleet
      - Logistics

  - term: Webhook
    definition: >-
      A real-time HTTP callback triggered by Samsara platform events such as vehicle
      location changes, safety events, DVIR submissions, or HOS duty status changes.
    tags:
      - Events
      - Integration
      - Real-Time

  - term: Telematics
    definition: >-
      The integrated use of telecommunications and informatics for fleet management.
      Samsara telematics includes GPS location, vehicle diagnostics (OBD-II), fuel
      usage, engine hours, and harsh event detection.
    tags:
      - Fleet
      - GPS
      - IoT

  - term: Asset
    definition: >-
      A non-powered physical item tracked in Samsara such as a trailer, container,
      generator, or piece of equipment. Tracked via Bluetooth or cellular gateways.
    tags:
      - Fleet
      - IoT
      - Logistics

  - term: IFTA
    definition: >-
      International Fuel Tax Agreement. Interstate commercial vehicle fuel tax
      reporting. Samsara provides IFTA Detail CSV reports for quarterly filing.
    synonyms:
      - International Fuel Tax Agreement
    tags:
      - Compliance
      - Fuel
      - Reporting

  - term: Coaching
    definition: >-
      The Samsara driver coaching workflow for reviewing safety events with drivers.
      Events progress through states: needs_review → dismissed or coached.
    tags:
      - Driver Development
      - Safety

  - term: Sensor
    definition: >-
      An IoT sensor connected to the Samsara platform measuring environmental data
      such as temperature, humidity, door state, cargo load, or fuel level.
    tags:
      - IoT
      - Industrial
      - Monitoring

categories:
  - name: Fleet Operations
    terms:
      - Vehicle
      - Driver
      - Route
      - Asset
      - Tag
      - External ID

  - name: Safety
    terms:
      - Safety Event
      - DVIR
      - Coaching

  - name: Compliance
    terms:
      - ELD
      - HOS
      - DVIR
      - IFTA

  - name: Telematics and IoT
    terms:
      - Telematics
      - Geofence
      - Sensor
      - Webhook