Photo from Chief Carriers

Originally Posted On: https://chiefcarriers.com/samsara/

Chief Carriers selects Samsara as a fleet management technology partner.

Samsara is one of the fastest-growing companies in America and was recently ranked #19 on Forbes Cloud 100 list. Samsara has products for vehicle fleets managing safety with intelligent cameras, workflow, software, and asset tracking software. These tend to involve getting data from physical assets and operations and pulling them into their cloud. And then, Samsara has a set of software tools that sit on top. Samsara is helping transportation, logistics, and fleet carriers like Chief. We sat down with Andrew Winkler, General Manager of Chief Carriers, to learn more about the choice to go with Samsara.

Electronic Logging Device 

Samsara offers a connected platform.  We were in need of upgrading about half the fleet with new ELDs because of the 3G sunset on some of our older units.  We considered multiple vendors when researching options but ultimately settled on Samsara because they could offer ELD’s, dash cameras, and trailer tracking in one simple platform.  It was important to use to have one source to help simplify driver training, installation resources for our technicians, and ongoing use and day-to-day management of the system.

Safety 

Rather than being reactive to safety issues after they happen, we were looking for a way to help us focus on lead safety measures and driver behaviors before they become problematic.  The outward-facing dash cameras coupled with the AI offered by Samsara have given us insight into safety-related trends within our own fleet.  The Samsara AI detects risky behaviors and sends them to the safety department for review.  The system also allows us to share the 10-second video clips with drivers through the Samsara mobile app so a driver can review their own performance.  In some cases, this gives the driver a chance to identify the risky behavior and correct it without any other intervention needed from Safety. 

With Samsara, we can manage our equipment, fleet, and terminals from one single application. ~ Andrew Winkler, General Manager of Chief Carriers

What’s Your Number

The Samsara driver mobile app produces a safety score for each of the drivers at Chief Carriers. This feature allows the driver to see his/her safety performance and benchmarks it against others in the fleet.  Chief Carriers has started an internal campaign to keep safety scores “top of mind” with our drivers by simply asking “What’s your number?”  The driver safety scores are posted around the terminal on video monitors for all to see.  Our expectation is for a driver to strive for a score of 90+ points on a scale of 0-100. Samsara’s video technology is powered by AI to protect our most important assets, our employees. We can literally capture and address safety risks in real-time across our operations.

Best Fleets to Drive For

Chief Carriers, for the second year in a row, was named a finalist for the 2022 Best Fleets to Drive For. “The Best Fleets to Drive For is a platform that continues to push our industry forward through innovation.” Said, General Manager Andrew Winkler. Samsara’s fleet management technology confirms Chief’s commitment to the use of technology & innovation. Companies like Chief Carriers can be nimble enough to leverage advanced technologies like Samsara. These will Chief Carriers be better equipped to meet new demand challenges and to navigate the realities of the road. Technology is transforming fleet management as we know it, and the companies that opt to take advantage of these new tools will be safer on the road and be better prepared for what’s ahead.