Import & Update Drivers in Bulk

Samsara makes it easy to add, edit, and update a set of new driver accounts all at once. 

Adding New Drivers via CSV Upload 

When adding new drivers, you can start by downloading the Sample Template CSV file at the bottom of this article that contains each of the columns you will need to fill in. Once you fill in the required information, you can upload the file back to the Samsara Dashboard.

To use the sample template, please follow these instructions:

1. In the Dashboard, click on Settings > Drivers.
2. Click on More Actions > Upload CSV.
3. Click on Sample Template from the pop-up menu to download the template.
   
4. Open the template in a spreadsheet application, such as Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets.
5. Fill in the driver data, leaving the ID column blank (see the section below titled Preparing Data for via CSV Upload for more formatting reference).
6. Save the file as a .CSV file.
7. Upload the file back to the Samsara Dashboard (see the section below titled Uploading to the Samsara Dashboard).

Editing Existing Drivers via CSV Upload

You can use the bulk uploader to edit existing drivers. When doing so, you might find it useful to start by downloading your existing Drivers List. 

To download existing driver data from the Samsara Dashboard, please follow these instructions:

1. In the Dashboard, click on Settings > Drivers.
2. Click on More Actions > Upload CSV.
3. Click on Drivers List to download your existing driver data.
4. Update the information in the CSV file (see the section below titled Preparing Data for Import via CSV Upload for more formatting reference).
5. Upload the file back to the Samsara Dashboard (see the section below titled Uploading to the Samsara Dashboard).

Uploading to the Samsara Dashboard 

To upload the file to the Samsara Dashboard, please follow these instructions:

1. Click on More Actions then select Upload a file. 
2. Choose the CSV file from your computer, or drag and drop the CSV file into the window.
3. Click Preview to review the drivers that will be added and/or edited.
4. Click Confirm to confirm the changes. 

Preparing Data for CSV Upload 

Here are some important things to keep in mind when creating your file:

• The file must be properly formatted CSV file
• The first row of the CSV file is the header row, and you must include it in the file
• The CSV file must contain no more than 400 rows of data (including one row for the header)

You can use the table below to understand what type of data can be edited with the bulk uploader.

Tips for a Successful Upload 

When using Excel (or similar spreadsheet software tools), the default data format often omits leading 0s, which can lead to issues with the upload. For example, a username such as “01551” would be incorrectly uploaded as “1551”. This issue can be resolved by changing the format of the column to “Text” and saving as a .CSV file.