Note
This feature is in Beta and is not yet available to all customers. To enable this feature, see Feature Management or reach out to your Customer Success Manager or the Technical Support Team if you would like to test this feature.
To track drivers and assets (such as vehicles, trailers, and equipment) by specific characteristics, you can use attributes. Attributes differ from tags which are primarily used to control dashboard access and permissions (see Tags). Attributes are highly customizable in that you can define both the characteristics and lists of associated values that matter most to your fleet.
After you define the attributes you want to track, you can assign them to relevant drivers or assets and then use them when managing your fleet or running reports. For example, you could create an attribute for License Classification and dispatch all drivers with a certain license type. You could similarly create an attribute for Fuel Type and analyze all vehicles for utilization data based on the specific Fuel Type.
You can customize attributes to apply to one of the following entity types: drivers or assets. The following table displays examples of each type of entity.
|
Attribute Name |
Entity Type |
Attribute Values |
|---|---|---|
|
License Type |
Driver |
Class A, Class B, Class C, Non CLD |
|
HOS Status |
Driver |
Exempt, RODS, 100AMR, CA SOUTH |
|
License Endorsements |
Driver |
Tanker, Haz Tanker, Doubles/Triples, Haz Mat, Passenger |
|
TWIC Card |
Driver |
Y, N |
|
License Restrictions |
Driver |
Glasses, Automatic Only, No AirBrakes, Intrastate Only |
|
Vehicle Type |
Asset |
Daycab, Sleeper, Guzzler, Jet Rodder, Pickup |
|
Ownership Type Vehicle |
Asset |
Owned, Rented, Leased |
|
Vehicle Height |
Asset |
10-12’', 12-13’', 13-13’6’’ |
|
Vehicle Length |
Asset |
189", 272" |
|
IFTA |
Asset |
Y, N |
|
Liftgate |
Asset |
Y, N |
You can create custom attributes from the Samsara cloud dashboard or using Samsara APIs. For more information on APIs, see the Samsara Developer Documentation.
To create a custom attribute from the cloud dashboard:
-
Select the Settings icon (
) at the bottom of your Fleet menu to view dashboard settings. -
Select Tags > Attributes.
-
Click Create Attribute and define the attribute details, including:
-
Attribute Name: Enter a descriptive name for the attribute.
-
Entity Type: Select the type of entity for which you plan to assign the attribute, Driver or Asset.
-
Value Names: Enter a value for the attribute. Click Add value for each additional value you want to define.
-
-
Click Next.
-
Apply the attribute to your drivers or assets.
To narrow the results, use the search or tags.
-
Click Done to return to the list of other attribute values. Repeat the previous step to apply the attribute values to other entities.
-
When you are done assigning the attribute values, Save the attribute settings.
-
After you finish assigning the attribute values, you can filter the Fleet Overview, Drivers list, and Assets list for specific drivers or assets by attribute assignment.
When you select multiple attributes, Samsara returns results for drivers or assets that contain all selected values (meaning the operation is performed as an AND query). Similarly, when you select attributes in conjunction with tags, Samsara returns results for drivers or assets that contain all selected values.
-
For additional visibility in Driver and Asset lists, you can also add the attribute field as a column.
-
Click the column manager icon on the top right of the table.
-
Select the attributes for which you want to display.
-
Click Apply.
-
To quickly add attributes in bulk, Samsara provides a template in comma-separated values (CSV) format. When you export the template from the Samsara dashboard, Samsara includes all existing attributes and their unique Samsara ID. In the CSV file, you can add new attributes or modify information about your existing attributes.
To add or change definitions for multiple attributes:
-
Select the Settings icon (
) at the bottom of your Fleet menu to view dashboard settings. -
Select Organization > Tags & Attributes.
-
Select Attributes.
-
Select the more actions menu ( ... ) > Upload CSV.
-
Select Download Attributes List to download a template containing your existing attribute definitions or Download Blank Template to start a new template and define attributes from scratch.
You can later return here when you complete your edits to the CSV file.
-
Open the CSV file in a spreadsheet application of your choice.
If you open the file in Microsoft Excel, the application identifies the ID as a scientific number. As a result, you must first set the format for the ID field as a Number and remove any additional decimal places before saving the file. If you skip this step, you will overwrite the unique ID and will need to start over with a new file.
-
Make any desired changes to your attributes and save the file. Use the CSV Format table below to properly format your CSV file prior to upload. Review the following additional considerations for modifying the CSV file:
-
Any changes to existing attributes (including blank or empty fields) will overwrite the definitions in Samsara upon import. Be careful in these cases so you don't accidentally overwrite existing stored data.
-
Ensure that you have fewer than 50,000 entries.
-
You must include the first row (the header row) in the CSV file.
-
If you include a column and leave a value blank, Samsara assigns the default value for the field (typically null or blank).
-
-
Save your file and return to Attributes in the Samsara dashboard.
-
Select the more actions menu ( ... ) > Upload CSV.
-
Choose the CSV file or drag and drop the CSV file.
-
Preview Changes to your attribute updates.
The Samsara dashboard displays Attributes Upload, where you can view the upload progress.
-
Review your changes before you commit updates to the system.
If the upload has errors, click Review Errors. Edit your CSV file to correct the errors and retry the file upload.
-
Select Finalize Changes to add attributes in bulk.
The following table describes the CSV fields you can use to define your attributes. As you define your attributes, ensure that you make changes carefully. Any changes to existing attributes will overwrite the existing stored data.
|
Field |
Description |
Example |
|---|---|---|
|
ID |
(Required) Unique identifier for your attribute. This field is not editable on import since it represents an internal storage identifier. For new attributes, leave this field empty. |
1 |
|
Name |
(Required) The attribute name. |
License Type |
|
Entity Type |
(Required) The types of entities that an attribute can be applied to. This field can either be Driver or Asset. |
Driver |
|
Attribute Values |
(Required) The possible values for the attribute. Multiple values must be comma separated. |
Class A, Class B, Class C |
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.