Samsara is introducing a set of new features to aid in management of diagnostics and malfunctions. 

Please note: These features are currently being rolled out to organizations on a set schedule by Samsara. Requests for enablement outside of that schedule are not being currently accepted.

Driver App Troubleshooting Guide 

Becoming aware of diagnostics & malfunctions

When a diagnostic or malfunction is active for that vehicle and/or driver, there will be a banner on the top of the HOS dials screen. These may be present over a timeframe of the last 2 weeks for the US and 3 weeks in Canada.

After the banner is tapped, a list of the active diagnostics and/or malfunctions will be displayed (grouped by diagnostic or malfunction):

Taking action to resolve a diagnostic or malfunction

After becoming aware that a diagnostic and/or malfunction is present, the next step is to tap on the banner or list to open up a detailed troubleshooting page:

Drivers can view four categories of information here:

• Overview: the date & time that the diagnostic or malfunction was triggered

• Why am I seeing this?: a specific explanation of why it was triggered

• Instructions: step-by-step troubleshooting guidance to resolve it

• How is this resolved?: what needs to happen for it to be resolved

Note that admins will be able to view the same troubleshooting information on the diagnostics & malfunctions report by clicking on the specific event. 

Typically, upon first seeing a diagnostic or malfunction, drivers will need to follow the instructions as an initial step.

After a diagnostic or malfunction has been successfully resolved, it will no longer appear in the driver app. However, there is one exception in the case of the Unidentified driving diagnostic, which is covered below.

Unidentified Driving Diagnostics

When an Unidentified Driving indicator is triggered, it’s required to display for a set amount of time regardless of its resolution status:

• If the driver is in the US, the Unidentified Driving Data Diagnostic must be displayed for the day it was triggered and the following 7 days, even if it was resolved

• If the driver is in Canada, the Unidentified Driving Data Diagnostic must be displayed for the day it was triggered and the following 14 days, even if it was resolved

• In cross-border scenarios, it is displayed depending on the current operating zone. For example, if the data diagnostic event was recorded 9 days ago (either in Canada or U.S.), the indicator must be off if the current operating zone is set to United States, but must be on if the operating zone is Canada South or North

The driver app will clearly state when this diagnostic is being shown for this reason after it’s resolved:

The Unidentified Driving diagnostic offers a built-in workflow to assist drivers in resolution. When the troubleshooting page is opened, a button can be tapped to open up the unassigned segment claiming process:

Diagnostics and Malfunctions Report

The Diagnostics & Malfunctions report will display diagnostics and malfunction events (D&M events) for the past and present across the entire fleet. Important information about how to resolve these events and other related data are easily accessible.

Opening and filtering the report

In the dashboard, this report can be found via the Compliance tab under “Diagnostic & Malfunction events”.

Upon opening the report, admins see all the D&M events that were triggered that day by default. It displays:

• Date triggered: day and time the event was triggered

• Event: full name of the D&M event

• Asset: the vehicle the D&M event was triggered in

• Drivers: any driver who assigned themselves to a vehicle with the D&M event or triggered it

• Days until deadline:

  • for US events, 8 days after the malfunction was triggered

  • for Canada events, 14 days after the diagnostic or malfunction was triggered

• Status: active or resolved

By using the date picker, admins can look back in the past to find D&M events triggered previously. They can also filter the events that are displayed by their resolution status (active or resolved), the type of event, and/or tags. Tags will only enable filtering by driver though.

Each row of this report can be clicked on to display key information for resolving the D&M event. There are four categories of information that will appear:

• Description: explains why the D&M event was triggered and how it will be resolved

• Carrier notes: admins can document all information related to the resolution process or other info

  • Canadian carriers are specifically required to document their resolution steps

• Troubleshooting steps: step-by-step guidance on how to resolve the event

• Event details: information about the event such as the time and location it was triggered at

Using the report to resolve diagnostics & malfunctions

When working through a new D&M event, the usual first step will be to follow the troubleshooting guidance and/or contact the driver to begin the resolution process.

Troubleshooting steps:

Initiate messages with the driver from the report:

Then, as that unfolds, documentation of the process can be done in the carrier notes:

Scheduling and sharing report data

Outside of the resolution process for a single D&M event, admins can create a workflow for themselves or team members by setting up a scheduled report.

The report can also be downloaded into a .csv file or printed for sharing.