From long- and short-haul truckers to bus and field operators, commercial vehicle drivers form the backbone of our economy. While they carry the weight of more than 72% of goods in the U.S., chronic underinvestment in their experience has exacerbated the driver shortage.

With labor in short supply and Covid accelerating the adoption of digital tools, more organizations than ever are turning to mobile technology to keep drivers engaged, safe, and productive. In a recent survey of 160 Samsara customers, 66% of respondents believed that mobile workflows can significantly improve operational efficiency. 

At Samsara, we want to make it easy for every organization to harness the power of mobile workflows through our Connected Operations Platform. Since we introduced Workflow Builder last year, hundreds of customers have customized and deployed workflows that guide over 16,000 drivers through their start-of-day routines every day. But we know that the start of a day is just one of many mission-critical moments that a driver needs to be able to perform flawlessly.

Today, on National Truckers Day, we’re excited to share new workflows so that every truck, bus, and field operator can get the guidance they need in every moment of their day:

• End-of-day workflows ensure drivers complete the right tasks in the right sequence before signing out for the day.

• Linked third-party tasks make it easier for drivers to access different apps in a single workflow.

• Multiple workflows help you customize workflows to the needs of every driver.

Keep drivers safe and compliant at the end of their day

After a long day on the road or in the field, it can be hard for drivers to remember all of the tasks they need to complete. But, every time drivers forget to complete a post-trip inspection or certify their HOS logs, they create safety and compliance risks for your organization and make it harder for administrators to maintain clean records.

Now, you can use Workflow Builder to publish end-of-day workflows to guide drivers through critical tasks at the end of their shift. Whether it’s submitting a post-trip DVIR, certifying logs, or completing a custom health form, the Driver App can automatically guide your drivers through each step when they sign out for the day.

Gravity Oilfield Services employs 320 technicians to provide water management, power generation, and chemical services across 42 oil well bases around the nation. After publishing end-of-day workflows in the Samsara Driver App, Gravity Oilfield saw an 80% reduction in the number of HOS violations associated with uncertified logs, as well as a significant improvement in DVIR completion rates. 

“With Samsara, our drivers get easy-to-follow guidance to make sure they complete their start- and end-of-day tasks,” said Agustín Chavarria, DOT Representative at Gravity. “Not only do these workflows help me save an hour of administrative work every day, but it gives me confidence that our drivers are safe and compliant when they’re on the road.”

Streamline driver tasks with access to third-party apps

Organizations around the world are adopting mobile technology at an increasingly rapid pace. With the rise of mobile devices has come a proliferation of mobile apps: In the last few years, the average number of software apps that an employee accesses at work has risen by 68%. However, introducing too many apps can run the risk of information overload. 70% of workers worldwide waste up to an hour a day navigating between apps, with more than half finding switching between apps highly disruptive to their day.

Now, you can help drivers access all of their apps within a single workflow in the Samsara Driver App. When you build a start- or end-of-day workflow, you can add tasks that directly link drivers to third-party apps. Onboard new drivers with training content on YouTube, improve engagement by linking drivers to your company’s internal app, or let drivers access one of the 125 integrations available on the Samsara App Marketplace.

With distractions abound on tablets and phones, consolidating tasks across apps helps your drivers focus on what’s most important so they can get off their device and on the road.

Customize workflows to the needs of every driver

When your operations span multiple states, lanes, or asset types, your drivers may require more personalized guidance for their different roles. Yet the lack of flexible workflows that cater to every role in your fleet can result in driver confusion, back office inefficiency, and ultimately, failure to deliver customer satisfaction.

Now, with multiple workflows, you can quickly customize different start- and end-of-day workflows to guide every driver—whether they’re behind the wheel or in the field. Do you employ some drivers who are required to use ELDs and others who are ELD-exempt? You can create one start-of-day workflow that requires ELD drivers to certify their HOS logs, and a second workflow that allows ELD-exempt drivers to skip this step. Do you operate a mix of asset and equipment types? You can use multiple end-of-day workflows to surface a standard post-trip DVIR to your truck drivers versus a custom inspection form to your heavy equipment operators before they sign out for the day.

In a world of rising customer expectations, it’s imperative to empower your teams with the right tools to meet those demands. By creating tailored workflows for your fleet, you can guide every driver to perform at their best and deliver the level of service customers expect.

Build a safer, more productive driver experience today

If there’s anything we’ve learned from the challenges of the past few years, it’s how foundational the safety and productivity of our drivers is to our collective wellbeing. Today, in recognition of National Truckers Day, we give thanks in particular to the 3.6 million truck drivers who spend day and night behind the wheel to keep our nation and economy going.

To start building a safer, more productive experience for your drivers, existing Samsara customers can sign up to try these workflows in beta today. 

Not a customer? Learn more about Samsara Apps & Driver Workflows, or reach out for a free trial or demo of the Samsara platform.