City of Houston Public Works modernize their operations and empower employees through digitization
The City of Houston Public Works consolidates telematics, reporting, and asset tracking to streamline operations, improve fleet utilization, and empower employees with real-time data.
Meet Houston Public Works
Limited visibility and manual processes made fleet management less efficient
Managing a public works division serving 2.3M citizens in the City of Houston is a complex and high-stakes responsibility. With nearly 4,000 vehicles and assets spanning light-duty trucks, construction equipment, trailers, and even boats, City of Houston Public Works is responsible for keeping essential services running smoothly. Their work ensures roads are maintained, drinking water is clean, and wastewater is properly treated—critical services that impact the daily lives of millions.
For years, Houston Public Works operated with an analog fleet management system that made tracking vehicles and generating reports inefficient. Without real-time visibility, fleet managers struggled to monitor vehicle utilization, optimize asset deployment, and quickly access the data they needed to support operations. Every hour spent troubleshooting outdated technology was an hour not spent serving the community.
“Before Samsara, we were using an old system—an analog system,” said Brian Blum, Assistant Director, Public Works. “When our contract was expiring, and the vendor wanted us to absorb the cost of replacing technology to stay compatible with their solutions, we knew it was time to look for a new partner. One that could keep pace with our needs and keep innovating.”
Beyond the limitations of their previous system, siloed data and manual workflows created additional inefficiencies. Public Works leaders were inundated with requests to locate vehicles, pull diagnostic reports, or troubleshoot issues, leading to bottlenecks that slowed decision-making. Employees in the field lacked direct access to data, making it harder to respond to issues in real time.
For the public sector teams, technology needs to be intuitive and work out of the box—there isn’t time for complex training or workarounds. Houston Public Works needed a solution that was immediately usable, with real-time fleet visibility, streamlined reporting, and an intuitive interface that employees at every level could adopt quickly.
“We needed intuitive technology,” said Margarita Garcia, Sr. Division Manager, Houston Public Works. “Something where employees could access the information themselves instead of calling our department to pull reports or data for them.”
To find the right solution, Houston Public Works launched an extensive pilot program, testing five different vendors before ultimately selecting Samsara for its connected, easy-to-use platform and commitment to continuous innovation.
A connected platform with intuitive reporting and proactive support
After a rigorous evaluation process, Houston Public Works selected Samsara to modernize its fleet operations and address key challenges around visibility, reporting, and usability. “We were very impressed with Samsara’s technology, and their customer support really set them apart,” said Blum. “Ever since we partnered with Samsara, we haven’t looked at competitors. Now we have a solution that is a cut above everybody and is helping us find new ways to improve safety and efficiency.”
Houston Public Works initially deployed Samsara Vehicle Gateways and fleet management tools to gain real-time visibility into vehicles, track utilization, and improve reporting capabilities.
Samsara’s intuitive platform has also led to greater engagement from employees. More staff members are proactively using the system, requesting access to features like GPS tracking and reporting for operational improvements. “The way employees are using Samsara tells me everything I need to know,” Garcia said. “They’re reaching out, they’re engaged, and they’re using the tools to improve their work. That speaks louder than words.” With its intuitive interface, Samsara enabled employees across departments to easily access data, reducing bottlenecks and empowering teams to be more proactive.
As part of the rollout, Samsara worked closely with the Houston Public Works team to ensure a smooth implementation, helping fleet managers set up custom reports to track vehicle health, monitor compliance, and optimize asset utilization. By consolidating fleet data into a single, easy-to-use platform, Houston Public Works gained the tools needed to streamline operations and support essential public services.
Greater fleet visibility and accountability empowered teams to improve efficiency and safety
With Samsara, Houston Public Works has transformed how it manages its fleet, gaining real-time visibility into vehicle locations, utilization, and performance. Supervisors who once relied on the back office to pull reports now have direct access to the data they need, enabling them to track vehicles, monitor maintenance needs, and make informed decisions without delays.
“Our supervisors and employees in the field can now take even greater initiative,” said Garcia. “They don’t have to rely on one person to get access to data or pull reports—everything they need is already there at the tip of their fingers in the Samsara platform.”
The ability to track vehicle and asset utilization more effectively has helped Houston Public Works optimize its fleet. Using Samsara reporting, leadership can quickly identify underutilized assets and make decisions about reassignment or retirement.
“We run utilization reports frequently and reach out to supervisors if we see a vehicle that hasn’t been used in awhile,” Garcia said. “Sometimes, that’s all it takes for teams to put an asset back into rotation that may have fallen off the radar—or decide that it’s time to retire or replace the asset. Real-time data helps us keep our fleet rightsized and ensure that our utilization is as strong as it can be.”
In addition to improving asset management, Houston Public Works is rolling out Samsara AI Dash Cams to enhance safety and accountability. Even in the early stages of deployment, the cameras have proven valuable. “Typically, anytime you put new technology out there, people are concerned,” said Blum. “But once employees realize this is being done for safety, they’re a lot more receptive. In a recent incident, the footage proved our employee wasn’t at fault—an incident that could have cost thousands. That’s good for safety, our employees, and our citizens.”
By consolidating fleet operations into Samsara’s connected platform, Houston Public Works has improved efficiency, strengthened accountability, and empowered employees to work smarter. With better visibility and real-time data, Houston Public Works is ensuring that critical public services continue running smoothly for the citizens who depend on them.
