How to Export and Audit Samsara ELD Data for HOS Compliance
Step-by-step guide for exporting RODS, driver logs, and GPS telemetry from Samsara — and what to look for when running an independent compliance audit against those records.
Samsara is one of the most widely used ELD platforms in North America. When conducting an independent HOS compliance audit, you need to export the right data in the right format. This guide covers the specific Samsara exports needed for a comprehensive compliance review.
What Data to Export
A complete compliance audit requires three categories of Samsara data:
1. Driver HOS Logs (RODS): The record of duty status for each driver, including all status changes, locations, remarks, and edit history. Export from Fleet > HOS > Driver Logs.
2. Vehicle Telemetry: GPS tracks, odometer readings, and speed data to cross-reference against duty status declarations. Export from Fleet > Vehicles > Reports > GPS History.
3. Supporting Activity: Ifta fuel data, trip reports, and any integrated document captures (BOLs, DVIRs) through the Samsara Documents feature.
Export Format: CSV vs. PDF
For audit purposes, always export in CSV or Excel format, not PDF. PDFs are for human review. CSV gives you:
• Machine-readable timestamps for automated processing • Odometer values for movement analysis • Edit history with modification timestamps • Location coordinates for GPS cross-referencing
Samsara's standard HOS export includes event type, start/end time, duration, location, remarks, edit count, and certify status. The edit history tab is especially important — it shows all retroactive changes made to log entries.
What to Look For in Samsara Log Data
When reviewing Samsara exports:
• Unidentified Driving events: Samsara flags these automatically — they represent movement the system couldn't attribute to a logged-in driver. High unidentified driving suggests sharing of vehicles without proper driver assignment.
• Edit annotations: Every edit shows the original value, the edited value, and who made the change (driver vs. back-office). Back-office edits warrant closer scrutiny.
• Certification gaps: Logs that were never certified by the driver are a compliance issue.
• Malfunction history: ELD malfunctions should have a corresponding paper log for the affected period. Missing paper logs during malfunction periods are a violation.
Running an Independent Audit
After exporting Samsara data, an independent audit engine should:
• Apply the correct ruleset (NSC Cycle 1/2, FMCSA, provincial) to each driver • Calculate running totals of driving, on-duty, and cycle hours • Flag any period where accumulated hours exceed regulatory limits • Cross-reference GPS data against status declarations • Match fuel receipts and other supporting documents to ELD location and time
Samsara's built-in compliance reports are a starting point — but they apply one ruleset and don't cross-reference supporting documents against log entries. Independent audits catch what the platform misses.
Ready to apply this to your fleet?
Upload your Samsara CSV export for a complete independent HOS compliance audit.
