How to Export GPS Reports in Samsara
What Is the Quick Summary?
GPS data tells you where every vehicle went, when it arrived, and how far it traveled. However, that data only creates value when the right people can use it. Dispatchers want trip proofs for customer disputes, finance teams need mileage for tax records, and operations leaders want activity summaries for planning. Exporting GPS reports puts that information into spreadsheets, PDFs, and business tools.
Samsara – GPS Fleet Tracking Software offers several export paths: dashboard reports such as Trip History and the Activity Report, scheduled email delivery, the Samsara Driver App for mileage logs, and the API for raw location data. This guide walks you through each path, explains which report fits which job, and shows you how to avoid common mistakes. Details come from the official Samsara knowledge base and developer documentation, but menu names can change between releases, so confirm them in your own dashboard.
In short:
- Open Reports > Activity > Trip History to export trip-level GPS data as CSV.
- Use the Activity Report for per-driver and per-asset summaries in CSV or XLSX.
- Schedule recurring emails from more actions (…) or Settings > Scheduled Reports.
- Use the Driver App or the API for mileage logs and raw location history.
Which GPS Reports Can You Export From Samsara?
Samsara organizes GPS-based reporting by purpose. Choosing the right report first saves you from cleaning the wrong data later.
What Does Each GPS Report Contain?
| Report | Where to Find It | What It Shows | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trip History | Reports > Activity > Trip History | Start and end location, vehicle, trailer, driver, and distance for each trip | Reconstructing movement and proving where a vehicle went |
| Activity Report | Reports > Activity | Summary metrics per driver or asset, including stops and odometer values | Utilization and period comparisons |
| Driver Activity Report | Reports > Activity | Detailed record of driver actions, such as Driver App use and ELD updates | Driver-level reviews |
| Business mileage report | Driver App or Trip History | Annotated trips with purpose and odometer readings | Tax and reimbursement records |
| API location history | Developer API | Time-stamped coordinates for vehicles | Data warehouses and custom analytics |
Why Does the Trip History Report Matter Most?
According to the Samsara knowledge base, the Trip History Report lets you track driving habits and reconstruct the movement of your assets. It draws on data from a Vehicle Gateway or supported Asset Gateway. The report counts a trip as meaningful when it lasts longer than five minutes and is not a yard trip, which the documentation describes as shorter than one mile. Therefore, very short moves may not appear in the report or in its export. For each trip, you see the start and end location, the vehicle and trailer, the driver, and the distance. Vehicle gateway trips also include images captured every five minutes and a Trip Speeding Summary.
How Do You Export the Trip History Report Step by Step?
The Trip History export is the most common GPS export. The process takes only a few minutes once you know the pattern.
How Do You Run and Export the Report?
- Sign in to the Samsara dashboard.
- Go to Reports > Activity > Trip History.
- Use the date selector to set the period you need.
- Narrow the results with filters, tags, or the Search locations field.
- Review the on-screen rows to confirm the scope.
- Open the more actions (•••) menu in the upper right corner.
- Select the CSV export option, or choose the print option if you need a PDF copy.
- Open the file and check the row count, dates, and columns.
The knowledge base states that you can export the Trip History report to a CSV file for archival or reporting purposes and print it from the same menu. As a result, you can create a PDF by printing to PDF in your browser.
How Should You Prepare Before Exporting?
A little preparation improves the file you receive.
- Pick the right date range. Large ranges create large files, so split quarterly jobs into months.
- Apply tags first. Tags separate depots, regions, and departments.
- Confirm permissions. Your role determines which reports and vehicles you can see.
- Decide the format. Use CSV for analysis and PDF for sharing.
How Do You Export the Activity Report?
The Activity Report gives you a higher-level view. Each row represents one driver or asset with summary metrics, and the data comes from all vehicle and asset gateways.
What Steps Export the Activity Report?
The knowledge base explains that you can export any Activity Report in CSV or XLSX format, or schedule it as an email report, through the more actions (…) menu.
- Open Reports and choose the Activity Report that fits your question.
- Set the timeframe and filters.
- Select more actions (…).
- Choose Export CSV, Export XLSX, or the option to schedule an email.
- Save the file and verify the totals against the dashboard.
What Do the GPS-Related Columns Mean?
Several fields come straight from GPS data. The documentation lists latitude and longitude for asset location, asset speed at the time of activity, the speed limit at that location, and the odometer calculated from GPS-based distances. It also notes that drive time in the Activity Report relies on trips, so it can differ from drive time in the Driver Efficiency Report, which uses engine state without a minimum speed. Keep that difference in mind when you compare numbers across reports.
| Field | Meaning | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Latitude / Longitude | GPS coordinates of the asset | Mapping in GIS or BI tools |
| Speed | Asset speed at the time of activity | Behavior analysis |
| Speed Limit | Posted limit at the location | Compliance review |
| Odometer | Distance-based reading from GPS | Maintenance and mileage |
| Stops | Number of trip stops in the period | Route efficiency |
How Do You Export Mileage Logs for Tax and Reimbursement?
Mileage records need accuracy and clear purpose labels. Samsara supports two approaches: driver-side exports and administrator exports.
How Can Drivers Export Business Mileage?
Drivers use the Trip Log in the Samsara Driver App to review completed trips, annotate the purpose, and add comments. The app shows trips from the last 30 days, or 7 days for German customers. To export, the driver taps Export, selects a time range, enters an email address, and sends the report. The driver can save the address for later use.
How Can Administrators Export Mileage?
Fleet administrators can view and export annotated trips, including asset-specific or driver-specific business mileage reports, from the Trip History Report. The documentation explains that start and end odometer readings use ECU-reported values when available. When the ECU does not report an odometer, Samsara combines a manual odometer reading with GPS distance. Therefore, update manual odometers regularly to keep mileage logs accurate.
How Do You Schedule Recurring GPS Report Emails?
One-time exports answer one-time questions. Scheduled reports answer recurring ones without extra effort.
How Do You Set Up a Scheduled Report?
The knowledge base describes two entry points. First, select a report in Reports and configure it as a scheduled report. Second, go to Settings > Scheduled Reports and add a new one. Next, choose the report type, pick the recipients, and set the cadence and frequency. You can send a report to a group of users, and you can edit the schedule later from the same area.
Which Schedule Fits Which Team?
| Team | Suggested Cadence | Suggested Report |
|---|---|---|
| Dispatch | Daily | Trip History for the previous day |
| Operations | Weekly | Activity Report by vehicle or driver |
| Finance | Monthly | Mileage and distance summaries |
| Leadership | Monthly or quarterly | High-level activity summaries |
When Should You Use the Samsara API for GPS Data?
Dashboard exports suit most business users. Nevertheless, some projects need raw coordinates, higher frequency, or automation. The API fits those cases.
Which API Options Exist for Location Data?
Samsara’s developer documentation describes three approaches to vehicle location data: the most recent locations, a real-time feed, and historical locations between a start and end time. GPS data is also available through the vehicle stats endpoints, which let you combine location with onboard diagnostic data in one call. You can filter by tags or vehicles to limit the results.
What Should You Know About Location Frequency?
The documentation explains that the device sends location updates about every five seconds while the vehicle is on. When the vehicle is off, updates arrive about once an hour, and motion triggers the faster rate again. Parked vehicles can produce repeated rows with identical data. In addition, poor GPS connectivity, such as inside a garage, can create gaps even when the dashboard shows the vehicle as on. Plan your analysis to handle duplicates and gaps, and follow pagination to the end so you do not miss records.
How Do You Troubleshoot Common GPS Export Problems?
Most issues fall into a few predictable groups. Work through the list below before you contact support.
Why Are Trips Missing From the Export?
Short trips may not meet the meaningful trip criteria. Check the trip length and distance, and confirm that the vehicle has a working gateway. In addition, verify the date range and tags.
Why Do Distance or Drive Time Numbers Differ Between Reports?
Different reports calculate values in different ways. Activity Reports rely on trips, while the Driver Efficiency Report relies on engine state. GPS-based odometer values can also differ from ECU values. Compare like with like, and document which report you used.
Why Does the File Look Too Large or Too Slow to Open?
Split the export into smaller date ranges. Alternatively, move the job to the API and load the data into a database or BI tool.
What Best Practices Keep GPS Exports Reliable?
- Name files clearly. Include the report name, date range, and tag.
- Protect location data. GPS records can reveal personal movement patterns, so restrict access and follow your privacy policy.
- Validate samples. Compare a few trips against the dashboard before you distribute a file.
- Standardize your process. Document who exports what, how often, and why.
- Review schedules each quarter. Remove stale reports and add new ones as needs change.
What Are the Key Conclusions?
Exporting GPS reports turns location data into proof, planning, and savings. Samsara – GPS Fleet Tracking Software gives you flexible options: Trip History for movement details, the Activity Report for summaries, the Driver App for mileage logs, scheduled emails for recurring needs, and the API for raw data at scale.
Start with one report that your team requests often. Export it manually, verify the numbers, and then convert it into a scheduled report. As your needs grow, add API workflows and tighter data governance. Consistent habits produce trustworthy data, and trustworthy data supports faster decisions. For the newest menu names and report options, always check the official Samsara knowledge base at kb.samsara.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
In many cases, yes. The Trip History Report offers a print option in the more actions (•••) menu, and you can save the printed view as a PDF. Other reports may offer direct PDF exports, so check the export options for the report you use.
While a vehicle is on, the device sends location updates about every five seconds. When the vehicle is off, it sends an update about once an hour until it senses motion again. Your export reflects these intervals.
Yes. Use Scheduled Reports for recurring emails, or use the Samsara API for automated pulls of vehicle locations and stats. Build API jobs to handle pagination, duplicates, and connectivity gaps.
