How to Manage Driver Logs in Samsara
What Is the Quick Summary?
Driver logs form the legal record of when a commercial driver works, drives, and rests. Inaccurate logs lead to violations, failed audits, and unhappy drivers. Meanwhile, manual oversight of hundreds of daily logs drains compliance teams. A connected system removes most of that burden by capturing drive time automatically and giving drivers and administrators clear tools to review, edit, and certify records.
Samsara – GPS Fleet Tracking Software supports this workflow through its Driver App, its Compliance section in the dashboard, and customizable Hours of Service (HOS) settings. This guide shows you how to manage driver logs in Samsara, from daily certification to unassigned driving, edits, annotations, and reporting. The information comes from the official Samsara knowledge base and FMCSA resources. Because menus and regulations change, always confirm details in your dashboard and with the relevant authority.
In short:
- Drivers record duty status and certify their logs in the Samsara Driver App.
- Administrators review logs under Compliance > Driver HOS and propose edits that drivers must accept.
- Back-office teams resolve unassigned driving in Compliance > Unassigned HOS.
- Annotations and remarks explain every change for auditors and inspectors.
How Do Driver Logs Work in Samsara?
Before you manage logs, understand how they originate. Clear roles prevent confusion and keep your records defensible.
What Does a Driver Log Contain?
According to the Samsara knowledge base, a driver log combines drive time that the electronic logging device (ELD) records automatically with status changes that the driver sets manually. When a driver selects a vehicle and a duty status in the Samsara Driver App, Samsara attributes driving segments to that driver automatically. At the end of the shift, the driver goes off duty and certifies the log from the HOS section of the app.
Who Is Responsible for What?
The ELD mandate changed responsibilities compared with older systems. Drivers certify and submit their own logs, while administrators suggest edits rather than changing records directly. The table below summarizes the division of work.
| Role | Main Responsibilities | Where They Work |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | Sets duty status, annotates events, claims or rejects unassigned time, reviews carrier edits, certifies logs | Samsara Driver App |
| Administrator | Reviews logs, proposes edits, adds remarks, monitors violations | Dashboard: Compliance > Driver HOS |
| Back-office or compliance staff | Assigns and annotates unassigned driving, monitors reports | Dashboard: Compliance > Unassigned HOS |
How Do Drivers Review and Certify Their Logs?
Certification confirms that the driver reviewed the record and found it accurate. Consequently, it sits at the center of any compliance program.
How Do You Certify a Log in the Driver App?
The knowledge base outlines a short process:
- Open the Hours of Service view and tap Daily Log.
- Select the log date you want to certify.
- Tap Certify and Submit.
- Read the certification statement and tap Agree – Submit.
If a driver forgets, the app shows uncertified log alerts at sign-in and sign-out. The driver can then choose Review and certify, review every listed date, and submit them together. After certification, the log remains editable, but the driver cannot un-certify it.
How Far Back Can Drivers View Logs?
Drivers can edit daily logs that are fewer than 30 days old directly from the log screen. To review older logs or carrier edits, they tap View older logs, and the app lets them review up to 184 days when an uncertified day or a pending edit exists. Encourage drivers to certify daily so they never face a backlog.
How Do Administrators Edit Driver Logs?
Mistakes happen. A driver may forget to switch statuses, or a technical issue may misattribute time. Samsara gives administrators a structured, regulation-friendly way to correct them.
What Are the Steps to Edit an HOS Log?
- In the dashboard, go to Compliance > Driver HOS.
- Search for the driver or filter by tag, then click the driver’s name.
- Select the log in the driver’s Hours of Service Report.
- Choose the edit or remark option and enter the change with a clear explanation.
- Save. The driver then reviews the proposal in the app.
The documentation states that, under ELD rules, you can edit logs only after the driver certifies them. Until then, the Edit and Manage options appear grayed out. After you save, the driver must accept or reject the change. If the driver accepts, the HOS clocks update to reflect the new duty status.
What Should You Know About Permissions and Support?
Several limits protect log integrity:
- Samsara Support can guide you through edits, but it cannot make direct changes to logs.
- Support cannot queue edits for a driver’s log, because the FMCSA ELD mandate prohibits it.
- You can allow drivers to propose edits to certified logs by enabling Drivers Can Edit Certified Log in the Customizable HOS Settings.
How Does the Ignore Driving Feature Help?
When the system records drive time that did not truly occur as driving, the Ignore Driving Segment feature lets an administrator propose a correction. The driver reviews it from the Daily Log through Review Carrier Edits, and acceptance readjusts remaining hours, clears related violations where applicable, and updates the clocks in the app. Administrators need a full admin role or a custom role with the appropriate Driver Logs permission to use it.
How Do You Handle Unassigned Driving Time?
Unassigned driving occurs when a vehicle moves without a signed-in driver. Left alone, it creates compliance risk and messy records.
Where Do You Find Unassigned Segments?
Open Compliance > Unassigned HOS to view the Unassigned HOS Report. The report shows unassigned driving by vehicle within a selected period and highlights total unassigned distance and time, along with counts of unassigned, pending, and annotated segments. As a rule, resolve these segments quickly.
How Do Drivers Claim Unassigned Time?
The Driver App prompts a driver to review unassigned segments when the selected vehicle has unassigned hours from the past eight days. The driver can claim or reject each segment. Your organization can require this review by enabling Force Review of Unassigned HOS. If a segment lands on the wrong driver and the driver accepts it, administrators can unassign it to return it to the report and reassign it to the right person.
How Can You Reduce Unassigned Segments?
Most unassigned time comes from yard moves. Therefore, the knowledge base recommends creating a geofence and setting its address type to Yard so Samsara annotates those trips automatically. Use this approach only for ELD-exempt personnel, such as mechanics, fuelers, or washers. Drivers who fall under ELD rules should always sign in and log the correct duty status.
| Tactic | Benefit | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Yard geofence with automatic annotation | Cuts manual work for yard moves | Use only for ELD-exempt personnel |
| Force Review of Unassigned HOS | Ensures drivers address prompts | Drivers need training on the claim flow |
| Weekly report review | Catches problems early | Assign an owner for follow-up |
How Do Annotations and Remarks Protect Your Fleet?
Every change should have a reason. Annotations create that paper trail.
What Should a Good Annotation Say?
A useful annotation states what happened, why the log needs the change, and who made it. Inspecting officers read these notes when they evaluate possible violations, so vague comments such as “fix” offer no value. Instead, write specific explanations, such as a yard move or a misattributed drive segment. Samsara also provides a standardized remark-only edit called Misattributed Duty Status Time, which you can retrieve through the HOS Logs API to catch issues in downstream systems.
How Do Drivers Use the Driver Portal?
The Driver Portal lets drivers view, certify, and share logs when they are away from the vehicle. By default, it shows the last seven days. However, the portal allows only limited edits, such as the Shipping ID and Trailer Name. Duty status and hours changes happen in the Driver App.
How Do You Monitor Driver Log Quality Over Time?
Good management goes beyond fixing errors. It prevents them.
Which Metrics Should You Watch?
Track these indicators each week:
- Uncertified log days: Drivers should certify daily.
- Unassigned time: Rising totals signal sign-in problems.
- Edit volume: Frequent edits point to training gaps.
- Violations: Review the cause, not only the count.
How Should You Train Drivers?
Train drivers on four habits: sign in before moving the vehicle, set the correct status, annotate exceptions immediately, and certify before logging off. Samsara also offers short training videos for the Driver App. Keep sessions practical, and use real examples from your own fleet.
How Do You Prepare Logs for Audits and Inspections?
Strong records make inspections routine. Review your processes before an auditor arrives.
What Should You Check Before an Audit?
- Confirm that all logs in the audit period carry driver certification.
- Clear or annotate every unassigned segment.
- Verify that each edit includes a clear remark.
- Check driver ELD exempt status, since exempt drivers cannot accept previously unassigned segments while HOS is disabled.
- Save reports and exports for your files.
FMCSA publishes official ELD guidance, including driver instructions on editing, annotating, and certifying logs. Review it regularly, because the regulation is the standard, and the software only supports it.
What Are the Key Conclusions?
Managing driver logs well requires clear roles, quick action, and consistent documentation. Samsara GPS Fleet Tracking Software supports all three. Drivers certify and annotate in the app, administrators propose edits and monitor reports in the dashboard, and the Unassigned HOS Report keeps stray driving time under control.
To improve your program this week, review your Unassigned HOS Report, enable a yard geofence where it applies, and confirm that drivers certify every day. Then schedule a monthly review of edits and violations to spot training needs. These steps reduce risk, shorten audits, and give your drivers confidence in their records. For the latest workflows and legal requirements, consult the Samsara knowledge base at kb.samsara.com and the FMCSA ELD resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not directly. Administrators propose edits or add remarks after the driver certifies the log, and the driver must accept or reject the change in the Driver App. This process follows ELD mandate requirements.
Samsara lists it in the Unassigned HOS Report. Drivers can claim or reject segments in the app, and administrators can assign or annotate them in the dashboard. Yard moves by ELD-exempt personnel can receive automatic annotations through a yard geofence.
No. Support can guide you through the process, but it cannot make direct edits or queue edits to HOS logs. The FMCSA ELD mandate does not allow it, so use the dashboard and Driver App workflows instead.
