Samsara ELD + TMS Integration: The Complete Setup Guide

What does a Samsara ELD + TMS integration do?

A Samsara TMS integration creates a live data bridge between your Samsara ELD hardware and your transportation management system. Instead of dispatchers logging into the Samsara dashboard to check truck locations, then switching to the TMS to update load status, the TMS pulls that data automatically. Every truck's GPS position, every driver's HOS clock, every DVIR report, and every engine fault code flows into the TMS in real-time.

This matters because dispatch decisions depend on ELD data. Before assigning a load, a dispatcher needs to know: Where is the truck right now? How many drive hours does this driver have left? Is the truck in service or flagged on a DVIR? Without a Samsara TMS integration, answering those questions requires switching apps, calling drivers, or checking a separate portal. With the integration, the answers are on the dispatch board before the dispatcher asks.

Data that flows from Samsara ELD to your TMS

A native Samsara ELD integration sends the following data to your TMS automatically:

• -Real-time GPS location — every truck's position updates on the dispatch board map without driver input or manual check-calls. Dispatchers see where every truck is at a glance.
• -Driver HOS status — available drive hours, duty status (driving, on-duty, sleeper, off-duty), and time until next required break. The TMS uses this to prevent dispatchers from assigning loads a driver can't legally complete.
• -DVIR inspection reports — pre-trip and post-trip inspection results flow into the TMS. Critical defects automatically flag the truck as out-of-service in the dispatch board until the defect is resolved.
• -Engine fault codes and diagnostics — the Samsara ELD reads engine ECM data and forwards fault codes to the TMS. Fleet managers get alerts for potential issues before they become roadside breakdowns.
• -Odometer and engine hours — the TMS uses this data to trigger preventive maintenance alerts (oil changes, inspections, brake service) and to calculate accurate mileage for IFTA reporting and per-mile driver pay.
• -Fuel efficiency data — MPG by truck, idle time percentages, and fuel consumption trends. Combined with fuel card data in the TMS, this gives a complete picture of fuel cost per mile by unit.

How to connect Samsara ELD to ZuzHQ TMS

1. 1

   Generate a Samsara API token

   In your Samsara dashboard, go to Settings > API Tokens and create a new token with read access to vehicles, drivers, and HOS data. Copy the token — you'll paste it into ZuzHQ in the next step. This takes about 2 minutes.

2. 2

   Connect Samsara in ZuzHQ settings

   In ZuzHQ, go to Settings > Integrations > Samsara and paste your API token. Click Connect. ZuzHQ will pull your vehicle and driver list from Samsara and match them to your existing fleet records. If names match, the pairing is automatic.

3. 3

   Verify data is flowing

   Open the ZuzHQ dispatch board. You should see live GPS dots for every truck that has a Samsara ELD installed. Click any truck to verify HOS data is showing. Check the fleet management screen to confirm odometer readings are updating. The entire sync typically takes under 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Configure alerts and automation rules

   Set up the automations that make the integration valuable: HOS warnings when a driver drops below 2 hours of available drive time, DVIR defect alerts that flag out-of-service trucks on the dispatch board, and preventive maintenance triggers based on Samsara odometer data. These rules run continuously once configured.

What changes for dispatchers after Samsara TMS integration

The biggest change is that dispatchers stop making check-calls. Before the integration, a dispatcher managing 30 trucks might spend 1-2 hours per day calling drivers for location updates and ETA estimates. After the Samsara TMS integration, every truck's position is on the dispatch board map in real-time. The dispatcher's phone calls drop to exception-only: a late pickup, a customer issue, a route change.

The second change is HOS-aware dispatching. Instead of assigning a load and hoping the driver has enough hours, the dispatcher sees available drive time on the dispatch board before making the assignment. This eliminates the rejected-load cycle where a driver accepts a load, drives 30 minutes toward pickup, realizes they'll run out of hours, and calls back to cancel. That cycle wastes fuel, time, and customer goodwill — and the Samsara ELD integration eliminates it.

Samsara ELD integration for IFTA and settlements

Beyond dispatch, a Samsara TMS integration automates two of the most tedious back-office tasks in trucking: IFTA reporting and per-mile driver pay. The Samsara ELD tracks miles driven by state and province automatically. When paired with fuel card data in the TMS, the system calculates your quarterly IFTA tax obligation by jurisdiction without anyone manually logging state-line crossings or reconciling mileage reports.

For driver settlements, the same Samsara mileage data feeds per-mile pay calculations. If a driver is paid $0.55 per mile, the TMS uses Samsara's odometer data to calculate the exact miles driven per load — not estimated miles from a rate con or a mileage lookup tool. The result is more accurate settlements, fewer driver disputes, and a settlement process that takes minutes instead of hours.

Samsara ELD + TMS integration FAQ