Samsara Launches Recognition for Drivers to Help Fleets Build Safer, More Engaged Driver Cultures

May 13, 2025 at 09:00 AM EDT

Samsara Inc. ("Samsara") (NYSE: IOT), the pioneer of the Connected Operations^® Platform, today announced the global launch of Recognition, a new feature designed to help fleets celebrate safe driving behavior and strengthen driver engagement—without adding administrative overhead.

With driver turnover remaining one of the industry's toughest challenges—reaching rates as high as 94%¹ at large truckload carriers—fleets are urgently seeking new ways to improve retention. In addition to investing in tools to help fleets manage risks, Samsara is doubling down on a driver-first approach by empowering managers to recognize and reward high performance in real time.

Research shows that well-recognized employees are 45% less likely to leave their jobs², and companies with high engagement see 48% fewer safety incidents³. Recognition builds on this insight by giving safety leaders a simple, scalable way to reinforce the behaviors that matter—helping fleets improve morale, build trust, and keep drivers and communities safe.

“Recognition represents a shift in how fleets can foster a culture of safety,” said Johan Land, SVP of Product and Engineering at Samsara. “Rather than focusing solely on correcting risky behavior, we’re giving safety leaders tools to celebrate drivers for what’s going well—boosting morale, building trust, and reinforcing the habits that keep drivers and communities safe.”

Technology That Celebrates Drivers, Backed by Real-Time Data

Recognition uses real-time driver data and AI-driven performance insights to help managers identify key moments worth celebrating—such as safe driving streaks, major improvements, or consistent compliance with Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. These insights make it easy for managers to deliver timely, meaningful recognition through the Samsara Driver App.

Key capabilities include:

Streaks and Milestones – Surfaces patterns in safe speed, focused driving, HOS compliance, and fuel-efficient behavior—so managers can act quickly.
Personalized Kudos – Coaches can add customized messages, turning data into meaningful, motivating moments.
Shared Visibility – Drivers and managers can track performance milestones through intuitive dashboards and mobile views.

Proven Results Across the Industry

Fleets using Samsara have already seen significant improvements in both safety and retention. Samsara has helped:

DHL reduce accident costs and driver turnover by 50%
Home Depot lower claims by 65%
The City of Memphis cut distracted driving by 70%

For safety leaders, the true value of Recognition comes to life in the day-to-day impact on their teams. At Trades Holding Co., Fleet Director Nick Mattocks describes how Recognition has transformed not just their data, but their entire safety culture:

“We’ve been really impressed with Samsara’s Recognition. It’s become a valuable tool for reinforcing safe driving habits and creating a more supportive safety culture across our fleet. The real-time alerts and video evidence help us not only coach more effectively, but also proactively recognize and reward drivers for doing the right thing on the road. It’s helped shift the conversation from just identifying risky behavior to actively celebrating safe driving—and our team really appreciates that. Overall, it’s been a great addition to our safety program.”

By turning recognition into a daily habit, Samsara is helping organizations build workplaces where drivers feel seen, supported, and motivated to perform at their best.

Recognition that Scales with You

Unlike standalone recognition systems, Recognition is fully integrated within the Samsara ecosystem—meaning no extra software, no add-ons, and no extra effort. It’s recognition that works at scale, designed for safety teams who want to boost performance without adding complexity to your team’s workflow.

See the full picture of fleet safety with Samsara and how Recognition can help you build a stronger driver culture here.

About Samsara

Samsara (NYSE: IOT) is the pioneer of the Connected Operations^® Platform, which enables organizations that depend on physical operations to harness Internet of Things (IoT) data to develop actionable insights and improve their operations. With tens of thousands of customers across North America and Europe, Samsara is a proud technology partner to the people who keep our global economy running, including the world’s leading organizations across construction, transportation and warehousing, field services, manufacturing, retail, logistics, and the public sector. The company's mission is to increase the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the operations that power the global economy.

Samsara is a registered trademark of Samsara Inc. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

¹https://www.fleetowner.com/operations/article/55000572/these-recruitment-strategies-help-with-truck-driver-retention

²https://www.gallup.com/analytics/472658/workplace-recognition-research.aspx#:~:text=45%25%20Well%2Drecognized%20employees%20are,as%20likely%20to%20be%20engaged

³https://hbr.org/2013/07/employee-engagement-does-more