Samsara Inc. has a new partnership with International Motors and IC Bus, making the manufacturer the newest OEM in its Pre-Delivery Installation (PDI) program.

Details of the New Partnership & Program

Now, International will upfit new IC Bus school buses with Samsara devices at its Truck Specialty Centers and Custom Bus Center ocations. According to the announcement, this will eliminate weeks of post-delivery downtime for fleets across North America.

IC Bus customers will now receive the following benefits as part of the Samsara Pre-Delivery Installation program:

• Immediate vehicle utilization. New vehicles will arrive with Samsara devices pre-installed and activated, including Vehicle Gateways, dash cams, AI Multicam, and external cameras.
• Reduced administrative overhead. International can now order Samsara hardware directly for its customers, streamlining procurement and installation for fleet managers.
• Quality at scale. As an authorized installation partner, International TSC and CBC facilities now have a standardized process for installing Samsara devices, helping ensure consistent, reliable, and speedy installs across fleets.
• Synchronized subscription activation. Vehicle software licenses will be activated at the time of shipment to the customer, ensuring customers only pay for the technology once the wheels are ready to turn.

“Fleet operators today are looking for every possible edge in efficiency,” said Jeff Faulkner, SVP of operations at Samsara. “Since launching our PDI program less than a year ago, we’ve already seen a significant volume of pre-installed products, proving there is an appetite for 'out-of-the-box' connectivity. Partnering with International scales this impact significantly. We are committed to making integrated, pre-delivery telematics the industry standard, helping our customers move away from manual setups and toward a fully digitized, day one operation.”

Samsara plans to expand its Pre-Delivery Installation program to additional vehicle manufacturers and upfit partners, making integrated, pre-delivery telematics a standard offering across the industry.

Fleet Impact

Operators like First Student run buses equipped with Samsara products. With this expanded partnership, fleets like them can now upfit their new vehicles at International modification centers, including Escobedo, San Antonio, and Tulsa, saving time and money.

“At First Student, safety is a core value and a way of life, and caring for students is at the heart of everything we do," said John Kenning, CEO and president of First Student, a Samsara and IC Bus customer. "As the largest student transportation provider in the world with a fleet of nearly 49,000 vehicles, integrating AI-enabled safety technology directly at the point of manufacture allows us to build a fully connected, safety-first fleet from day one. ... this approach helps us anticipate risks, support our drivers, and deliver the safest, most reliable transportation experience so students arrive ready to achieve their full potential."