Key Takeaways

  • Samsara added International Motors, LLC as the latest OEM in its Pre-Delivery Installation program
  • International trucks and IC Bus school buses will now ship with Samsara hardware installed and activated
  • The partnership targets faster deployments, lower admin overhead, and improved fleet safety and connectivity

Samsara Inc. is pushing further into factory-level telematics integration with its latest move, naming International Motors, LLC as the newest OEM partner in its Pre-Delivery Installation program. The decision brings Samsara hardware directly into the manufacturing and upfit process for International trucks and IC Bus school buses, a shift that trims weeks of post-delivery downtime for fleets that would normally install these systems after vehicles arrive.

By embedding Vehicle Gateways, dash cams, AI Multicam, and other sensors at the point of manufacture, Samsara and International are effectively moving digital fleet setup to day zero. Some fleets have been asking for this for years, but industry inertia and post-delivery customization have slowed adoption. Now, International’s Truck Specialty Centers and Custom Bus Center locations will handle the installs before vehicles leave for customers.

First Student’s CEO and President John Kenning underscored the operational value of this approach. First Student already runs nearly 49,000 vehicles, and he noted that integrating AI safety features directly on the production line helps support driver safety, reduce risk, and keep student transit reliable. The company’s First Student HALO platform depends on this type of data foundation, and pre-delivery activation aligns well with its broader digital strategy.

The administrative lift around telematics procurement, especially for large fleets, can be surprisingly heavy. International can now order Samsara hardware directly on behalf of customers, simplifying a process that normally involves coordination between purchasing teams, installers, and third-party service providers. For fleet managers juggling thousands of assets, that reduction in complexity can be significant.

Quality control is another piece of the picture. By standardizing installation at International’s TSC and CBC facilities, both companies aim to reduce the variability that usually occurs when equipment is installed by a mixture of dealership technicians, aftermarket upfitters, and mobile installers. Consistency matters when fleets scale across hundreds of sites and vehicle types, and it reduces the long tail of troubleshooting that can plague uneven deployments.

Subscription activation timing also directly affects cost efficiency. Samsara will now enable software licenses once vehicles ship rather than at order processing. Customers pay only when assets are ready for the road, not while they sit on a lot waiting for installation or delivery.

Huber Mastelari, VP of Service Contracts and Connectivity at International, framed the move as a fundamental shift in how fleets engage with connected assets. His point that customers are not just receiving a vehicle but a connected, intelligent asset ties nicely to a broader trend in commercial transportation. Fleets increasingly view data as part of the vehicle itself, not an added component.

Organizations like Estes and First Student already operate more than 200,000 International trucks and IC buses equipped with Samsara products. With the expanded partnership, these fleets can upfit new vehicles at International’s modification centers in Escobedo, San Antonio, and Tulsa. That means less time coordinating aftermarket installation appointments and more time placing vehicles into service.

Jeff Faulkner, SVP of Operations at Samsara, referenced the notable volume of pre-installed products since the PDI program launched less than a year ago. The idea that fleets want out-of-the-box connectivity has been emerging for some time, and this partnership serves as another validation point. It also speaks to Samsara’s ambition to make pre-delivery telematics the default across commercial vehicle manufacturing.

This move signals accelerating convergence between OEMs and telematics providers. As vehicle technology becomes more software-centric, manufacturers are increasingly integrating digital platforms directly into production instead of leaving installations to aftermarket partners. The strategy mirrors shifts seen elsewhere in the industry, especially among OEMs exploring autonomous driving support systems or electrification data management.

For companies tracking the evolution of connected operations, the Samsara and International agreement is one more signpost in a larger migration. Fleets want faster onboarding, fewer integration headaches, and data systems that work the moment keys are handed over. As more OEMs adopt similar programs, the industry will evaluate whether aftermarket telematics installation shrinks to a niche role.

Additional expansion of Samsara’s Pre-Delivery Installation program is expected, and the company plans to showcase future developments at its Samsara Beyond event in June 2026. As connected operations mature, the line between hardware manufacturing and digital platform integration continues to blur, and partnerships like this one accelerate that shift.