Samsara Device Activation Guide — Andrews Logistics LP

Before you start

Log in at cloud.samsara.com. Your account needs a Full Admin role (or a role with Device Activation permission) to activate devices.
Have the device box in hand. The serial number is the bottom set of numbers and letters printed on the box (also on the device itself and in the order email).
Know the unit # of the truck or trailer each device was installed in — you'll need it in Step 6.

The orange box shows exactly where to click on each screen. Click any screenshot to enlarge it.

Open Settings

From the Samsara dashboard, click the ⚙ Settings gear icon at the bottom-left corner of the screen (circled in orange).

Samsara dashboard with the Settings gear circled at the bottom left — Click the gear at the very bottom of the left-hand menu.

Step 1 done

Click Devices

In the Settings menu on the left, find the DEVICES section and click Devices (boxed in orange).

Settings menu with the Devices item boxed under the DEVICES section — Devices sits directly under the DEVICES heading.

Step 2 done

Click Activate Devices

On the Devices page, click + Activate Devices in the top-right corner (boxed in orange).

Devices page with the Activate Devices button boxed in the top right — You'll return to this same page in Step 5 to find your new device.

Step 3 done

Enter the serial numbers & activate

Type the serial number from the bottom of the box into the text box (top orange box). It's a mix of numbers and letters.

You do not have to type the dashes ( - ) — just the characters.
You can activate multiple devices at once: press Enter after each serial so each one is on its own line (up to 200 at a time).

When all serials are entered, click Activate devices (lower orange box). A green checkmark confirms each successful activation.

Heads up: New devices can take up to 10 minutes to appear in the dashboard. If a serial errors out, double-check the spelling before retrying.

Activate Devices screen with the serial entry box and Activate devices button boxed — One serial per line. Dashes are optional.

Step 4 done

Find the new gateway

Go back to the Devices page (Settings → Devices) and use the Search Gateways box to find the gateway you just activated. Until it's renamed, it shows its serial number in the Name / unit # spot — that's how you spot it.

On that row, click the ••• three-dot menu, then click Settings (both boxed in orange).

Three-dot menu open with the dots and the Settings option boxed — Click the ••• first, then Settings in the dropdown.

Step 5 done

Rename it to the unit #

In the Settings window, change the Name field (orange box) from the serial number to the unit # of the truck or trailer it's installed in. Then click Save.

If this is a tractor: don't save yet — do Step 7 first, then save once.

Vehicle Settings window with the Name field boxed in orange — Replace the serial number in the Name field with the unit #.

Step 6 done

Tractors only: add the PTO switch

Still in the Settings window, scroll down to AUX Inputs (orange box) and set:

Aux Input Type: Power Take-Off
Input Number: 1

Then click Save. Trailers and non-PTO units skip this step.

AUX Inputs section with Power Take-Off on Input 1 boxed in orange — Set the first Aux Input to Power Take-Off, Input Number 1.

Step 7 done

That's it — rinse and repeat

Repeat Steps 5–7 for every serial number you activated in Step 4.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
Serial number gives an error	Check the spelling against the box. If it still fails, submit a request through Samsara Support (Help button in the dashboard).
Prompted to "Switch organization"	The serial is registered to a different Samsara org. Click Switch organization and repeat the steps there.
Device doesn't show up in search	Wait up to 10 minutes after activating, then search again. Make sure you're on the Gateways tab.
Activated a big batch and some are missing	Batches over 200 serials can fail silently. Re-enter the missing serials in a smaller batch.