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International to Offer Samsara Device Installation at Plants
Freightliner and Western Star Previously Launched Similar Programs
Key Takeaways:
- International Motors now offers factory installation of Samsara telematics devices ahead of vehicle delivery.
- Samsara says predelivery installs can reduce fleet downtime and lower costs through scaled procurement.
- International reported a second straight quarterly loss in the fourth quarter of 2025.
International Motors truck and bus customers now can install Samsara devices at the assembly plant ahead of delivery, the telematics vendor said April 9.
Lisle, Ill.-based International is the third Class 8 truck manufacturer to offer factory installation after Daimler Truck North America brands Freightliner and Western Star, a Samsara spokesperson said in an email.
Samsara customers driving trucks from other original equipment manufacturers use third-party upfitters.
San Francisco-based Samsara says installing real-time data tool Vehicle Gateway, dashcams, AI Multicam or external cameras at the factory can save fleets in two ways:
- Reduced downtime
- Lower costs as a result of scaled up procurement and installation
“Fleet operators today are looking for every possible edge in efficiency. Since launching our [predelivery installation] 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,” said Jeff Faulkner, senior vice president of operations at Samsara.
We’re expanding our Pre-Delivery Installation program with International. New International trucks and IC Bus school buses now ship with Samsara devices pre-installed and activated. Learn more: — Samsara (@Samsara)
“Partnering with International scales this impact significantly. We are committed to making integrated, predelivery telematics the industry standard, helping our customers move away from manual setups and toward a fully digitized, day one operation,” he added.
International also is the parent company of school bus manufacturer IC Bus.
Fleets can upfit vehicles at modification centers at the plants in Escobedo, Mexico; San Antonio; and Tulsa, Okla. Tulsa is where IC Bus assembles vehicles.
International is selling its Springfield, Ohio, assembly plant.
Truck makers continue to offer greater connectivity options to woo carriers as the fight for customers becomes ever more exacting with the end of the longest freight market downturn in memory remaining unclear.
International posted a second straight quarterly loss in the fourth quarter of 2025 as the OEM’s truck sales dropped 40% year over year and tariffs bit harder.
