Engine State Recording for Dash Cams

For fleets that require clearly defined recording periods, need to monitor idle-time activities like walkarounds or PTO operations, or want to reduce battery drain when the vehicle is off, the Record on Engine State recording setting ensures dash cams record only when the engine is running.

By default, Samsara Dash Cams use motion-based recording. To record based on engine state instead of motion, you can enable engine state recording. When enabled, recording begins when the engine is running, including idle states, and stops after the engine turns off, unless Parking Mode is enabled.

Considerations for Engine State Recording

Before enabling engine state recording, review the following considerations to ensure optimal performance and address potential challenges:

• If the engine is turned off before a trip ends, the dash cam may fail to capture the final still image for that trip.

  A trip is defined as traveling from a starting point to a stop or destination. By default, a trip begins when your vehicle achieves a speed of at least 5 mph and ends when the vehicle speed remains below 5 mph / 8 km/h for 5 minutes or when your vehicle crosses a state or national border.

• When the engine state is unknown or undetectable, the system automatically reverts to motion-based recording.

• If you enable Parking Mode after you enable Record on Engine State, the dash cam will continue recording when the engine is off, drawing power from the vehicle’s battery. Samsara recommends evaluating battery impact before enabling Parking Mode.

• Engine diagnostics, while thoroughly tested across a wide range of vehicles, may occasionally report the engine state as OFF even when it is ON. In these rare cases, the camera will not record. If this occurs, please submit a support ticket to help refine and improve diagnostic accuracy.

Enable Engine State Recording

Follow these steps to activate the recording based on engine state for all fleet devices:

1. Select the Settings icon ( ) at the bottom of your Fleet menu to view dashboard settings.

2. Within the Devices settings, select Configuration > Cameras.

3. In the Camera Recording settings, enable Record on Engine State.

4. Click Save to apply the changes.

   Note

   It may take time for settings to sync with devices in low-connectivity areas.