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Import Fuel Purchases

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To synchronize the dashboard with fuel purchase information from a non-integrated fuel card provider, you can upload fuel purchase data using the Fuel Purchases Report.

Samsara supports importing fuel data in comma-separated values (CSV) format. Using the upload widget, map your data to Samsara fields. The mapping is not persistent and does not apply from file to file. Therefore, you must map the fields each time you upload a file.

After you upload a file, should you need to update prices, you must delete the transactions and re-upload.

To import fuel purchases:

  1. Create your fuel purchases file in CSV format (see CSV Format for Fuel Purchases for detailed formatting requirements). Also see Units & Currencies for additional information about units of measure.

  2. Select Fuel & Energy (Dashboard_menu_-_fuel_and_energy.png) > Fuel Purchases.

  3. Select More Actions > Upload CSV.

  4. Click Upload a file to browse to it, or drag and drop it on the dialog.

  5. Click Next.

  6. Map the headers to your CSV file starting with the required headers and any optional headers that you use in your file.

    MapHeadersCSV.png

  7. Click Next.

    Samsara validates the fields and data in your file. If necessary, resolve any errors and click Next to proceed with the data import.

    After you upload the CSV file, Samsara immediately begins processing the data. Depending on the number of transactions, processing can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete.

  8. If there are no errors in the file, you can review the data.

    fuel-data-import-review.png

    If the data looks as you expect, click Confirm. Otherwise, to make changes to the mapping, click Back and make the desired changes.

CSV Format for Fuel Purchases

If your field headers are different than the fields below, you can use the CSV upload to map your fields. However, the CSV file must still include the required fields. When there is no data specified for a given field, the value will be n/a. This can mean either this data has never been entered or is not being collected by Samsara.

ImportFuelCSV.png

Here are some important things to keep in mind when you create your file:

  • No more than 2,000 rows

  • The file must be a properly formatted CSV file.

  • The first row of the CSV file is the header row, and you must include it in the file.

  • A max upload size of 750kb

  • Date format: EFS fuel card provider exports dates into the yyyy-m-d format. Dates provided in the X/X/XXXX format will be interpreted as an American format (m/d/yyyy).

  • Time zone interpretations: Samsara assumes the date and time of the transaction is in the time zone of the merchant full address.

  • Location interpretations: Samsara performs geocoding to transform a given street address to a set of coordinates (latitude/longitude). This formatted address is often a higher quality (or at least more consistent) than the provided address.

Tip

To avoid an Invalid Device error, ensure that the information in the fuel purchase transaction corresponds to the data in your dashboard. For instance, if your vehicle name is "Vehicle 1" but the dashboard displays "Vehicle 1 " with a trailing space after the number, you can update the vehicle name in your dashboard to resolve the error. Likewise, if you've recently changed the name of a vehicle in the Samsara dashboard, make sure the name is updated in the CSV file as well.

The following table describes the CSV fields you can use to define fuel purchases:

Field

Description

Example

Transaction Number

(Required) Purchase transaction identifying information, such as a receipt number or transaction ID

1725

Quantity

(Required) Amount purchased

5.37

Gross Price

(Required) Total purchase cost (currency of the organization)

21.83

Full Address

Street, city, and jurisdiction address of fuel purchase location. For a successful upload, you must include an address. The Full Address should be used only if all location data is in one column in the CSV file.

If location data is separated across multiple columns in the CSV file, provide information for Site Name, Street Name, City, Jurisdiction, and Postal Codes instead.

4600 North World Drive Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Date & Time

Date and time of fuel purchase transaction. Acceptable formats include:

  • m/d/yy h:mm

  • m/d/yyyy h:mm

A date and time must be provided, either in the Date & Time field or by providing values for both the Date and Time fields.

The date format in this column must match the date format selected within the Fuel & Energy Settings in the Samsara dashboard (Settings (settings_icon.png) > Fuel & Energy > Fuel Purchases).

The time should be in the time zone where the purchase transaction occurred.

  • 1/25/22 22:40

  • 1/25/2022 22:40

Date

Date of fuel purchase transaction. Acceptable formats include:

  • m/d/yy

  • m/d/yyyy

A date and time must be provided, either in the Date & Time field or by providing values for both the Date and Time fields.

The date format in this column must match the date format selected within the Fuel & Energy Settings in the Samsara dashboard (Settings (settings_icon.png) > Fuel & Energy > Fuel Purchases).

  • 1/25/22

  • 1/25/2022

Time

Time of fuel purchase transaction (h:mm)

A date and time must be provided, either in the Date & Time field or by providing values for both the Date and Time fields.

The time should be in the time zone where the purchase transaction occurred.

22:40

Fuel Type

Type of fuel purchased.

See Fuel Type Assignment for more information on Fuel Types.

Gasoline

Site Name

The name of the gas station.

Shell

Street Name

This field is optional if Full Address field is complete.

4600 North World Drive Lake

City

This field is optional if Full Address field is complete.

Buena Vista

Jurisdiction

State or region of purchase transaction. This field is optional if Full Address field is complete.

FL

Postal Code

This field is optional if Full Address field is complete.

32830

Vehicle

The name of the vehicle that received the fuel purchased.

Semi#1

VIN

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

3FADP0L35AR143889

Fuel Type Assignment

You can provide a Fuel Type field that will assign a fuel type to the transaction. The accepted Fuel Type values are:

  • a55

  • biodiesel

  • cng

  • compressed natural gas

  • diesel

  • e85

  • electricity

  • electric

  • ethanol

  • gasohol

  • gasoline

  • hydrogen

  • lng

  • liquified natural gas

  • liquefied natural gas

  • liquid natural gas

  • m85

  • methanol

  • propane

  • other

Units & Currencies

Samsara does not store the unit or currency and defaults to the currency and volume shown on the dashboard report relative to the location of your organization. If needed, you can modify the unit by changing your metric settings in your profile. Because Samsara does not store the unit, this amount will not change when the unit of measure is changed.

Country

Unit

Currency

United States

US gallons

$ / USD

United Kingdom

Imperial gallons

£ / GBP

Canada

Liters

$ / CA USD

Mexico

Liters

$ / MXN

Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain

Liters

€ / EUR

Switzerland

Liters

CHF

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