Low Bridge Strike Alerting helps prevent collisions with low-clearance bridges by providing real-time in-cab audio alerts to drivers when their vehicle or trailer height exceeds the clearance of an approaching bridge.
To function correctly, each vehicle or trailer must have a defined height. Vehicles without a configured height will not receive alerts.
Alerts are triggered based on map data and GPS proximity. Drivers are only warned if they are close enough to divert safely. While highly effective in reducing risk, alerts may not trigger for bridges missing height data or for improperly configured assets.
You can configure the vehicle heights in the Dispatch settings for your vehicles or you can upload the heights in bulk via comma-separated values (CSV) file:
You can review and update the heights of all assets from the Manage Asset Heights page. You can also edit the height of a specific vehicle from a vehicle’s settings.
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Select the Settings icon (
) at the bottom of your Fleet menu to view dashboard settings.
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From the Fleet menu, select Dispatch, and then enable Manage Asset Heights.
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Confirm vehicle and trailer heights are defined.
The default max height is 5.03 meters for bridges with known locations but undefined height. If no height is set, the asset will not receive alerts.
To streamline data entry and ensure accurate height information for all vehicles in your fleet, you can update asset heights in bulk using a CSV file. This method is especially useful when managing a large number of assets, allowing you to make updates quickly and efficiently through the Samsara dashboard. Follow this workflow to download your existing asset list, enter the height values, and upload the updated file back into the system.
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Select the Settings icon (
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From within Devices, select Devices > Gateways.
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From Devices, select Assets.
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Select More Actions > Upload CSV.
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Select Download Devices List to download data for your existing activate devices. To activate devices, see the instructions to activate devices.
Note
Ensure that you only use the provided template. Any other format will display an error.
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Update the heights for each asset in the
HeightMetersfield.The default max height is 5.03 meters for bridges with known locations but undefined height. If no height is set, the asset will not receive alerts.
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After you edit your file, select Upload a file.
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Choose the CSV file from your computer, or drag and drop the CSV file to the window.
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Click Preview to review the devices that will be added and edited.
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Click Confirm to save the changes.
Enable Height Verification to allow drivers to temporarily override a vehicle's maximum height during their pre-trip walkaround. During the pre-trip walkaround, the driver can enter a new max height and provide a reason for the change.
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This ensures any temporary modifications—such as cargo or equipment that affects clearance—are accurately documented. The override remains active throughout the trip and is automatically cleared after the post-trip walkaround is completed.
You can view all overrides, including the driver’s input and comments, on the Settings > Dispatch > Manage Asset Heights page of the Samsara dashboard.
To enable drivers to override height:
In-cab audio alerts are issued when one of the following conditions is met:
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The driver is more than two street segments from a low bridge.
A street segment is typically a portion of street located between two intersections, or between an intersection and the end of a road. Long highway stretches without exits are sometimes broken down into smaller segments. Triggering based on segment increases the possibility the driver has the opportunity to divert course at the nearest turnoff. When street segments are very short, the distance trigger ensures that we will trigger the audio alert with enough distance for the vehicle to adjust course.
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The driver is within 100 meters of the bridge’s location.
Alerts are triggered through the Samsara Dash Cam and do not repeat unless the vehicle moves 100 meters beyond the bridge.
The Low Bridge Strike Warning Events Report helps you monitor and review instances where a driver received an in-cab warning for a potential low bridge strike. Use this report to identify high-risk routes, verify whether proper precautions were taken, and take proactive steps to prevent collisions with low-clearance bridges.
Access the report from Reports > Dispatch > Low Bridge Strike Warning Events. You can filter the events by time segment, tags, and attributes and can also export the report to a comma-separated values (CSV) file from the more actions ( ••• ) menu. For each event, the report provides the following information:
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Field |
Description |
|---|---|
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Vehicle Name |
The vehicle that triggered the warning. |
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Time |
The exact timestamp when the warning was issued. |
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Vehicle Height |
The defined height of the vehicle at the time of the warning. |
|
Bridge Height |
The height of the detected bridge or underpass. |
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Distance to Bridge Road Segment |
The proximity of the vehicle to the bridge when the warning was triggered. |
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Event Location |
The GPS coordinates associated with the warning event. |
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Bridge Road Segment Location |
The GPS coordinates associated with the bridge road segment. |
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Last Associated Trip |
Quick link to view the trip details. |
In addition to this report, you can also configure a Low Bridge Strike Alert to receive alerts when a driver receives an in-cab warning (see Alert Triggers).
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