Samsara launches smart compliance for EU & UK fleets

Samsara has launched Smart Compliance for fleet operators in the EU and UK, targeting tachograph compliance.

The system brings together tachograph downloads, infringement management and driver coaching in a single platform for compliance managers and safety teams. It includes in-cab alerts, a central dashboard, country-specific rulesets, digital coaching workflows and compliance performance dashboards.

The launch comes as fleet operators face closer scrutiny over tachograph rules. Tachograph offences accounted for 58% of all DVSA HGV prosecutions in 2024, according to Samsara, while compliance requirements are also due to extend to cross-border light commercial vehicles over 2.5 tonnes from July 2026.

Operators working across borders face added complexity because tachograph rules vary by jurisdiction. The system uses VDO-based rulesets covering more than 17 European countries, with updates to reflect regulatory changes.

Single system

Many fleet businesses still use separate tools for telematics, tachograph downloads and compliance administration. That can leave compliance teams managing data in multiple places and reviewing infringements only after they have occurred.

Smart Compliance is designed to shift that process towards earlier intervention. In-cab warnings alert drivers in real time so they can correct issues before they become infringements, while office teams can review incidents through a central dashboard and send digital debriefs to drivers for acknowledgement.

For fleet operators, the financial risks can be significant. Infringements can carry penalties of up to £5,000 each, according to Samsara, while repeated compliance failures can also threaten an operator's licence.

One early user is Mulgrew Haulage, which has been trialling the product as part of its compliance process.

Matt Crossland, UK Area Manager at Mulgrew Haulage, said: "Previously, we would wait for the infringement report and deal with everything in bulk, which could take most of the day. Now everything is in one place-the infringement, manager response, and driver acknowledgement-and it takes about two minutes per infringement with Smart Compliance. Instead of looking back at last month's infringements, we review yesterday's, deal with them immediately, and send them straight to the driver digitally to fully understand what happened. This reduces what previously took a day to a matter of minutes."

The product has been developed for fleets operating in the UK and across Europe, where cross-border transport often requires compliance teams to track different national rules alongside EU-wide requirements. Samsara said between 60% and 80% of EU fleets operate across borders, making tachograph administration a routine operational task.

Compliance pressure

The wider compliance market has become more important as regulators place greater emphasis on driver hours, rest periods and record-keeping. Tachographs are central to that framework because they record driving time, speed and rest activity, giving enforcement agencies a basis for identifying breaches.

Smart Compliance combines prevention, management and coaching in one system rather than relying on separate tools. Samsara is positioning that approach as an alternative to older compliance workflows built around retrospective reporting and manual follow-up.

Alongside the alerting system and dashboard, the software includes KPI views that allow managers to track infringement patterns over time. The dashboards are intended to help operators identify recurring issues at driver, depot or fleet level and measure whether coaching is reducing repeat offences.

Digital coaching workflows are designed to replace paper-based or ad hoc debriefing processes. They allow managers to log a response to an infringement and send it directly to a driver for review and acknowledgement.

Praveen Murugesan, Vice President of Engineering EMEA at Samsara, said the technology is intended to reduce manual work for compliance teams.

He said: "Our customers' operations in Europe are some of the most complex in the world, and there is a huge opportunity to use AI to spot risks and avoid infringements. Smart Compliance takes the guesswork out of compliance by automating the toil that office teams grapple with every day. We're super excited to provide the technology that keeps these essential supply chains moving safely."

Smart Compliance is available for fleets in the EU and the UK.