Samsara: locking down cargo with connected IoT

In the post-COVID era marked by escalating freight theft and continued supply chain disruptions, Samsara stands out in fraud prevention, earning industry recognition for winning the 2025 FreightWaves Fraud Fighter Award.

“The industry is experiencing rising theft of valuable cargo, from food and beverage to electronics,” Ben Calderon, CTO Hardware & Operations at Samsara, pointed out. “This issue is heightened by supply chain volatility, compelling fleets to prioritize efficiency, ultimately creating vulnerabilities that opportunistic thieves exploit.”

As Calderon explained, there is an alarming increase in fuel and equipment theft, crucial for field operations. In fact, equipment theft alone imposes nearly a billion-dollar loss on the U.S. construction industry every year, with between 11,000 to 18,000 thefts occurring annually.

Samsara addresses these threats with a comprehensive strategy that begins with real-time visibility to eliminate blind spots. “Fraud prevention starts by eliminating blind spots with real-time visibility,” Calderon wrote. This visibility is augmented with automated responses for anomalies, driver alerts, and vehicle immobilizations, ensuring any arising issues are promptly managed.

The arsenal of protective measures includes route and geofence monitoring, unexpected cargo door opening detection, and robust driver authentication options, such as the Samsara Driver app, ID Card reader, or Driver ID Token.

When theft is detected, Samsara’s systems react swiftly. “A configurable alert system enables customers to be alerted in real-time of any abnormal activities,” Calderon describes. With the feature of auto-immobilization, Samsara can immediately halt asset movement if radio jamming is detected.

For asset recovery, Samsara offers Asset Tags and Asset Gateways. These tools, easy to install and equipped with long-lasting batteries, provide continuous protection thanks to their connectivity redundancy across LTE and Samsara’s gateway network.

Calderon identifies artificial intelligence as instrumental in evolving fraud prevention. “With the increased real-time threat visibility also comes the need to automate security monitoring through AI,” he highlights. By incorporating AI and machine learning, Samsara assists customers in automating the detection of suspicious behaviors and analyzing extensive datasets to identify fraud patterns.

The Samsara Asset Tag is a groundbreaking innovation in this field. Unlike traditional systems such as QR codes and RFID tags, which are burdened by high costs and limited coverage, Samsara’s use of Bluetooth technology and a vast network creates a reliable, efficiently integrated solution within their cloud-based platform. This integration provides a comprehensive view of an organization’s equipment and allows for robust theft deterrence, inventory management simplification, and overall efficiency enhancement.

A notable success story is DeSilva Gates, a construction company in the Bay Area. They faced substantial challenges in managing their high-value fleet of over 350 pieces of equipment worth $200 million. By utilizing Samsara’s Asset Tags, they fortified their asset protection and enhanced tracking for smaller, previously neglected equipment, resulting in thwarted thefts and increased operational efficiency.

Key achievements from this implementation include improved tracking for both large and small assets, elevated asset recovery prospects, effective theft deterrence, and enhanced inventory management through near real-time location data.

Calderon offers actionable advice for organizations wanting to strengthen their fraud prevention efforts: “Organizations must first identify their blind spots and then leverage the latest technology and AI to bolster their security measures.” He emphasizes, “Real-time monitoring and having an end-to-end view of assets are crucial for proactively addressing vulnerabilities.”

For training purposes, Calderon suggests a transformative approach: “The industry needs to flip the script on how it trains employees on fraud prevention. Amplifying access to data visibility tools empowers employees to identify and report suspicious activities with greater efficiency.” Using data and video resources further assists in cultivating a strong security culture within organizations.

Through these innovative fraud prevention solutions, Samsara not only leads the industry but also reshapes the approach to combating freight fraud with technology-driven, effective strategies.

The post Samsara: locking down cargo with connected IoT appeared first on FreightWaves.