With operations spanning some of the most remote environments in North America, Certarus plays a critical role in safely delivering compressed natural gas (CNG), renewable natural gas (RNG), and hydrogen to industrial customers. As the industry leader, Certarus is deeply rooted in safety, operational excellence, and innovation. The company continuously evolves its technology as a competitive differentiator to meet the demands of modern energy logistics.

For Chi Fang, Vice President of Technology at Certarus, driving change means more than digitizing workflows—it’s about aligning people, data, and systems to unlock measurable value. Whether it's streamlining dispatch, automating ticket approvals, or equipping trailers with real-time safety insights, Certarus is using technology to automate processes, boost efficiency, and stay ahead.

At a recent Samsara customer event in Calgary, Alberta, I spoke with Chi about how Certarus has partnered—and continues to partner—with Samsara to elevate their operations. Here are five key takeaways from that conversation.

“I prefer to keep everything on a single platform. Having one consistent user experience and a unified data source is incredibly valuable.”

— Chi Fang, VP Technology, Certarus

1. Position safety as a strategic investment, not just compliance

In industries like energy transport, safety and reliability are non-negotiable. But convincing stakeholders to invest in preventative technology often requires reframing the conversation. For Certarus, the breakthrough came by drawing a parallel to something every modern business already prioritizes: cybersecurity.

“No one questions the cost of cybersecurity—it’s about preventing something rare but potentially catastrophic,” said Chi. “Safety is no different, except the stakes are even higher because people’s lives are on the line.” 

By positioning safety technology as an essential risk-mitigation tool—not just a compliance requirement—Certarus gained internal alignment and buy-in across teams. This mindset helped them move quickly from business case to implementation, streamlining the adoption of solutions like Samsara.

2. Engage drivers with performance-based incentives

Adopting new safety tools—especially inward-facing dash cams—can be a sensitive subject for frontline workers. Rather than mandate change, Certarus focused on transparency, education, and incentives. The result? A safer, more engaged workforce.

“We’ve always had an obsession with safety. When we introduced inward-facing dash cams, there was some initial resistance from drivers, so we approached it in phases,” said Chi. “We tied material safety bonuses directly to the Samsara Score. In some cases, drivers can earn up to 10% of their salary through these bonuses. Drivers are now very invested in their performance.”

By clearly communicating how Samsara Safety Scores are calculated and offering meaningful rewards, Certarus turned potential pushback into positive engagement. Today, drivers are not only bought in—they’re motivated to maintain top performance.

3. Eliminate bottlenecks by automating key workflows

With more than 9,000 driver tickets processed each month, manual approval workflows were creating serious inefficiencies for Certarus. Delays in verifying time logs and approving job completion began to affect other critical processes—most notably, invoicing.

“Previously, drivers had to manually enter their times, and someone had to approve each entry,” said Chi. “At one point, these delays had tied up around $30 million in receivables.”

To solve this, Certarus integrated Samsara’s geofence data directly into their ticketing process. Now, they can automatically track when a driver leaves a hub, arrives on-site, and returns—down to the second. That precision has drastically reduced administrative load and unlocked working capital.

“Once we automated the process with Samsara, we were able to unlock millions in cash and improve our working capital,” he added.

4. Optimize dispatch with real-time, data-driven insights

Certarus doesn’t rely on static schedules to manage fuel delivery. To ensure a seamless experience for their customers, Certarus uses advanced forecasting to predict when a customer will run out of gas and calculate backward to determine the ideal dispatch time. To support that complexity, the team developed a custom transportation management system (TMS) that layers multiple inputs—including real-time trip data from Samsara.

“We built our own TMS because the way we dispatch trucks is proprietary to us,” said Chi. “We’re constantly iterating to improve this process. Samsara plays a key role in that equation. We use trip data as an input, and the system continuously adjusts based on real-time conditions.”

This level of automation ensures that Certarus dispatches vehicles at exactly the right time—maximizing efficiency, minimizing idle time, and ensuring reliable service for customers in remote or high-demand locations.

5. Equip trailers with intelligence—and connect it all through one platform

While trucks have seen significant advances in telematics, trailers have often been left behind. Certarus is setting a new standard by investing in trailer-mounted sensors to monitor temperature spikes, brake air pressure, and other key safety metrics in real time—helping prevent incidents before they occur.

“Brake fires are a major factor for our industry,” said Chi. “We’re installing wheel-end sensors that monitor for temperature spikes and send real-time alerts to drivers so they can pull over immediately. The Samsara Asset Gateway serves as the nerve center for all of this.”

These Bluetooth-connected sensors then transmit data directly to the Samsara asset tracking solution, with no additional hardware or software required.

“Since we’re already pulling data through Samsara, we don’t have to build new integrations—just one API call gives us access to half a dozen new data points we previously couldn’t see,” said Chi. “We’re super excited about the visibility this brings and are working closely with the product team to bring it all to life this year.”

The result is a smarter, safer trailer fleet—fully connected to the same platform that powers Certarus’ broader operations.

Ready to explore how your fleet can maximize operational visibility, safety, and efficiency? Schedule a demo to see how connected operations can drive real impact—or log in to unlock more value from your existing Samsara platform.