Help guide
How Isaac historical data and live sync work together
CleanFreight runs Isaac fleets on two complementary tracks. The API syncs forward from the day you connect, and a Vehicle Performance Report for each earlier month covers the months before that. Both tracks write into the same truck records, matched by unit number, so the dashboard shows one truck per truck with continuous coverage.
The challenge
The Isaac API only exposes a short historical window at a time. For fleet customers who want to see year-over-year trends, twelve-month baselines, and sustainability progress from day one, that recent window is not enough. Without a way to backfill, customers either give up on historical reporting or end up maintaining two separate views of their fleet.
The two-track approach
Track 1: Live API sync
Once a customer connects their Isaac account, the platform pulls fresh data on a regular schedule. From the connection date forward, every day of new operation is captured automatically. No upload, no manual work.
Track 2: Historical CSV upload
For periods older than what the API can reach, upload the standard Isaac Vehicle Performance Report from the Isaac portal. The platform reads the report directly with no reformatting required.
Both tracks merge by unit number
The merge point is the truck's unit number. When the API creates a record for Vehicle 2303 and a CSV upload arrives with rows for Vehicle 2303, the platform reuses the same record instead of creating a duplicate. One truck per truck, with its history coming from the CSV path for older periods and the API path for everything from the connection date forward.
Onboarding steps for a new Isaac customer
- 1
Get API access from Isaac
Ask your Isaac representative for four things: the API server address, an API username and password, and an authorization code. Ask them to activate the Analytics feature for that API user: fuel and idling come only through it.
- 2
Connect the Isaac API on Terminal Health
From the Terminal Health page, click Connect via API on the Isaac card, enter the four details and click Test & Connect. The platform immediately starts syncing day by day forward.
- 3
Get one Vehicle Performance Report per month
Export the report to Excel from the Isaac portal, one file per calendar month, for the months before you connected (or ask your Isaac representative to export it). Monthly files keep trends accurate: each report's totals are spread evenly over its days.
- 4
Upload the months before your connection, oldest first
On the Isaac card, click Upload and add each file. Upload only months before the API connection: a report replaces every Isaac day in its date range, including live days.
- 5
Check your dashboard
About a minute after each upload, the dashboard shows the month alongside the live data, with annual trends, baselines, and sustainability scores populated.
What the customer experiences day to day
- One truck per truck on the vehicle list. No duplicates between API and CSV.
- Distance, fuel, idle, and emissions roll up continuously across the historical window and the live window.
- Twelve-month baselines, sustainability scores, and trend comparisons all work from day one of going live.
- Quarterly and annual reports include both the recent telematics data and the older periods, so the customer can show year-over-year improvement instead of starting from zero.
- Future Isaac CSV reports the customer uploads automatically merge into the right truck. No manual matching, no duplicate records.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if a report overlaps the API window?
The report replaces every Isaac day in its date range, including days the API already loaded, so the detailed daily API data for those days becomes the report's totals spread evenly. Upload only months before your API connection started.
Do I need to clean up the Vehicle Performance Report before uploading?
No. The platform reads the standard Isaac export as is, including the metadata rows at the top (Start Date, End Date, Time Zone, Group, Vehicle(s)). Do not change the column headers or row order.
Can I upload several reports for the same fleet?
Yes, and one report per month works best: each report's totals are spread evenly over its days, so a quarter or a year in one file flattens your trends. Each upload goes into the existing truck records by unit number, so each truck always appears once.
What if my fleet only uses CSV uploads, with no API connection?
That is fully supported. Track 2 works on its own. The dashboard, baselines, and reports will all populate from the uploaded reports.
Ready to set this up for your fleet?
Open Terminal Health