Messaging Settings and Permissions

Messaging settings and permissions in the Motive Dashboard let fleet admins control who can use messaging, how team members communicate, and how message data is stored. This article explains how to configure messaging settings and permissions to ensure secure and efficient communication.

Overview

Messaging settings and permissions in the Motive Dashboard help fleet admins control how messages are created, shared, and retained. These tools make it easy to manage communication across the fleet while meeting compliance and privacy requirements.

• Data control: Set message retention windows that meet company or regulatory needs. Defined timelines reduce storage bloat and make audits easier to complete.
• Team management: Create shared inboxes (such as Dispatch) to organize communication across teams of fleet users. Clear team structures help reduce confusion and speed up response times.
• Permission settings: Decide who can use messaging and who can create, edit, or manage messaging teams. Limiting access to authorized users helps prevent unauthorized use, accidental changes, and keeps workflows consistent.
• Driver communication: Allow or block driver-to-driver messaging based on company policy. This lets you balance driver collaboration while reducing potential distractions and misuse.

Setting a data retention policy

Motive offers flexible options for storing and deleting message data, allowing Fleet admins to manage message history and storage needs. Choosing the right period helps balance compliance requirements with storage efficiency.

1. Log in to the Motive Dashboard and go to Admin > Security and Data.
2. Under Data retention, select the dropdown in Messaging. 
3. Select a duration: Store data indefinitely, 1 month, or 6 months.
4. Click Save to apply the new policy.

Messages within a conversation are deleted on a rolling basis as they reach the data retention period. Entire conversations are deleted when the most recent message exceeds the data retention period.

Deleting messages according to policy

Messages are deleted automatically on a rolling basis according to the selected retention period:

• Each message is deleted once it reaches the end of its retention period.
• Entire conversation threads are removed when the most recent message in the thread passes the retention period.
• Only messages within the active retention window remain accessible.

Managing messaging permissions

Configuring Messaging permissions for fleet users

You can control which fleet users have access to Messaging features or the ability to manage Messaging Teams by updating their role permissions.

1. In the Fleet Dashboard, go to Admin > Fleet Users
2. Open the Roles & Permissions tab.
3. Select the role you want to edit, then click Options > Edit.
4. In the list of permissions, locate and enable the following options:
   1. Messages: Grants access to the Messages tab in the Dashboard.
   2. Manage Messaging Teams: Allows users to create and manage Messaging Teams.
5. Click Save. 

Allowing driver-to-driver messaging

Admins can control whether drivers can send messages directly to one another from the Motive Driver App. To manage team permissions:

1. In the Motive Dashboard, go to Admin > Messaging.
2. Select the Settings tab.
3. In the General section, click Edit.
4. Check the box for Allow drivers to message other drivers.
5. Click Save to apply your changes.

Once enabled, drivers can start one-on-one conversations with other drivers in their fleet. To disable this option, repeat the steps and uncheck the setting.

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