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Lytx Honors Drivers, Coaches with Annual Awards
Lytx announced the recipients of its 2019 Driver of the Year and Coach of the Year awards during its annual User Group Conference.
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Lytx announced the recipients of its 2019 Driver of the Year and Coach of the Year awards. The awards recognize outstanding professional drivers and coaches currently using Lytx's Driver Safety Program. The awards were presented during the seventh annual Lytx User Group Conference in San Diego.
Lytx said this year's recipients demonstrate that safe driving is the product of continuous learning and that a deep-seeded commitment to safety can have a positive impact on every individual, company and community they serve.
During the award ceremony, Lytx also presented a donation to Heidi Jenkins, founder of The Erich Jenkins Change-A-Life Foundation, to support the foundation’s mission to provide scholarships to deserving youth. Jenkins created the foundation after her late husband was involved in a fatal accident. She accepted the donation on behalf of the foundation and was joined by Jeff Martin, president of safety services at Waste Management.
"Lytx is honored to recognize these drivers and coaches who truly make a difference on America's roadways. It's not about never having an incident but learning from a mistake, making a commitment to implement safety practices daily and coaching those around you to do the same," said Del Lisk, vice president of safety services at Lytx, in a statement. "These drivers and coaches exemplify the safest driving standards and behaviors found in the transportation industry today."
Lytx captured and analyzed more than 100 billion miles worth of driving data to identify the best professional drivers and coaches.
Lytx recognized winners of the Driver of the Year Award from clients across six commercial driving categories: Government; Services and Utilities; Transit/Motor Coach; For-Hire Trucking; Private Trucking; and Waste/Construction.
Waste/Construction
First-place winner Leonard Leanos of Waste Management San Gabriel, Calif., has been with the company for more than three decades and receives praise from his coworkers, the community and customers he serves. In 2018, he was recognized as the National Waste & Recycling Association Driver of the Year, as well as the Waste Management San Gabriel Employee of the Year. In addition, Leanos conducts recycling demonstrations at local schools and participates in the annual California Highway Patrol's CHiPS for Kids toy drive event, helping to distribute toys to less fortunate children. Leanos even helped fulfill a little boy's fourth birthday wish of having his very own Waste Management truck, stopping by with a toy-sized model and showing the boy around his full-sized, side load trash truck.
Second place was given to Bill White of Waste Connections.
Third place was given to DeAnn Martwick of GCC.
Government
First-place winner Martin Bowen of the city of Ocala, Fla., has been committed to how his Lytx DriveCam Event Recorder can help him improve safety since his last coachable event in November 2016. The incident transformed the way he operates his clamshell truck. Since then, Bowen has made safe driving a habit and hasn't triggered a single coachable event. He has won numerous safety awards, including Ocala's Driver of the Year Award in both 2017 and 2018, as well as the Public Works Department Character Award in December 2018, which was sparked by a citizen calling the city to express appreciation for Bowen going above and beyond what is expected of him.
Second place was given to Juan Trujillo of the city and county of Denver Solid Waste Management.
Third place was given to Donald Cassedy of the Fairfax County Government Land Development, Va.
Services and Utilities
First-place winner Jerry Ingram of Murphy-Hoffman Company (MHC) has been a model employee who has risen quickly to be the lead driver and driver trainer at MHC's Atlanta branch. Ingram has never been involved in a preventable collision nor received any moving violations during his tenure at the company. He is well liked by his MHC team and by the vast customer base he serves. He approaches customer service with a "whatever it takes" attitude and consistently provides constructive feedback to help the company further reach its goals. Ingram also serves his community as a youth football coach and disaster relief volunteer.
Second place was given to John L. Enos of National Grid.
Third place was given to Louie Escando of Rescue Rooter.
Transit/Motor Coach
First-place winner John Como of MV Transportation, Inc. loves what he does, especially when it comes to transporting the elderly or people with disabilities to doctor visits, shopping, the bank or wherever they need to go. After each coachable event, he works closely with his manager to find a solution and never makes the same mistake twice. Como's work ethic is unmatched. Even after a lung cancer diagnosis and ensuing treatment, he only missed two weeks of work.
For-Hire Trucking
First-place winner Doug Hager of American Central Transport, Inc. (ACT) has a goal to be the best driver he can be. He strives to always represent his company in a positive light and treat every customer and coworker with respect. He has gone two consecutive years without any coachable events and was recognized as the 2017 ACT Safe Driver of the Year. Hager works diligently to be the safest driver possible and encourages others to do the same by promoting important safety practices across his organization.
Second place was given to Edward Perry II of TransAm Trucking.
Third place was given to Arvis Dyches Jr. of TransWood.
Private Trucking
First-place winner Earl Brown of Performance Food Group (PFG) has been working with PFG since 2000, after he left the U.S. Army with the rank of Corporal. Brown recognizes that having his commercial driver's license is an honor, not a privilege, and views his Lytx DriveCam Event Recorder as an added benefit to help safeguard his livelihood. He is a model employee who treats every customer with respect. As a husband and a father of three, Brown supported his wife and family every step of the way after her diagnosis with lupus in 2012. He also helped to raise money and disease awareness through charity bike events.
Second place was given to Jonathan Gazda of Reyes Holdings.
Third place was given to Mark Connealy of Fred Meyer/Kroger.
Coach of The Year
Lytx also recognized Dina Dixon of ARS/Rescue Rooter as the 2019 Coach of the Year. Since implementing the Lytx Driver Safety Program, ARS was awarded Best Overall Safety branch in 2016. Dixon met or exceeded safety compliance in all four quarters of 2018. She coached drivers following incidents, provided weekly presentations on safety topics, conducted jobsite and vehicle inspections and managed annual and new-hire driver training programs. Her hard work culminated in reducing total collisions from eight in 2017 to three in 2018; improving preventable incidents year-over-year from 67 percent to 33 percent; and reducing total claims to just nine incidents with regard to auto loss, workers' compensation and general liability claims.
Dixon was also the first-place winner in the Services and Utilities category. Other first-place within their respective categories this year were:
Government: Carlos Garcia of the City of North Miami
For-Hire Trucking: Jody Clark of Big M Transportation
Transit/Motor Coach: Harry MacGlaughlin of Keolis Transit America
Private Trucking: James Bullwinkel of Sysco Sacramento
Waste/Construction: David Bass of Concrete Supply Co.
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