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Celebrating our 2024 road safety warriors
Safety runs deep in all aspects of Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) operations, but especially for our drivers. They’re expected to maintain the highest standards and keep themselves – and everyone on the road around them – safe. Our Driver Safety Program rewards the real road heroes who put safety first.
A well-deserved win
Each year, we celebrate our drivers who consistently demonstrate road safety. The top drivers of 2024 were determined based on their Samsara AI safety scores and total distance traveled. We are proud to recognize Lenora Linder, ESS Materials end dump driver, and Bobby Huffman, lowboy driver, as our 2024 safest drivers. They know that every mile matters and their 99% safety score reflects that skill behind the wheel.
Lenora sets the highest bar for herself and is always eager to improve. Even after driving 90,738 miles in 2024, she continues to evaluate and challenge herself to beat her own safety score.
“Lenora is always mindful of her driving score and actively seeks feedback to improve,” said Russel Hopper, transportation manager. “She’ll reach out to discuss any infractions and explore ways to prevent them in the future.”
Bobby’s understanding of safety sets him apart. His 88,329 miles in 2024 were driven with a full grasp of which Samsara harsh events to look out for and why they should be avoided. He never pushes the limit when it comes to road safety and helps educate his team on why they should do the same
“When Bobby’s on the road, first and foremost is his safety and the safety of those around him,” said Darin Kendrick, dispatcher. “He’s a true leader of our driver group, constantly helping our younger employee-owners understand why they have to drive a certain way. He takes the time to help and make our whole fleet better.”
Empowering our drivers
At the heart of our Driver Safety Program is empowerment. We’re not just throwing rules at our drivers; we’re giving them the tools to own their safety. The real-time feedback and safety scores from Samsara AI allow drivers to adjust in the moment. This system is built to make safety an active, ongoing part of their workday.
“Our drivers take pride in that score. They want to beat the next person’s score. They know to do that, they have to be extra careful, extra cautious and play by the rules,” said Darin.
As an ESOP, our employee-owners own their safety. For our drivers, there is an extra expectation of safety excellence. They are responsible not only for themselves but also for the traveling public. Drivers like Lenora and Bobby set the example for how to stay safe across every mile.
