Ananth Rani, Azuga Co-Founder and CEO
Azuga's 2016 Safe Driving Awards: Top Driver and Top Fleet Manager of the Year
We’re excited about what lies ahead for both Azuga as well as our customers in 2017. But today, we want to take a moment to reflect on 2016 by announcing Azuga’s Safe Driving Awards Top Driver and Top Fleet Manager of the Year. These recipients exhibited the safest driving practices among Azuga’s entire global customer base throughout 2016. They are:
- Ralph Elliot of Custom Vehicle Outfitter, LLC for Driver of the Year
- Kirsten Ghaster of Ghaster Painting & Coatings, Inc. for Fleet Manager of the Year
Congratulations to both Ralph and Kristen for their commitment to keeping the communities where they live and work safer.
How did we choose the winners?
The scoring and ranking for these awards is calculated by a proprietary algorithm developed by Azuga’s data science team. We analyze each driver’s behavior using an algorithm that focuses on the frequency and severity of safety incidents, such as speeding, hard braking, rapid acceleration and idling. We normalize and calibrate the scores for all individuals in our customer base and stack rank them. Attaining the highest score and appearing at the top of the list is a remarkable achievement, given Azuga’s large and growing base of customers.
Top 10 Safest Fleet Drivers of Q4 2016
In addition to honoring our annual winners, we’d also like to take a moment to recognize the top 10 safest fleet drivers from the fourth quarter of 2016. They are:
- Robert Workheiser: Galaxy 1 Marketing, Inc.
- Charles Dorman: Satellites Unlimited
- Chris Sarubbi: Area Wide Protective, Inc.
- Benjamin Rambo: Fred Beans Parts, Inc.
- Joe Syms: Daily Equipment Company
- Andrew Shupert: Watkins Mechanical, Inc.
- Scott Brown: Triad Services
- Richard Cavicchi: Courtice Auto Wreckers Limited
- Jeff Livingston: KMN Sheet Metal, Inc.
- Steve Lacava: Hiller Systems, Inc.
All of the winners listed above will receive cash rewards, certificates and social media recognition. These incentives have continued to help shape a positive company culture and motivate drivers to perform at their best. In fact, recent research shows that 95% of Americans consider perks and benefits a make-or-break factor when deciding whether to stay in their current job. Not surprisingly, a lack of benefits is the top reason for driver turnover. With high stakes on the line for retaining drivers (the cost of hiring a new driver ranges between $800 and $2,000), companies now have the ability to implement this rewards-driven telematics solution that helps to set the tone for company-wide safety.
There’s no doubt that engaging workers to focus on safety behind the wheel has its benefits for management as well, since Azuga’s rewards-driven telematics is proven to reduce accident rates by up to 70%. Here’s a glimpse into what one of our customers has to say:
“Our drivers love the social gamification of the platform. It has even created some friendly competition among them to see who is the top driver,” said Denny Walker, General Manager of Ko Olina Transportation. “In fact, one of our drivers received recognition for being the #1 Top Driver among all Azuga customers.”
To learn more about how to empower your fleet to incorporate safe driving into your operations and culture, click here.When giving one of the drivers on the list a social media shout out, use #AzugaAwards to join the conversation.
