Lytx®, a leading global provider of machine vision and artificial intelligence-powered video telematics solutions for commercial and public sector fleets, announces the recipients of its 2021 Driver of the Year and Coach of the Year awards. The awards honor the outstanding work of professional drivers and coaches currently utilizing the Lytx Driver Safety Program.
The 2021 honorees each possess an incredible passion for the job they do and a steadfast dedication to safety. Each of these individuals recognized has gone above and beyond to keep their roads and communities safe. “Over the past year, we have witnessed drivers and coaches cope with one of the most difficult challenges they’ve ever faced,” said Del Lisk, vice president of safety services at Lytx. “We’re excited to honor these heroes of the road for their remarkable work and sacrifices to keep our country moving forward.”
Lytx provides safety services and video telematics, productivity, and analytics solutions for fleets of all sizes across various industries. Capturing and analyzing more than 150 billion miles of driving data – unmatched in the industry – Lytx has unparalleled expertise in identifying the best professional drivers and coaches.
Lytx recognized winners of the Driver of the Year and Coach of the Year awards from clients across six categories: Government; Services and Utilities; Transit/Motor Coach; For-Hire Trucking; Private Trucking; and Waste/Construction.
Drivers of the Year
Government
First Place Winner – Donald McNair of the Fairfax County Government always puts the needs and safety of those he serves first and has been doing so throughout his 20-year driving career. During his five years with Fairfax County, McNair has never received a seat belt nor cell phone policy violation and has not had a coachable event since 2017. Along with his dedication to Fairfax County, McNair spends his free time volunteering at the Fairfax Deer Management program. As an Assistant Group Leader, McNair supervises 15 to 20 participants each year and manages safety and compliance standards across their respective programs.
Second Place – Heinz Hansen of the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation
Third Place – Chris Hickman of the City of Ocala, Florida
Services and Utilities
First Place Winner – Fritz Nordmann of the Murphy-Hoffman Company remains motivated every day to create a safe workplace and be as vigilant on the road as he can be. Taking an active role in his community, Nordmann is passionate about addressing food insecurity for children and families in his area, volunteering at his daughter’s school and local food bank, Tri-Lakes Cares. Having driven for Murphy-Hoffman for the past eight years, Nordmann has received many awards, including the MHC Safe Driver Award, on five separate occasions. With a strong work ethic and commitment to safety, Nordmann has worked for the past three years without a single coachable event, moving violation, or preventable collision.
Second Place – Robert Wagner of National Grid
Third Place – Ryan Sidoff of Vitalant
Transit/Motor Coach
First Place Winner – William Smith of Greyhound Lines, Inc. has been a constant presence in Houston passengers’ lives, ensuring they arrive safely at their destinations for the past 32 years. With over 45 years of experience as a professional driver, Smith has received numerous accolades, including the 2019 Faces of Excellence Driving Award for Greyhound’s Southern Region. Safety and customer service go hand in hand for Smith as he meets the road’s many challenges each day. In the 2.5 million miles Smith has driven for Greyhound, he has never had a preventable collision.
Second Place – Godwin Mcneal of Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
Third Place – Victor Michel of First Transit
Private Trucking
First Place Winner – John Dansby of Honda Transportation U.S. (Ryder) has driven more than 3 million miles throughout his 31-year driving career and remains just as committed to safety as he was on his first day. Always adhering to all safety and compliance policies, Dansby is routinely the go-to individual for recertifying and training his fellow drivers. Named Ryder’s Driver of the Month on four separate occasions, Dansby consistently maintains a high level of safety and has built strong relationships with all of his shippers as well. During his free time, Dansby is involved in community service through his church and the local Humane Society branch.
Second Place – Chase Cronan of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc.
Third Place – Victor McQuillen of Performance Food Group
For-hire Trucking
First Place Winner – Jan Quarnberg of Barney Trucking Inc. takes great pride in his work as a professional truck driver for over 45 years. Receiving numerous awards throughout his career, including the Lytx/DriveCam Good Driving Award and the Glen Barney Haul of Fame award both in 2017, Quarnberg lives life by the principle of “treat others the way you want to be treated.” Inspired by his father to always do the job right the first time, Quarnberg has never been involved in an accident nor had any driving violations throughout his 45-year career.
Second Place – Jeff Christian of TransWood, Inc.
Third Place – Phillip Clifton of Transport America
Waste/Construction
First Place Winner – Lino Bueno of Waste Connections loves his job, and it shows with over 12 years of experience at the company and 39 years driving overall. As a tried-and-true professional with a passion for driving, Bueno takes great pride in serving his customers while always maintaining a high safety level behind the wheel. Motivated by his colleagues and family to stay safe, and through his tireless hard work and dedication for the job, Bueno has not had a single coachable event for the past three years.
Second Place – Kelly Lazaron of Waste Management of Londonderry N.H.
Third Place – Ronnie Johnson of GFL/Waste Industries
Coach of the Year
Lytx also recognized Buner “Herschel” Evans of YRC as the 2021 Coach of the Year. Having maintained a flawless driving record with over 3 million accident-free miles and numerous awards and accolades to his name, including the 2018 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance International Driver Excellence Award, Herschel is the ideal representation of safety for YRC. A true ambassador for the industry, Herschel is always doing his part to make the industry safer and, as such, was selected as an American Trucking Associations Road Team Captain. He is also an active member of the Holland’s Safety Committee and Review and Editing Board, YRC Accident Review Board, and Mid-Atlantic Professional Truck Drivers Association.
In addition to his work at YRC, Herschel has participated in many truck driving championships throughout his career. He is an active member of his community, volunteering at Convoy of Care and creating the Safety Drive for a Cure event, benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
Along with the overall 2021 Coach of the Year winner, Herschel was named the first-place winner in the For-hire Trucking category. Other first-place winnerswithin their respective categories this year include:
- Government: Takisha Williams of the City of North Miami
- Services and Utilities: Kyler Van Gulden of National Grid
- Transit/Motor Coach: Ronald Bremer of MV Transportation
- Private Trucking: Mike Russell of Bimbo Bakeries, USA
- Waste/Construction: Justin Heddy of WCN- Pacific Disposal
“We are delighted to celebrate these professionals for the extraordinary work they have done over the past year and throughout their careers, including an unwavering commitment to safety across the board,” said Lisk. “While Lytx remains devoted to helping our clients meet and surpass their safety goals, coaches and drivers like this year’s winners are essential to making our safety program a success.