Samsara Announces 2023 Connected Operations Award Winners

Samsara announced, on June 15, the winners of its 2023 Connected Operations Awards. This year’s honorees represent the people and organizations that help power the world.

“At Samsara, we believe technology informs but people transform. Our winners demonstrate what’s possible when people are empowered by technology to create meaningful change,” said Robert Stobaugh, Chief Customer Officer at Samsara.

Safest Operator: The Rasmussen Group

The Rasmussen Group, which represents nine construction companies in the U.S., is recognized for improving safety across its business and the communities it operates in.

Since 1912, Rasmussen has built the infrastructure we rely on every day including our streets and bridges.

The organization uses Samsara to enhance safety with timely and effective coaching, recognition programs, and mobile-first tools to empower both drivers and coaches.

Rasmussen achieved:

• Reduced risky driving and incidents through coaching: 71% reduction in speeding; 70% decrease in stop sign violations; 25% reduction in backup incidents.
• Greater employee efficiency: 30% time savings through coaching workflows.
• More than $2.6M in savings: As a result of avoided legal expenses and loss exposure.

Excellence in Efficiency: XPO

XPO, a provider of freight transportation in North America, is recognized for significant improvements in operational efficiency and customer service.

With a coast-to-coast network and cross-border capabilities, XPO serves more than 27,000 customers and prides itself on providing a streamlined customer experience.

The organization leverages Samsara to track the location of its fleet, vehicle maintenance status, and improve safety and efficiency.

XPO achieved:

• New tax savings and revenue stream: XPO anticipates hundreds of thousands in fuel tax refunds; it also anticipates producing millions in additional revenue through improvements in tracking fleet locations.
• Significant time-savings through digitization: Estimates thousands of hours saved by switching from paper to digital workflows and in technician labor hours as a result of Samsara’s partner integrations.
• Improved driver productivity: 99% decrease in unassigned miles; 10% increase in log certifications.

Most Sustainable Operations: Sobeys Inc.

Sobeys Inc., a large chain of supermarkets in Canada, is recognized for reducing its climate impact in innovative ways while driving business policies that contribute to a better environment.

Through its 1,500 stores, Sobeys helps nourish communities across 10 provinces.

In an effort to make significant progress on its sustainability goals, Sobeys uses Samsara to track and reduce carbon emissions through better fuel management and reduce driving behaviors that negatively impact fuel efficiency like idling.

Sobeys achieved:

• Reduced emissions by saving 46K gallons of diesel: Equaling 469 metric tons of carbon emission reduced in four months.
• Transition to electric vehicles (EVs): Performed a study to replace a number of diesel vehicles in its fleet with EVs.

Operations Innovator: DHL

DHL, a logistics company, is recognized for improving performance by connecting data, technology, world-class processes, and people.

Operating across 220 countries and territories, DHL connects people and businesses, enabling global sustainable trade flows.

DHL Supply Chain and DHL Express consolidated multiple systems with Samsara to gain insights into how they operate and deliver a better experience for employees and customers.

DHL achieved:

• A one-platform approach: Consolidated seven point solutions with Samsara’s Connected Operations Cloud
• Driver turnover and vacancy dropped 50% for DHL Supply Chain: Unfilled driver roles are at their lowest point in the organization’s history, supported by a range of safety and wellbeing initiatives, including the application of Samsara’s technology
• Reduced crashes and costs: In 20 sites that are 100% deployed on Samsara, DHL Express realized a 26% reduction in accidents, and subsequently a 49% reduction in related costs

Digital Transformation of the Year: Foundation Building Materials

Foundation Building Materials, LLC (FBM), a distributors of specialty building materials, is recognized for using technology to drive substantial change across its organization.

With more than 300 locations, FBM provides the products the construction industry needs to build residential and commercial buildings.

Samsara is essential to FBM’s digital transformation strategy, enabling employee safety, enhanced revenue, and services for its customers.

FBM achieved:

• Improved driver safety: 44% decrease in unsafe driving behaviors; 83% drop in crashes per million miles; at least $100K saved from driver exonerations
• Increased adoption and usage of MyFBM: MyFBM allows customers to see real-time pricing and branch inventory, place orders, monitor active and previous jobs, check order and delivery status, review spending, and open balance and available credit all in one web-based platform. Integration with Samsara has improved the customer experience and helped to increase usage of the platform.

Excellence in Performance - Government: City of Memphis Public Works Division

The City of Memphis, one of the most populous cities in Tennessee, is recognized for using technology to provide high-quality services to its community.

About 633,000 people call Memphis home and seek information from officials about city services and more.

The City implemented Samsara across 17 departments to improve driver safety and empower its citizens with information about local roads.

The City achieved:

• 70% reduction in distracted driving: Through coaching and its new Safe Driving Awards program
• New visibility and offerings: The City and its citizens can now see live tracking of street sweeping services, which has helped build confidence in service delivery

Excellence in Performance - Education: Gwinnett County Public Schools

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS), the largest school system in the state of Georgia, is recognized for using technology to provide high-quality services to its schools and communities.

More than 181,800 students receive their education from 142 of the system’s schools. GCPS made Samsara a core part of its operations, gaining visibility into activities inside and outside of school buses, and real-time location information.

GCPS achieved:

• Fast and significant safety improvements: Decreased speeding by 17% in 30 days; reduced harsh braking events by 60%; decreased seat belt violations by 47%; reduced distracted driving by 40% in three months
• Improved incident response: Decreased the time it takes to investigate incidents by 50% and GCPS is saving in settlement fees by exonerating its drivers in minor incidents
• Boosted productivity and transparency with parents and guardians: Real-time sharing of school bus location has provided peace of mind for parents and guardians while saving GCPS employees 400 hours weekly

Ecosystem Partner of the Year: Drivewyze

Drivewyze, a technology developer with innovative safety and productivity solutions for fleets, is recognized for helping Samsara customers connect systems and data to drive new efficiencies and actionable insights.

Drivewyze developed an intelligent transportation system service that automatically verifies the credentials and safety record of commercial vehicles, allowing Samsara customers to bypass participating highway weigh stations in 46 states and provinces.

As a result, it helps Samsara customers improve the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of long-distance transportation.

Drivewyze achieved:

• 87K bypasses in three months: Led to savings of an estimated 34K+ gallons of diesel fuel and 353 metric tons of emissions
• ROI of $14K per customer on average: In addition, Drivewyze helped customers save 7,250 hours of driver time

Technology Leader of the Year: Antonello Davi, American Airlines

Antonello Davi of American Airlines (AA), the largest air carrier in the world, is recognized for spearheading a key digital transformation initiative.

American Airlines Group Inc. helps the world travel with about 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. Davi is part of a team responsible for managing Ground Support Equipment (GSE), such as baggage carts and passenger boarding stairs, across all of AA's hubs.

To make finding and maintaining GSE faster and easier, Davi implemented Samsara.

Davi and AA achieved:

• Reduction in flight delays: 15% reduction in delays for kickoff flights at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the first flights to leave each morning which can determine whether subsequent flights are late
• Efficiency improvements on the ground: Mechanics saved more than 2,600 hours searching for ground support equipment at DFW, an airport about the size of Manhattan
• More than half a million in jet fuel savings: In one year through better utilization of assets in three major hubs

Top Driver: Robert Chidester, RelaDyne

Robert Chidester of RelaDyne, a provider of lubricant sales, distribution, and equipment reliability service in North America, is recognized for an outstanding record behind the wheel and for being a safety champion.

The organization provides services for important industries such as industrial, automotive, and commercial. RelaDyne uses Samsara to improve safety, and Chidester serves as an ambassador for RelaDyne’s dash cam policy and safety program.

Chidester and RelaDyne achieved:

• Nearly 50 years of excellence: No at-fault crashes or roadside violations in Chidester’s nearly five-decade career; he now has a Samsara Driver Safety Score of 98 and zero safety events despite driving different vehicles in varying environments every week.
• Strong culture of safety: Chidester helped create friendly competition within his team to improve safety scores, leading to a 14% improvement; the organization also saw an 89% decrease in harsh driving and a 75% decrease in speeding in one year.
• $350K saved in insurance claims: In its first year of Samsara adoption; 82% decrease in the frequency rate of insurance claims.