17^th Annual Awards Program Recognizes Today’s Industry Professionals for Exceptional Safety, Performance, and Teamwork Across Diverse Fleet Sectors

SAN DIEGO, April 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Lytx^® Inc., the industry pioneer of video and safety-driven efficiency, has proudly announced the 2026 Driver & Coach of the Year Awards. This annual recognition highlights the safest drivers and most impactful coaches who set the standard for performance and leadership within the transportation industry. Celebrating its 17^th year, this program stands as fleet management’s longest-running awards initiative, highlighting Lytx’s ongoing dedication to safety and leadership.

The award recipients illustrate the powerful dynamic between drivers and coaches, emphasizing the lasting impact of positive recognition and meaningful coaching conversations. These individuals prove that excellence in safety is a collaborative effort that benefits other drivers and local communities.

A full list of the 2026 Driver & Coach of the Year winners can be viewed here.

“This year’s nominees and winners not only keep our roads safer, but they also set a powerful example of teamwork and commitment,” said Chris Cabrera, Chief Executive Officer at Lytx. “As the company who first established this type of awards program in our space, we are proud to celebrate all of the safety professionals whose dedication and leadership inspire other members of the fleet community to strive for excellence day in and day out.”

The 2026 program saw a record-setting number of nominations, with a 95% increase from last year. Nominees for outstanding performance were submitted by both colleagues and supervisors within the Services/Utilities, Transit/EMS, Trucking/Freight, Distribution/Retail, and Waste/Construction/Concrete sectors.

Winners in all industry groups receive monetary prizes and recognition certificates. First-place winners also receive a trip for two to attend the Lytx Protect Conference® in San Diego, CA from May 2-5, 2026.

Industry

Driver Awards

Coach Awards

Services/Utilities

1st: Tommy Negahnquet
(AmeriGas Propane)

2nd: Kenneth Williams (City of
Kansas City)

3rd: Brandon Ratterree (Rottler
Pest Solutions)

1st: Jazzy Lineberger (Dycom
Industries, Inc.)

2nd: Christopher D’Anna
(Washington Gas)

3rd: Zackariah Xavier (Brink’s
Inc.)

Transit/EMS

1st: Lester Tukiendorf (Transit
Team Inc.)

2nd: Russ Ximenez (MV
Transportation)

3rd: Andrea Tubbs Hilliard
(Transdev North America Inc.)

1st: Brandon Skidmore (MV
Transportation)

2nd: Eduardo Bustamante
(Transdev North America Inc.)

3rd: Alicia Edenburg (Transit
Team Inc.)

Trucking/Freight

1st: Gayland Larsen (Barney
Trucking, Inc.)

2nd: Tamara Land (Ryder
System, Inc.)

3rd: Kurt Scott (Old Dominion
Freight Line, Inc.)

1st: Teresa Patterson (J.B. Hunt
Transport, Inc.)

2nd: Diane Taylor (Barney
Trucking, Inc.)

3rd: Fernando Martinez (Hub
Group)

Distribution/Retail

1st: Marty Vigil (UPS)

2nd: Joseph Medel (Harbor
Wholesale Grocery Inc.)

3rd: Robert Trzecki (Linde Gas
& Equipment Inc.)

1st: Ronald Schafer (Vulcan
Materials Company)

2nd: Kerri-Kaye Lamb (UPS)

3rd: Jasper Horn (Imperial Dade)

Waste/Construction/
Concrete

1st: Stephen Drussell (Waste
Connections, Inc.)

2nd: Curtis Hale (CEMEX)

3rd: Billy Johnson (GFL Environmental)

1st: Marina Hernandez (Baldwin
Paving Co, Inc.)

2nd: Patricia Hernandez (Waste
Connections, Inc.)

3rd: Jason Van Achte (GFL
Environmental)

About Lytx
Every day, companies send their most valuable assets into the world. Their people. Their equipment. Their reputations. For nearly three decades, Lytx has given fleets the tools to manage and protect all the assets they have in motion — helping them stay connected with their field operations so they can focus on delivering value and growing their businesses. Using proprietary machine vision and artificial intelligence technology to power our video safety and video telematics solutions, Lytx helps protect and connect more than 6.3 million drivers and thousands of fleets, including more than half of the 10 largest carriers in North America. Lytx’s powerful network of partners and resellers further extends the reach and impact of our technologies across more than 90 countries. For more information about Lytx or to connect with us, visit www.lytx.com, LinkedIn, @lytx on X, Facebook or YouTube.

Contact:
Jason Andersen
[email protected]