Waste Pro reaches for $1M in safety awards in 2022

Longwood, Florida-based Waste Pro says it is on pace to award more than $1 million in company driver and helper safety awards this year.

“As driver shortages continue to impact the waste industry, Waste Pro has celebrated its dedicated team of drivers and helpers who prioritize service to our customers and continue to make safety a priority,” states the firm.

In 2021, more than 100 drivers and helpers earned either the $10,000 award, which is offered to drivers, and the $5,000 award, which is offered to helpers. In total, since 2014 Waste Pro has awarded approximately $7 million since the program’s inception.

Waste Pro says it began offering its $10,000 Driver Safety Award in 2004 and the $5,000 Helper Safety Award in 2019. To date, more than 500 drivers and helpers have earned the awards, with some of them having earned them multiple times. Thus, more than 700 awards have been distributed.

Angel Veloz, a driver in the Ft. Myers, Florida, division, currently holds the Waste Pro record of having earned five consecutive $10,000 Safety Awards, most recently in 2021.

“In an industry that has been particularly hit hard by a labor shortage – which has been exacerbated by the pandemic – recognizing our hard-working employees has been more important than ever,” says WastePro president and CEO Sean Jennings.

He continues, “The coveted Safety Award is just one way we continue to celebrate our safety culture and our Waste Pros' accomplishments. We have also implemented additional retention bonuses and are proud that our compensation range from frontline to executive is the smallest gap compared to any of our peers, public or private.”

Waste Pro’s Hilton Head, South Carolina, division recently celebrated the company’s first $10,000 Safety Award Winner of 2022, Leon Davis. It is his second time earning the award.

Likewise, helper Emanuel Edmonson of the Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida, division, recently earned his second $5,000 Helper Award. He also was Waste Pro’s first helper to earn the award when the program started in 2019.

To earn the award, drivers must go three years without an at-fault accident, injury or incident causing property damage; have a record of excellent customer service; maintain a well-kept truck; and have a strong attendance record. Helpers must meet similar requirements to be eligible for the $5,000 award, says Waste Pro.