Rumpke Waste & Recycling
Rumpke Improves Fleet Safety by 30% Through Netradyne’s Real-Time Coaching
Rumpke Waste & Recycling is a family-owned company headquartered in Colerain Township near Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1932, Rumpke has grown from a junk operation into one of the largest waste and recycling firms in the U.S., serving millions of customers across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia. With more than 4,000 employees and a fleet of over 2,700 vehicles, the company operates 16 landfills and 16 recycling centers, including one of the largest residential recycling centers in North America. Rumpke has built a reputation for innovation, environmental stewardship, and long-term community investment. Its culture of continuous improvement and employee development remains at the heart of its operations.
As the transportation and insurance landscape evolved, the need for video telematics across fleet operations became clear. For Timothy Bath, Senior Vice President of Hauling at Rumpke, the decision wasn’t just about keeping up with industry trends, it was about finding a solution that would align with the company’s values.
“There was an industry shift,” Bath explained. “Everyone wanted cameras on trucks. But the systems I had used in the past were slow and manual. You'd send video to a human reviewer, and it took too long to get answers.”
Rumpke wanted a system that could do more than just protect against liability. They needed a tool that would help coach drivers on safety, offer visibility into behavior, and do so in real time. Equally important, the platform had to respect driver privacy and integrate seamlessly with existing systems. Cultural alignment was non-negotiable. As Bath put it, “We’re not about catching people doing something wrong, we’re about helping them get better every day.”
Rumpke discovered Netradyne’s Driver•i video safety and fleet management platform at WasteExpo and immediately recognized its potential. Unlike the systems they had tested before, Driver•i was fast, AI-driven, and simple to use. Most importantly, it supported Rumpke’s behavioral coaching philosophy.
“The AI was the game-changer. It takes the gray area out. The scoring is based on real behavior, not just violations, and it happens in real time,” said Bath.
Implementation was complex because of the size of the fleet, but Netradyne’s team supported the rollout every step of the way. Bath noted the exceptional support from Netradyne’s Customer Success and Field Engineering teams. “Brad Psajdl (Customer Success Manager) and Matt Sprague (Sr. Service Engineer) were fantastic. We’ve always been open about our challenges, and Netradyne has consistently stepped up with support and solutions.”
Rumpke also collaborated closely with Netradyne to pioneer features like Single Sign-On and dashboard customizations that better reflected the company’s processes and values.
Since adopting Netradyne, Rumpke has seen measurable improvements in safety, operations, and driver engagement.
One of the most immediate wins was a significant rise in GreenZone Scores, a clear indicator of safer driving behavior. Netradyne’s GreenZone Score recognizes drivers for proactive, safe behaviors like stopping at signs, maintaining safe following distance, staying attentive, and avoiding speeding. The GreenZone is widely regarded as the industry’s first driver scoring model to place such emphasis on positive reinforcement, rather than focusing solely on negative driving events.
Bath emphasized the cultural shift, “Drivers started to see their own progress. They understood the feedback, and behavior started to change.”
Within just two weeks of implementation, the system proved its worth. A hit-and-run incident at one of Rumpke’s sites was captured clearly on video, allowing the company to identify the offending vehicle and protect their driver. Since then, Netradyne footage has been used to exonerate drivers in disputes with law enforcement, in courtrooms, and with insurance claims. In one case, a lawsuit was dropped outright after footage showed the opposing driver texting while blowing through a stop sign.
These moments have had a powerful impact. Drivers who were initially skeptical of the system became advocates after seeing how it protected them. According to Bath, “One driver who hated the cameras at first thanked us the day after a hit-and-run. He realized we weren’t trying to punish him; we were trying to protect him.”
Operationally, Rumpke has seen productivity gains through reduced incident response times. Bath calculates that each accident, regardless of fault, costs the company about two hours of lost productivity. With fewer incidents and faster access to data, the company is simply more efficient.
Bath asserts, “We know there's a clear correlation between Green Zone Score and accident reduction. What I've seen is, as we elevated our Green Zone score and lowered our incidents, we are seeing better productivity simply because we're not having to deal with that time spent on incidents.”
In addition to creating a positive safety culture, Rumpke utilizes Netradyne’s fleet management platform to optimize vehicle tracking, route efficiency, maintenance, compliance reporting, and service verification. The system provides what Bath calls ”a quicker, bigger picture and faster access to critical fleet data.”
Netradyne has also helped Rumpke identify behavioral changes that might indicate personal stressors affecting drivers. For example, if a driver’s score drops unexpectedly, managers are now equipped to step in, ask questions, and offer support before a situation escalates. Bath noted, “Sometimes, drivers may be facing personal challenges, and now we have the opportunity to open up a supportive conversation.”
Perhaps most importantly, Rumpke has seen improvement in driver retention. While it's only one part of a larger strategy, the platform has played a meaningful role in building trust and supporting drivers. Bath added, “Drivers want to feel like they’re being invested in. When you give professionals the tools they need to be successful, it shows them they matter.”
Key achievements over the past 12 months (per 1,000 minutes):
Bath believes that long-term alignment, not just functionality, is what makes their partnership with Netradyne successful. He explains, “If your culture is just about productivity and not safety, don’t bother. This system is about improving people, not micromanaging them.”
Looking ahead, Rumpke remains committed to using Netradyne not just as a safety solution, but as a cultural driver, helping shape a workforce that is safer, more informed, and more connected than ever.
As Bath says, “It’s not a quick fix. It’s a journey. But if you’re in it for the right reasons, if you want to be better, then you’re picking the right partner.”
* Individual results and conditions may vary.
** Based on customer data.
† Netradyne must receive written approval to share client data.
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