Republic Services of Fort Wayne is pleased to announce that local driver, Nate Lutz, won Republic’s national Truck ROAD-EO championship in the residential side-loader category on March 2 in Phoenix, Arizona. The ROAD-EO competition featured 40 of Republic’s drivers from around the country who had earned the opportunity to compete in the national championship by winning their respective local and area competitions.
“We could not be more proud of Nate,” said Bob Borchers, general manager of Republic Services of Fort Wayne. “Nate’s commitment to safety and our customers is second to none. He’s a great example of what you can achieve when you work hard day in and day out, constantly seeking to improve upon your skills. We are thrilled to have the best of the best on our team, and our community is fortunate to have a driver of Nate’s caliber making a difference in our neighborhoods and on our roadways.”
Republic’s Truck ROAD-EO competition involved a series of seven driving tests on a timed course with challenging scenarios similar to what drivers encounter every day, from backing up in a narrow alleyway to navigating serpentine turns. Drivers competed in one of four categories: residential rear-loader, residential side-loader, industrial roll-off, and commercial front-loader. First place winners in the following driver categories include: Front-Load Driver Erik Ruiz from Las Vegas, NV; Rear-Load Driver Edgar Pino from Fairfax, VA; Roll-Off Driver Raymond Shirey from Marion, IL; and Side-Load Driver Nate Lutz from Fort Wayne, IN.
The ROAD-EO also included a technician competition involving Republic’s 10 top technicians from around the country, who also won their respective local and area competitions. Their competition consisted of diagnostic tests on a Roll-Off truck, where competitors were challenged with identifying and troubleshooting 10 vehicle problems in an allotted amount of time. First place winner in the Technician category goes to Shane Prater from Lexington, KY.
Republic has been steadily building on its industry-leading safety program, beginning with a 42 percent better safety performance record than the industry average, based on Occupational Safety and Health Administration data, over the past nine years. Since 2009, Republic drivers have won 75 percent of the National Waste & Recycling Association’s “Driver of the Year” awards in the large truck category.
Republic Services of Fort Wayne employs 243 people and serves approximately 152,359customers throughout the area. Republic operates a fleet of more than 112recycling and wastecollection trucks, 1 landfill, 2 transfer stations and 1 recycling center locally.
