Republic Services crowns winners of 2023 ROAD-EO National Championship

Republic Services Inc., Phoenix, has announced the winners of its 2023 ROAD-EO National Championship, a competition to determine its best collection drivers, heavy equipment operators and technicians from across North America.

According to the company, employees must have a perfect safety record and win local and regional ROAD-EO competitions to qualify for nationals. This year, 93 competitors representing 30 states and one Canadian province, earned the opportunity to compete in the Feb. 21 event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix, home of Republic’s headquarters.

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“Safety is one of our core values as a company and drives every decision we make,” says Republic Vice President of Safety Jim Olson. “This event helps to reinforce our strong safety performance, which over the last 10 years has been nearly 40 percent better than the industry average. It also gives us the opportunity to celebrate our employees and thank them for their strong commitment to serving our customers.”

Republic’s recycling and waste collection drivers competed in one of four categories—residential rear load, residential side load, large container and small container—and navigated a timed course with several challenges, including parallel parking, alley backing and a serpentine segment. At the end of the competition, four champions were crowned:

• CJ Hines; Sandusky, Ohio; residential rear load
• Donovan Laird; Jefferson City, Missouri; residential side load
• Gregory Smith; West Grove, Pennsylvania; large container
• Chuck Thorpe; Telford, Pennsylvania; small container

Twelve heavy equipment operators competed in the bulldozer category, while 13 others competed in the wheel loader category, completing challenges including forward/back dirt pickup and drum roll. The 2023 champions are:

• David Muns; Las Vegas; bulldozer
• David Talas, Phoenix; wheel loader

Twenty-five technician competitors were tasked with a complex diagnostic examination of a collection truck or postcollection bulldozer to identify 10 maintenance needs within 10 minutes. The 2023 champions are:

• Michael Kennedy; Winchester, Virginia; collection technician
• Shawn Alexander; Arlington, Texas; postcollection technician

The company says all first-place winners went home with $5,000 and five additional days of paid time off (PTO), second-place winners received $2,500 and three additional days of PTO and third-place finishers received $1,000 and one additional day of PTO. All competitors received and expenses-paid trip for two to compete in the event.