How Keany Produce Reduced Violations 37% and Saved Over $200,000 in Crash Costs

The Challenge

A Manual Hiring Process That Couldn’t Keep Up

As Keany’s fleet grew, the hiring process couldn’t scale with it. Managers relied on candidates to manually supply their own motor vehicle records, which were often outdated. The back-and-forth between managers and drivers created significant delays and frustration.

No Visibility Between Annual MVR Checks

Post-hire, the team ordered costly MVRs for each driver once a year. Between those annual pulls, supervisors had to rely on drivers to self-report incidents, which, as many businesses experience, was unreliable. The result was zero visibility into ongoing fleet safety. In some cases, drivers transporting high-volume produce orders had their trucks impounded for leaving the warehouse with a suspended license, creating downstream impacts on customer service and retention.

Rising Insurance Costs

Keany was seeing significant increases in insurance claims and premiums driven by rising driver risk. In every conversation with their insurer, the company’s DOT score from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was the first topic addressed and a major contributor to increasing rates. The team knew change was imperative.

The Solution

When Keany brought on a new Chief Transportation Officer who had previously experienced significant improvements with SambaSafety at another company, the path forward was clear. After reviewing Keany’s existing hiring and risk management processes, he immediately recognized SambaSafety’s potential. As Chief Procurement Officer Danny O’Rourke stated: “We really didn’t need to look elsewhere.”

Keany implemented SambaSafety’s continuous monitoring solution, gaining ongoing visibility into license status and violation changes across their fleet. This eliminated the need to rely on drivers to self-report incidents. Now, when an incident occurs, even something as minor as a speeding ticket, supervisors are promptly alerted and can intervene before points accumulate and high-risk behavior escalates.

The approach also streamlined hiring. With faster access to MVRs and a smoother evaluation process, drivers could hit the road sooner, and Keany could be confident their fleet was qualified from day one.

O’Rourke emphasized that safety is the primary benefit: “Outside of the cost savings, the most paramount benefit we have realized is the improved safety of our employees and everyone else on the road. That is the first and most important thing, and then the monetary benefit is secondary, but still great.”

The Results

37% Reduction in Violations and Improved DOT Scores

Keany reduced violations across its fleet by 37%, and its overall DOT score improved significantly as a result. With the ability to proactively address issues as they arise, the company has completely eliminated the risk of suspended or ineligible drivers heading out on the road.

Fewer Crashes, Major Cost Savings

In the 12 months before implementing SambaSafety, Keany reported nine crashes. In the 12 months after, that number dropped to five. With an average crash cost of approximately $50,000, that reduction translated to more than $200,000 in savings. As O’Rourke explained: “In the 12 months prior to implementing SambaSafety, we had 9 crashes reported. And in the 12 months after implementation, we have reduced that to five crashes, essentially saving us over $200,000, which is pretty awesome.”

Decreased Insurance Premiums

Before SambaSafety, Keany’s insurance costs were climbing steadily. Continuous monitoring and a more proactive risk management strategy reversed that trend. O’Rourke described the shift: “It looks like a bell curve now. Costs were going up, up, up, but we implemented SambaSafety and it completely turned. That’s been a great added benefit and very tangible one from the premium side.”

Improved Driver Morale and Retention

Managers are now empowered to have proactive, coaching-focused conversations with drivers about safety. Rather than waiting for issues to escalate, they address concerns early from a development perspective. O’Rourke noted that the approach has had a counterintuitive benefit for morale: “Proactively engaging with drivers after an incident actually really helps with driver morale in a counterintuitive way. They don’t feel like they need to hide anything anymore when they know their boss is approaching it from a learning and coaching perspective, helping the driver learn from the incident and move forward together. They know we’re not trying to kick them off the roads, but rather help them improve their behavior to keep them safe.” Today, Keany operates with the assurance that they are hiring and retaining safer drivers.