How Richards Building Supply reduced unsafe driving behaviour by 41% with Geotab Vitality

Richards Building Supply achieved a 41% improvement in safe driving behaviours within 60 days of deploying Geotab Vitality — a driver engagement and rewards app built on telematics data. The 90-day pilot generated a 443% ROI and $195,000+ in projected annual savings, with a program cost of just $36,000/year.

Safety isn't just a policy, it's a family value. By partnering with Geotab and Descartes, this Midwest distributor turned a 90-day pilot program into a significat win for driver safety and the bottom line. 

Key results at glance

What was the challenge?

At Richards Building Supply, safety isn't just a policy — it's a core belief. Drivers are the backbone of the business, and keeping them safe, supported and motivated has always been a top priority. Protecting their well-being — as well as the safety of everyone on the road — is central to how Richards serves, solves and celebrates every day while fulfilling its mission to improve lives.

The company already used Geotab telematics to track performance. But Richards wanted to go further — making safety personal for every driver, celebrating safe performance, and reinforcing positive habits across the fleet. Even with a highly safe and professional fleet, Richards recognized there is always room to reduce collisions, strengthen retention and improve fuel efficiency. 

That's where Geotab Vitality came in.

What is Geotab Vitality?

Geotab Vitality is a driver engagement and rewards platform that combines real-world telematics data with behavioural science to motivate and reward safe driving. Rather than relying on managers to email reports — a typical scorecarding process used by many fleets — the app empowers drivers to check their own scores at any time, fostering a sense of ownership and personal accountability.

Unlike traditional fleet monitoring tools that flag bad behaviour after the fact, Geotab Vitality focuses on positive reinforcement: rewarding drivers for measurable improvement and giving them the tools to self-manage their performance.

How does Geotab Vitality work?

Geotab Vitality translates telematics data into a simple, rewarding driver experience through three core features:

• Personalized weekly goals: set based on each driver's individual baseline, rewarding measurable improvement over perfection.
• Real-time feedback: drivers track key behaviors like speeding, braking, acceleration and cornering at any time.
• Tangible rewards: points earned for meeting weekly goals are redeemable in an in-app rewards mall featuring over 160 global brands, including everyday items like coffee on a route stop or merchandise from major retailers.

What results did Richards Building Supply see? 

In July 2025, Richards Building Supply launched a 90-day pilot, engaging 130 drivers across Illinois and several key cities throughout the U.S. Using data from their existing Geotab tracking devices, results came quickly:

• 30 days: 25% improvement in safe driving behaviors
• 60 days: 41% total improvement — maintained even after the pilot ended
• Benchmark: Richards drivers now perform over 8% safer than comparable Geotab fleets, placing them among the top-performing fleets in their peer group

 “A critical element of the app's success is its ability to directly engage our drivers through a simple, rewarding experience. The app's design is user-friendly, and its reward system is a powerful motivator. Drivers can redeem points for everyday items, from a coffee at a local store on their route, to merchandise from major retailers.”  

-  Jenny Vetter, Logistics Manager at Richards Building Supply

From a driver perspective:  

"The Geotab Vitality app has completely changed the approach to driving. It's a positive reinforcement tool to earn points every day. It also generates your own personal goals, and little effort is needed in the app to get the dollars to grow. Just drive safely. My dollars are adding up quickly and I am already using them from the many reward options available. What a great way to reward a driver." 

What are the financial benefits of Geotab Vitality?

 After the pilot, Richards Building Supply partnered with Geotab Vitality to complete a detailed ROI analysis, turning safe driving behaviour improvements into measurable business results. The pilot generated $195,000+ in projected annual savings across three key areas (based on data from drivers in the pilot group):

 1. Collision risk reduction — $28,000 saved

• 8% reduction in Geotab's Predictive Collision Risk (PCR) rating
• The most improved group of drivers cut their risk by nearly one-fifth (17%)
• Annual estimated collision costs: reduced from $349K to $321K
• Even for a well-managed fleet of professional drivers, the impact was significant — proving that when drivers are engaged and motivated, they drive even safer

 2. Fuel efficiency — $75,000 saved

•  Fuel efficiency improved by 2.7%
• Annual estimated fuel spend: reduced from $2.75M to $2.67M
• Saving based on an average diesel cost of $3.92 per gallon in Chicago
• Safer driving doesn't just prevent accidents — it cuts costs at the pump too

 3. Driver retention — $92,000 saved

•  Estimated annual turnover reduction: from 25.5% to 14.3%
• Savings driven by fewer new hires, less downtime and improved morale¹

“Having Geotab Vitality was such a great idea. It is very easy to use and earn points. It's awesome that Richards Building Supply is doing this for the drivers. I appreciate them thinking of us and our Safety.”

Note: The methodology and assumptions used in this model are intentionally conservative. The analysis does not include potential savings from litigation avoidance or employee disability costs related to collisions. Additionally, maintenance cost improvements — which Geotab data suggests can exceed 14% due to safer driving and reduced wear and tear — were excluded, as these benefits typically require a longer time horizon to become observable in the data.

What happened after the pilot?

With a 443% ROI and a program cost of just $36,000, the decision to expand was easy. Richards Building Supply is now rolling out Geotab Vitality across their entire fleet in Q4 2025 / Q1 2026.

"Our success using the Geotab Vitality App is a great example of how technology can foster a stronger, safer, and more engaged workforce. Our partnership shows that safety programs don't need to be punitive. Instead, by providing direct feedback, clear goals and tangible rewards, we can create a 'win-win' for both our drivers and our company."

-  Jenny Vetter, Logistics Manager at Richards Building Supply:

Richards Building Supply proves that even fleets with a strong safety program in place can still get safer — and more efficient — when you focus on motivating drivers rather than monitoring them. For Geotab customers and resellers, this is a powerful example of how data + behavioral science generates measurable ROI.

Download the Study Case

Geotab Vitality helps fleets reduce collisions, lower costs and build stronger driver engagement – one reward at a time.