Joyride Logistics transformed fleet safety and driver culture through a transparent, points-based performance app that delivers real-time feedback and weekly bonuses across safety, operations, and maintenance.
- Objective, Data-Driven Scoring: Built in-house via the Samsara API, the app scores drivers across safety (40%), operations (30%), and maintenance (30%) to eliminate subjective evaluations.
- Weekly Incentives and Real-Time Visibility: Drivers view their metrics, dispute logs, and access performance bonuses weekly, allowing them to instantly see where they stand and how to achieve higher reward tiers.
- Cultural Shift in Safety: Real-time event notifications encourage drivers to proactively engage management to resolve issues, clean up roadside violations, and pick up operational rescue missions.
- Fleet and Regional Expansion: The program contributed to a 30% jump in driver retention and helped scale the company from 80 to 250+ drivers, supporting major accounts like Amazon and driving expansion into Texas and Florida.
CCJ Innovators profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact CCJ Chief Editor Jason Cannon at [email protected] or 800-633-5953.
In a trucking industry where driver turnover routinely hovers north of 90%, Joyride Logistics is leaning into transparency and real-time data to retain talent.
Through its proprietary Driver Retention Program (DRP)—deployed fleet-wide as a dedicated mobile app—the carrier has improved retention by 30% while scaling from roughly 80 drivers to more than 250 in two years.
The goal from the outset was straightforward: Eliminate guesswork and personal bias from performance management.
"We found out that there was a lot of subjective opinion when it comes to drivers and a lot of subjective opinions when it comes to driver efficiency, safety, everything related to driver management," said Joyride’s Kemal Balihodzic. "So we said, 'Let’s find a grading system where we can grade based on numbers: ones and zeros. Numbers never lie."
A holistic, data-driven approach
Built in-house and connected directly via API to Samsara fleet telematics and internal management systems, the DRP goes beyond standard safety-only scorecards:
Safety (40%): Pulls directly from Samsara telematics to monitor on-road behavior, defensive driving, speed, distance, and critical safety events.
Operations (30%): Tracks Hours of Service (HOS) compliance, dispatch collaboration, and on-time pickups and deliveries.
Maintenance (30%): Monitors pre- and post-trip inspections, general equipment care, and truck cleanliness verified with photo uploads.
Drivers are segmented into three clear tiers: Level 2 (underperformers), Level 1 (solid performers), and the top-tier Elite. Bonuses are awarded weekly rather than monthly, giving drivers immediate access to their earnings and instant visibility into their metrics.
"We want to be very transparent. We want to be fair. We want them to know exactly what happened and what would get them disqualified," explained Sarah Mulic. "One of the biggest things we wanted was for drivers to see things in real time... They know what to expect, they know where they need to improve."
They also know where they stand among their peers, creating individual rivalries.
"We have drivers tell us, 'Hey, I’m competing with this one, I’m competing with that one,'" Mulic noted. "They just want to get that Elite status."
Flipping fleet safety culture
The instant feedback loop has also changed day-to-day communication.
Rather than a safety manager tracking down drivers after an infraction, drivers monitor their dashboards closely and reach out to management themselves.
"Samsara driver app also has a new interface... they also now have an option to see all the unsafe events that were triggered under their name," noted Alma Delic. "Now, instead of safety calling drivers to coach them on certain behaviors, now they’re calling us and saying, 'Hey, I see this on my app, something is wrong, can you guys review it? I’m pretty sure I didn’t do anything wrong.' So we have reverse psychology with the drivers."
The platform balances disciplinary criteria with proactive incentives. Points are awarded when drivers maintain clean roadside inspections or execute rescue missions to cover loads for teammates running low on hours. To cut administrative bottlenecks, Joyride also built leave requests and an internal team directory directly into the interface.
Fueling network growth
The granular performance tracking has supported Joyride’s expansion with key shippers, particularly Amazon, which represents around 90% of its business alongside accounts like the U.S. Postal Service. Management uses the scoring data to assign suitable freight profiles, ensuring strict on-time delivery metrics are consistently met.
Following high partner performance scores, Joyride is currently expanding operations into three additional states, including Florida and Texas, while developing an AI-driven TMS integrated with Amazon Relay.
The CCJ Innovators program is sponsored by Comdata, Mack Trucks, and Shell Rotella.
