Republic Services Employees Named Industry's Best in 2024 Driver and Operator of the Year Awards

National Waste & Recycling Association recognized two Republic Services collection truck drivers and a heavy-equipment operator for commitment to safety and service 

PHOENIX, May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) announced today that three employees were named 2024 Drivers and Operator of the Year by the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA). The honorees, who demonstrate Republic's commitment to safety and a superior customer experience, were recognized today at the NWRA Awards Breakfast during the 2024 Waste Expo convention in Las Vegas. 

Matthew Linden of Elyria, Ohio, is the NWRA National Commercial Driver of the Year; Terrel Herring of Victoria, Texas, is National Residential Driver of the Year; and Rob Hamil of Chicago is one of four Operators of the Year. Republic Services will present Linden and Herring with the keys to new trucks and Hamil with new heavy equipment to use in their work. The trucks and heavy equipment will be personalized with the winner's name and will highlight the award received.

"Our top priority at Republic Services is always safety, and our employees live this value every day," said Jon Vander Ark, president and chief executive officer. "Congratulations to Matthew, Terrel and Rob for their commitment to safely serving our customers. We're proud to recognize them as the industry's best."

The Driver of the Year awards recognize those who safely operate their trucks, have outstanding performance records and enhance the overall safety and image of the industry. The Operator of the Year award honors those who work in post-collection at a recycling facility, landfill or transfer station and operate heavy equipment, including bulldozers, front-end loaders or compactors. 

Independent judges selected the winners based on letters of recommendation and, for drivers, the difficulty of the route based on factors such as number of pickups and miles driven weekly. Operators were judged on how they operated their equipment. This year, there was a four-way tie for Operator of the Year.

Since 2006, Republic Services drivers have consecutively won various categories of NWRA's awards program, further showcasing the Company's commitment to safety.

2024 National Commercial Driver of the Year: Matthew Linden
Matt Linden, a driver in Elryia, Ohio, is a dedicated employee with 39 years of service, primarily as a front-load driver. He is highly regarded by customers and coworkers, and is consistently praised for his safe driving. Outside of work, Matt enjoys gardening, farming and ballroom dancing with his wife. 

2024 National Residential Driver of the Year: Terrel Herring
Terrel Herring started at Republic Services more than 26 years ago in San Antonio, Texas. He transferred to Victoria as a residential driver in 2012 and has been a valued member of the team ever since. He says his favorite part of being a residential driver is seeing kids on his routes smile when he honks his horn. Terrel exemplifies a commitment to serve every day with his positivity and exceptional customer service.

2024 Operator of the Year: Rob Hamil
Rob Hamil has been with Republic Services for almost 32 years and has collected a wealth of knowledge that makes him a go-to for assistance from his colleagues. He helps move more than 1,000 tons per day in his wheel loader at Republic's transfer station near Chicago's downtown loop. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and coaches a number of youth sports teams.

About Republic Services
Republic Services, Inc. is a leader in the environmental services industry. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides customers with the most complete set of products and services, including recycling, solid waste, special waste, hazardous waste and field services. Republic's industry-leading commitments to advance circularity and support decarbonization are helping deliver on its vision to partner with customers to create a more sustainable world. For more information, please visit RepublicServices.com.

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SOURCE Republic Services, Inc.