When Lloyd Pest Control rolled out its distracted driving policy in spring 2024, it wasn’t just about reducing risk it was about reinforcing a companywide culture of safety and accountability.
With support from executive leadership and a data-driven approach, the San Diego-based company launched a no-cell-phone-use policy backed by AI-enabled vehicle cameras and clear disciplinary measures. The goal: reduce accidents, protect employees, and demonstrate leadership in an industry where driving is often the most dangerous part of the job.
Why It Was Time to Act
For Lloyd, the decision to formalize a distracted driving policy came after a series of costly incidents and a growing awareness of the legal and financial risks.
“We had a 19-mile-per-hour accident, and everyone drove away fine,” says Efrain Velasco, Lloyd’s Technical Director. “Then we got a demand letter asking for a seven figure settlement (the case was settled for $1.4 million). Another one came for $3 million. These weren’t even catastrophic injuries, but the settlement demands were.”
Charles Wahl, Lloyd’s Corporate Safety Coordinator, echoes the concern.
“Research from Virginia Tech University has shown that people who engage in texting while driving are 23 times more likely to have an accident. Even hands-free calls - legal in California - carries a higher risk. We reached a point where doing nothing was no longer an option.”
Leadership buy-in was key. After attending the 2023 PestSure Safety & Loss Prevention Conference and hearing from behavioral scientist Dr. Paul Atchley of the University of South Florida on “The Science Behind Distracted Driving,” Lloyd CEO Jamie Ogle, President Scott Crowley and the management team knew it was time to act.
A Phased, Purposeful Rollout
In December 2023, Lloyd began a slow roll out of the policy. Velasco personally visited every branch to explain the “why.” In the spring of 2024, the company hosted a formal event to introduce the policy, complete with signoffs, training, and the activation of enhanced features contained in its Lytx DriveCam system.
The AI-powered cameras detect handheld device use, speeding, and unsafe behaviors like tailgating or hard braking. Managers receive video alerts and are required to meet with technicians within five days to discuss any violations.
“We’ve used vehicle cameras for more than a decade,” Wahl says. “But the AI enhancements let us go granular identifying specific behaviors, timing, even giving drivers audible and visual alerts before a video is triggered. It’s a training tool, not a punishment system.”
From Pushback to Progress
Initial resistance, especially from technicians accustomed to using Bluetooth, was expected. But Lloyd’s emphasis on education and consistent application of the policy helped turn the tide.
“Coaching is always a two-way conversation,” says Wahl. “One of our technicians was frustrated after getting flagged for following too closely. But when he saw the video and we talked through it together, it became a constructive conversation. That’s where the culture shift happens.”
Wahl says companies can expect an initial period where people may be unhappy, expressing privacy concerns, which could even result in a few people leaving the company.
“I found this fairly rare, and buy-in will occur, especially when individuals are exonerated from near accidents or incidents. Cameras do not lie,” he adds.
Weekly safety talks, coaching scorecards for managers, and driver recognition programs have helped reinforce the message. Technicians who meet safety goals are eligible for bonuses, and managers are now evaluated on their coaching effectiveness giving them skin in the game.
“We’re looking at peer-to-peer recognition and more formal incentives,” adds Velasco. “More than 50 employees have zero incidents this year. That’s worth celebrating.”
Results That Matter
In the first half of 2024, following the program’s introduction, Lloyd reduced vehicle incidents from 26 in 2023 to just eight. The positive trend continued into 2025, with only five incidents recorded throughout the first half of the year further proving the value of removing cell phones from the equation. Even more significant, the financial severity of incidents dropped dramatically. And perhaps most telling, the company shattered the myth that safety slows down business.
“We had our two best sales months in company history after launching the program,” Velasco notes. “This wasn’t about punishing people, it was about protecting them. Our techs are safer, and our clients are better served.”
Wahl emphasized that the cameras also help when Lloyd drivers are falsely accused.
“We had a clear case where our tech had the green light, but another driver ran a red. The deputy didn’t ask for camera footage, and weeks later we received a demand letter. Once our lawyer responded with the video, we never heard back again,” Wahl says.
Advice for Other Companies
Both Velasco and Wahl agree: the key to success is ownership commitment and branch-level accountability.
“You need to phase it in, explain the ‘why,’ and let the data guide you,” says Velasco “And yes it takes work. Reviewing video, having one-on-one coaching conversations with employees, following through. That’s what gives the program teeth.”
Wahl adds it is important to push coaching down to the branch level since those managers work with the technicians every day and can tailor conversations to the individuals personality and get at the root cause of any issues.
“It’s not just about enforcement; it’s about developing people and safer driving habits that extend beyond regular work hours,” says Wahl.
He advises other companies introducing no-cell phone policies to be as upfront and honest about expectations and program details as possible and consistent when handling violators.
Looking Ahead
Lloyd continues to evolve the program shifting to a one-year rolling review period, exploring new incentives, and integrating safety performance into CEU and onboarding sessions. With more than 60 new hires in 2024 alone, training remains a top priority.
Most importantly, Lloyd is building a workforce that sees safety not as a rulebook, but as a shared value.
“Today, our new technicians expect the cameras in our vehicles to be tracking their driving habits,” Wahl says. “It’s just how we operate. And for our experienced drivers, the data shows where they’re excelling and where we can help them get better.”
In an industry where the road is often the riskiest place to be, Lloyd Pest Control is proving that smart technology, strong leadership, and a commitment to culture can pave the way to safer, stronger teams.
PestSure – Your Partner in Safety
Founded in 1980, PestSure is the only insurance and risk management provider that is 100 percent dedicated to the pest management industry. It offers industry professionals a full suite of insurance, risk management, and safety training and education offerings.
PestSure provides insurance, safety and risk management consulting to pest management companies representing $2 billion in revenue, $750 million in payroll and more than 16,500 service vehicles. The program is administered by Alliant Insurance Services.
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