AALA representative Greg Cohen announced Dan Rossi of Clear Channel Outdoor because the 2025 Fleet Safety Award recipient, with Carl Gustafson of Wheels accepting the dignity on Rossi’s behalf.
Image: Automotive Fleet / Jonathan Robbins
Chris Brown, associate publisher of Automotive Fleet, took to the Fleet Forward Conference stage on Oct. 22 in San Diego to acknowledge the importance of safety leadership as he introduced this 12 months’s Fleet Safety Award, sponsored by the American Automotive Leasing Association (AALA).
Brown was followed AALA Executive Director Greg Cohen, who announced Dan Rossi, vice chairman of operations and safety for Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO), because the 2025 recipient.
Carl Gustafson of Wheels, CCO’s fleet management company, accepted the award on Rossi’s behalf.
Rossi and his team oversee a fleet of 566 vehicles, starting from light trucks and SUVs to medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Partnering with Wheels, Rossi transitioned the organization from static monthly telematics reports to real-time speeding alerts, enabling immediate intervention and fostering driver accountability.
When prompted, Gustafson spoke of Rossi’s focus and discipline.
“Dan Rossi measures safety with precision, focusing especially on reducing high-speed violations and elevated risk behaviors,” Gustafson said. “Under Rossi’s leadership, CCO’s safety program has delivered outstanding results, including a 76% reduction in speeding events — exceeding its initial 20% goal. Yr-over-year metrics show continued progress, including a 67% decrease in 10–15 mph violations and 62% reductions in each 16–20 mph and 21-plus mph speeding ranges.”
This system’s impact extends beyond metrics. Under Rossi’s leadership, CCO has redefined its safety culture through proactive communication, visible accountability, and real-time leadership engagement. Local operations managers now receive hourly alerts when drivers exceed the speed limit by 21 mph or more, enabling rapid coaching and course correction.
This approach not only curbed dangerous driving behavior but in addition empowered local operations managers to take ownership of fleet safety outcomes. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive — this system earned an ideal 10 Net Promoter Rating in internal satisfaction and risk mitigation.
Rossi’s initiatives have also driven a measurable shift in organizational mindset. Safety discussions are actually a standing agenda item across teams, and driver awareness has heightened through consistent messaging and recognition of improvement.
By specializing in accountability, data, and communication, Rossi and his team have embedded safety into CCO’s operational DNA. The outcomes are measurable, and the impact is obvious: a fleet that’s safer, smarter, and more engaged than ever before.
Award Runner-up and Finalists
AALA’s fleet management executives review an inventory of nominees and select a winner. The nominating process starts with AALA fleet member firms submitting candidates that best meet the award qualifications. Self-nominations are also accepted.
2025 finalists include (in no particular order):
- Joe Manifesto, Deputy Sheriff II & SRJ Transportation Fleet Manager for Alameda County Sheriff’s Office: Manifesto helped integrate a program contained in the Transportation Unit to permit 6 trainers to instruct all Class B Drivers within the unit on a quarterly basis. This training included instruction on vehicle placement, parallel parking, navigating tight facilities, back-alley docking, and hazard avoidance.
- Serina Contreras, Management Analyst at City of Morena Valley: Contreras helped implement defensive driving awareness and training programs for City employees. These sessions focused on secure driving practices, speed management, proper following distances, and hazard awareness. The City achieved a 30% reduction in fleet-related accidents over the past two years because the initiative was launched.
- Marc Gaskin, Regional Safety Manager at ChemTreat: Gaskin’s initiatives are expansive, including safety trainings, accident-prevention modules, real-time risk reporting assignments, and a monthly safety council. These initiatives combined have delivered a ten% reduction in total incidents and repair spending.
- Michael Duffy, The Transportation Operations and Fleet Manager on the University of Virginia Facilities Management. Brian Park is a professor within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Systems and Information Engineering on the University of Virginia. Park can also be the director of the Traffic Operations Laboratory. Fleet Manager Mike Duffy and Professor Brian Park have served as mentors to undergraduate and PhD candidates, guiding research that enhances secure transportation practices.
- Taylor Murphy, Financial Analyst at Hilti: Murphy updated Hilti’s fleet safety policies with leadership at Wheels, delivering recent telematics deployment, automated driver training, and MVW monitoring.
Recent Fleet Safety Award Winners
This Article First Appeared At www.automotive-fleet.com
