Rio Valley Biofuel, Trans-Frt McNamara, Challenger and Tandet win honors at North American 2025 ISAAC HORIZON Conference
ISAAC Instruments announced the 2025 winners of the ISAAC Client Recognition Awards at the ISAAC HORIZON Conference in Charlotte, NC, held on October 20-22.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Awards have recognized fleets with outstanding performance in safety and compliance, as well as driver happiness.
This year’s edition, sponsored by Optimal Dynamics, included two new categories: one for fleets excelling in eco-efficiency and another for drivers with exemplary performance behind the wheel.
The awards were open to all fleet clients whose ISAAC platform deployment was completed no later than June 1, 2024.
Driver of the Year Award: Tandet’s Joseph Bayards
ISAAC’s Julie Phaneuf, Optimal Dynamics’ Zach Schuchart, Tandet Group’s Joseph Bayards, and ISAAC’s Jacques DeLarochelliere
Drivers are at the heart of fleet performance, and ISAAC is happy to highlight their contribution to fleet success and road safety.
Joseph Bayards has been a professional driver for nearly 40 years and has worked with Tandet Group for the past 36 years without any accidents.
“This means a lot to me,” says Joseph Bayards. “Back when I began my career, paper logs didn’t even exist — things have changed dramatically since then! I was always a safe driver, but with the ISAAC Coach it’s easier. It’s user-friendly, and I’m glad I learned how to use it to my advantage.”
Tandet’s Senior Vice President of Innovation Corey Cox says the company’s goal is to have the best-performing, safest drivers on the road. “I would think that Joe Bayards is an excellent example of this process in practice,” he says. “Joe has been driving with an incredible ISAAC Coach score of 100% for over 2 years.”
Eco-Efficiency Award: Tandet Group
ISAAC’s Julie Phaneuf, Optimal Dynamics’ Zach Schuchart, Tandet Group’s Corey Cox, and ISAAC’s Jacques DeLarochelliere
Tandet Group is the first-time winner of ISAAC’s Eco-efficiency award for demonstrating exceptional eco-responsible practices using their ISAAC platform. Eco-efficient driving is proven to enhance safety and reduce accidents.
“Our goal has been and continues to be: have the best-performing, safest drivers on the road,” says Tandet’s Senior Vice President of Innovation Corey Cox. “Our efforts are magnified by every individual in our organization. Being recognized in this way is a validation of these efforts and an example of the dedication of our drivers. There were a lot of “fist-pumps” when our teams got the news of the award!”
Safety & Compliance Improvement Award – Fleet of up to 100 trucks: Trans-Frt McNamara
ISAAC’s Julie Phaneuf, C.A.T.’s Karine Goyette, Optimal Dynamics’ Zach Schuchart, and ISAAC’s Jacques DeLarochelliere
This award honors carriers using their ISAAC platform to enhance safety and improve compliance throughout their fleet.
Karine Goyette, Executive Vice President at C.A.T., the parent company of Trans-Frt McNamara, attributes the achievement to the dedication of the entire team—from drivers to dispatchers, operations, and maintenance staff.
“Every day, they dedicate themselves to each other and the company,” said Goyette. “Their strong work ethics and ‘we can always do better’ approach have earned them this award. Showing us that it has been noticed just confirms that this award won’t be our last!”
The company’s safety department has fostered a culture of transparency and continuous improvement, where drivers now ask for their numbers and ask questions. This proactive mindset reflects the spirit of the award and the values that drive Trans-Frt McNamara forward.
Safety & Compliance Improvement Award – Fleet of Over 100 trucks: Challenger Motor Freight
ISAAC’s Julie Phaneuf, Challenger’s Nick Sampogna, Optimal Dynamics’ Zach Schuchart, and ISAAC’s Jacques DeLarochelliere
Upon receiving the Safety and Compliance Award for fleets of over 100 trucks, Nick Sampogna, Safety Manager at Challenger Motor Freight, stressed that safety isn’t just a policy for their organization. Every decision they make, from dispatch to training to how they interact with their drivers, is grounded in the belief that no delivery is worth more than a life.
“Winning an award like this is always a powerful reminder that when you lead with care and conviction, you protect what truly matters, our people,” says Nick Sampogna. “Not long ago, we stopped a driver for having an expired permit during our routine gate check. Although initially frustrated, he came back and thanked our safety team for catching it later that day after being pulled in for an inspection. It’s not always easy to do the right thing, but it means everything when your drivers know you’re on their side.”
Nick Sampogna also stresses: “ISAAC’s tools have been a major part of how we manage safety, from critical event alerts to wheel re-torque monitoring, live HOS tracking, and now AI video pilot programs that help us identify high-risk trends across the fleet.”
Driver Happiness Award: Rio Valley Biofuel Transport
ISAAC’s Julie Phaneuf, Optimal Dynamics’ Zach Schuchart, Rio Valley Biofuel’s Jed Smith, and ISAAC’s Jacques DeLarochelliere
If Driver Happiness comes as a surprise to some as an awards category, Jed Smith, President of RVB Transport, is quite clear about the merits of ensuring the well-being of those behind the wheel.
“This achievement feels really good!” says Smith. “After so much hard work, it’s incredibly rewarding to see improvement in our workflow, driver retention, and overall morale. I remember the day I knew we’d made the right choice by switching to ISAAC. One of our newer drivers, Eddy—who had come from a big carrier—walked up to my truck and thanked me, saying how much he loved our E-log system. Overall, our drivers have reported fewer paperwork headaches that used to affect their bonuses, and greater peace of mind with the visibility of their daily trip flow and site-specific delivery details.”
Partnering with Fleets to Drive Performance
ISAAC is committed to helping its clients perform through technological innovation and leverage every possible feature that optimizes operations and facilitates activities for both drivers and office staff.
“The Awards are a highlight for our entire team at our user conference,” emphasizes ISAAC’s CEO and Co-founder Jacques DeLarochelliere. “The accomplishments that Award nominees share with us in the process are concrete proof that our platform helps them drive results and positively impacts the day-to-day of their team. And that makes us happy.”
About ISAAC Instruments
ISAAC offers in-cab technology that goes far beyond ELDs. We partner with trucking companies to simplify the life of drivers and keep the wheels turning. We provide a reliable, comprehensive open platform that allows fleets to integrate all of their business apps on a single device. Our real-time, in-cab coaching supports eco-driving for unparalleled fuel savings and safer highways, while artificial intelligence (AI) technology empowers informed decision-making. ISAAC is the market leader in Canada and has a rapidly growing presence among top-performing fleets across the United States.
