A CT driver was known for his safety record. Now he's won a national award for it.
A Connecticut man is no stranger to safety awards.
But for John Griffin, a driver for All Waste, Inc., who had company safety awards under his belt, there was something higher to reach for. So he did.
Now, the Hartford-based driver was named the 2025 Driver of the Year by the National Waste & Recycling Association. He recently received his award at a NWRA awards gala ceremony in Las Vegas.
Griffin received the national award for 'exceptional safety, service, and professionalism among more than 140,000 drivers nationwide.'
Griffin, 51, is a Hartford native and now resides in Wethersfield with his wife, Victoria, and their two sons Nolan, 14, and Declan, 9.
Griffin, a Prince Tech grad, has been a commercial driver for 30 years. He drives 500 to 1,600 miles a week over 60 hours with five 12-hour days, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
'I liked the idea of being out on my own listening to tunes all day, so I got my CDL, and I fell into the life of a commercial driver,' Griffin said, in a phone interview.
Griffin said after some mistakes early in his career, he emphasized safety and not being in a hurry.
'That's when mistakes happen,' Griffin said. 'Over the years, I've won a ton of internal company safety awards, but we decided to take a shot nationwide.'
'My manager called me into his office in March with the owner and the GM and I thought to myself that was going to be really good or really bad,' he added. 'But everyone started clapping for me because I had won the driver of the year. It was pretty awesome.'
Griffin gave a two-minute speech in Las Vegas in front of a crowd of 900.
'For what I do every day and to be recognized — it was nothing short of awesome,' Griffin said.
According to the NWRA, the Driver of the Year awards 'honor divers who operate safely, responsibly and with distinction enhancing both the image and safety culture of the waste industry.'
'Driver safety and retention remain among the most critical indicators of success in our industry,' said Michael E. Hoffman, president and CEO of NWRA. 'This year's honorees demonstrate an exceptional record of professionalism and performance. Congratulations to all of our winners and honorable mention recipients.'
A panel of judges selected the winners through a scoring process based on letters or recommendation, route, equipment difficulty and safety records. In all, there were 42 drivers recognized in Las Vegas last week.
'These individuals perform under some of the most demanding conditions while providing essential services across the country every single day,' said Don Ross, chairman of the NWRA Board of Trustees, in a statement. 'We are excited to recognize their contributions during our new annual awards gala, a celebration of safety and service.'
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