CUSTOMER CASE STUDY

Challenge

Managing more than 15,000 assets — spanning road vehicles, off-road equipment, chippers, and trailers — presented Davey with significant safety and visibility challenges. Operating across the United States and seven provinces in Canada, the company needed a telematics and safety solution capable of delivering consistent, real-time oversight. Their existing systems fell short.

“None of our telematics providers at that time had any type of cameras, so it was more location services only,” Milano explained. Without camera-based insights, leadership could not fully understand driver behavior or effectively address high-risk activities.

These gaps were especially concerning given the inherently hazardous environments where Davey operates. Work near power lines, wildfire-prone regions in the West, and busy public roadways meant safety risks extended far beyond the job site to the fleet itself. “We are continually trying to figure out what we can do to improve driver safety and, of course, keep our people and the communities in which we serve safe.”

With nearly $1 billion in assets at risk of frequent collisions, accurate tracking and mitigation of risky driving behavior was critical. Without integrated camera systems, exonerating drivers after an incident required costly investigations and reliance on secondhand accounts, complicating insurance negotiations. Inefficiencies in Davey’s existing telematics setup also made it hard to scale across a diverse fleet of vehicle types and geographies, failing to address issues like unnecessary idling and uneven asset utilization.

Solution

To solve these challenges, Milano’s team at Davey conducted a rigorous evaluation process. 

The team started with 16 telematics providers and narrowed the field to two finalists, including Motive. They then launched a 14-week pilot across 87 vehicles. Both solutions were tested simultaneously in the same vehicles, with identical routes and conditions to ensure a direct comparison. 

“Putting them head-to-head was a game changer for us because it let us accurately evaluate both technologies. Motive far outshone the competition,” said Milano.

Motive AI Dashcams and in-cab alerts quickly proved their value. At first, Davey allowed drivers to operate without alerts to establish a baseline. Once in-cab alerts were activated, the impact was immediate.

“When we turned on the in-cab alerts, our safety events significantly dropped across all crash indicators. People are listening and responding to the in-cab coaching,” Milano shared. Risky behaviors such as speeding, close following, and cell phone use fell sharply, helping to build a safer driving culture.

“During the pilot, we saw our close-following events drop from one every 261 miles to one every 15,000 miles,” Milano says. “That’s staggering. And when I look at the roadmap ahead — what AI is unlocking — it’s going to change everything.”

Leadership engagement was central to the program’s success. Davey’s CEO, Pat Covey, personally championed the initiative, addressing employee concerns in town halls and reinforcing how the technology supported the company’s focus on driver and community safety. This proactive communication eased the transition to a camera-based system, even among initially apprehensive drivers.

“We’ve had significant success with drivers who were very apprehensive of the program that have now given us testimonials of how well the program is not only working, but how it has made them a better driver,” Milano said.

Beyond safety, Motive’s telematics capabilities delivered new operational insights. By tracking idling and routing patterns, Davey identified opportunities to reduce fuel waste across a fleet that burns approximately 13 million gallons annually. “We’re seeing some significant operational efficiencies… location and routing,” Milano explained. Visibility into asset utilization helped the team identify underused vehicles and balance resources more effectively across the fleet.

Motive’s accurate AI, robust analytics, and the strong in-house leadership support enabled Davey to quickly roll out a scalable, high-impact program addressing both safety and efficiency.

Results

Implementing Motive has delivered measurable safety and operational improvements for Davey. During the initial in-cab alerts pilot, Milano reported dramatic decreases in unsafe driving behaviors.

“At the end of the in-cab alerts pilot, we saw an 87% reduction in unsafe events — a 98% reduction in close following, a 91% drop in cell phone usage, and a 97% decline in speeding,” he said.

In week 12 of Davey Tree’s side-by-side comparison, Motive’s alerts were turned off, and the competitor’s alerts were activated. The contrast was immediate as unsafe behaviors surged back. 

• 42% increase in unsafe driving events with competitor (with Motive, 87% decline in overall unsafe events)
  
• 16x spike in close following with competitor (with Motive, 98% decline in close following events)
  
• 32% increase in cell phone usage with competitor (with Motive, 91% decline in cell phone usage)
  
• 92% surge in speeding incidents with competitor (with Motive, 97% decline in speeding incidents)
  
• 60% surge in stop sign violations with competitor (Davey Tree saw a 17.1% decline in stop sign violations over 11 weeks using Motive’s AI dashcam system.)

The competitor’s system failed to sustain the behavioral improvements delivered by Motive, despite identical operating conditions. 

As rollout with Motive has progressed, Davey has continued to see strong results. Miles driven per safety event have improved by 93%, seat belt violations are down 62%, stop sign violations are down by 30%, and overall safety events have decreased by 23%, indicating sustained improvements in driver behavior and program effectiveness.

Motive AI Dashcams have also provided critical evidence in incident investigations, exonerating Davey drivers in cases that could have led to costly claims. “We’ve had several exoneration videos and the lawsuits could have potentially cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions,” Milano explained. He added that Motive AI Dashcam footage has reduced litigation exposure and is “absolutely going to translate into great early return on investment,” for Davey Tree.

Beyond the numbers, the program has supported a cultural shift toward safer driving. Drivers who were initially skeptical have since acknowledged the positive impact of the technology. “It means the technology is working. We know driver acceptance is rising rapidly based on what [drivers are] saying,” said Milano.

Operationally, Motive has given Davey better insight into idling and asset utilization, helping identify inefficiencies and reduce fuel waste. With continued rollout and future advancements in Motive AI analytics, Davey expects even greater gains in safety, efficiency, and cost savings.

“AI is the buzzword throughout the industry, and Motive is at the forefront,” Milano said. “The technology works extremely well, and we’re excited about the Motive AI analytics side of it and what AI will bring in the future.”