How Linxup Safety Score Helps The Junkluggers of Gainesville Improve Driver Accountability

For The Junkluggers of Gainesville, safety is not something they take lightly. With large, fully loaded trucks operating daily throughout large metropolitan areas, unsafe driving creates risk for the business’s reputation, finances, operations, and most importantly, employees. 

As owner Mark Harrington explains:

“So far, I love it. For me, safety is the number one thing. If the trucks are driven in an unsafe manner, it's bad for the brand; you get phone calls to the call center. I let the guys know it's not that Big Brother is watching, it's that we are being a safe company with a five-ton truck rolling down the road.”

From the start, the goal wasn’t surveillance. It was accountability, clarity, and protection.

Life before Linxup

Like many franchise owners, when The Junkluggers of Gainesville was just getting started, they initially used a suggested GPS provider. The tool checked a box, but it didn’t support how the business actually operated day to day.

As word spread within the Junkluggers franchise network, Linxup kept coming up in conversations between owners mentioning how happy they were with the product. 

“There are about 75 Junkluggers franchise owners, and we all communicate on Slack. If someone asks, ‘What camera are you using?’ Your name [Linxup] gets thrown about from several owners with how happy they are with the product.”

Eventually, it became clear that switching wasn’t just about tracking trucks, it was about improving how safety and performance were managed altogether.

The customer service difference

One of the first things that stood out after switching to Linxup was the level of attention and responsiveness Mark experienced.

“I was kind of shocked that I got this level of attention. Normally, you dial a 1-800 number, and you sit in a queue, and you wait for tech support, and you talk to someone in wherever, and you don’t get a live person. Brandon is excellent. He's always been super attentive and open to my suggestions. And the fact I said, hey man, this is something that I'd really like to have, and the fact that you guys follow through with that is awesome.”

That experience set the tone for the relationship. Linxup wasn’t just providing software, it was listening, adapting, and partnering with the business.

How Linxup Safety Scores improve accountability

Visibility and data alone don’t change behavior. What made the difference for Junkluggers of Gainesville was Linxup’s Safety Score, which translated driving behaviors, alerts, and events into a clear, understandable grade.

“I tell them, as far as the safety scorecard, we're an A-only company. If you get a B, that's an F.” 

Mark also appreciates how flexible the system is, allowing him to adjust weighting to match what matters most to his operation.

“I love the weighted scorecard. I have high speed as the number one factor with their scorecard.”

Ease of use played a major role in adoption. The interface is intuitive so Mark is able to find the details and reports he needs quickly with confidence it’s accurate. 

“That's the really nice thing about the user interface, is that even without you guys [on the phone], I can just go down the left-hand panel and it's really self-explanatory.”

Getting buy-in for driver safety

Introducing safety technology can create resistance if drivers feel monitored instead of supported. For The Junkluggers of Gainesville, transparency made all the difference.

“There is no pushback. The team's fine with it. I mean, candidly, the only thing that annoys them is the beeping sounds…”

Mark made it clear why the system was in place and how it benefited everyone. Safety wasn’t framed as punishment. It was framed as professionalism. To reinforce that transparency, Mark shares safety information openly with the team.

One of the most impactful features for The Junkluggers of Gainesville is the ability to assign safety scores to individual drivers, not vehicles or routes.

“I have scheduled reports every evening go to the (team) Slack channel so every driver can view their grade. The safety scorecard is attributable to a driver, not a route. I have four routes, but I have multiple drivers, so every day it changes. It's extremely important to know if Jonah's driving on Route J2 and then later in the day someone else is driving Route J2… we can attribute the safety score to an individual, not a truck or a route. So that is huge. And again, they see it every morning, what their grade is.”

Every driver knows where they stand, every day. With a single, transparent score, expectations are clear and consistent. Drivers are accountable for their own behavior, and managers know where to focus coaching. 

Connecting safety to finances

Beyond scores, Linxup helps Mark explain the real-world impact of driving behavior.

“I was like, guys, this is the criteria by which you're graded. Everything is about money. So if you're accelerating rapidly, you're damaging your truck. If you're, if you're braking harshly, you're damaging your truck, all that leads to money. And I always tell the guys, if we run a more efficient business, if we run a safer business, if my insurance is lower, I can give you guys more money. If you do your part, I'll do my part. And it's something I really try to emphasize with the guys.”

To reinforce the importance of safety, Mark ties Safety Scores directly into compensation through profit sharing.

“I do profit share. This is one of the factors related to profit share. Profit share is based on labor, revenue, disposal, and some key financial metrics. You may have hit profit share, which is going to add to your paycheck, but you're a B, well, that's going to negate your profit share. If they're not adhering to a good safety score, then take it away.”

By connecting safety to real financial outcomes, expectations are clear and behavior follows.

Real business benefits

The impact of Linxup goes beyond safer driving scores for The Junkluggers of Gainesville. It directly supports conversations with insurance providers and helps manage rising costs.

“Insurance in this business is insane. That's another piece of it. Making it part of our safety protocol and letting the insurance company know. Also, what we're doing is helpful for insurance rates.”

Safety, efficiency, and accountability all work together to strengthen the business.

Linxup is raising the bar for fleet safety

After years of experience, Mark sees Linxup as more than a solution for his location.

“You guys should be the standard, in my opinion.”

Within franchise networks and home services brands, word travels fast and for The Junkluggers of Gainesville, Linxup has become part of how they define professionalism, safety, and accountability on the road.