Empty miles—trucks driving with no freight at all—climbed to an average of 16.7% in 2024.* For a fleet manager, that's not just wasted mileage, it's money slipping away through a problem most people never think to measure.

In this episode of Operator Grade, we hear from Brian Bagin, Supply Chain Manager, North America at Brenntag, the world's largest chemical distribution company and one of Samsara's 2026 Top 100 Operators to Watch. Brian breaks down the method behind that recognition: tracing a basic request back to its root cause before building a solution, using his fleet utilization project as the real-world example. You'll hear how one simple question, "how much are we actually using our trucks?", turned into a system that reshaped how Brenntag buys, sells, and deploys its fleet.

Guest: Brian Bagin, Supply Chain Manager, North America at Brenntag (brenntag.com)

Host: Heather Ash, Sr. Content Marketing Manager at Samsara

Operator Grade is an original podcast by Samsara (samsara.com).

*source: American Transportation Research Institute

Every day, professional drivers navigate complex environments with limited visibility. Even the most experienced drivers can’t see every pedestrian and cyclist at once. In fact, 14% of severe large-truck crashes happen due to inadequate surveillance.* In this episode of Operate Smarter, host Hannah Maslar talks with Jason Louis, VP of Safety at Coach USA, one of the largest passenger transit providers in the U.S.

Jason shares how Coach USA is protecting the most at-risk population their drivers interact with—pedestrians. You’ll hear how Samsara’s AI Multicam and Pedestrian Collision Warning alerts give their drivers 360-degree visibility around their large buses, and the incredible results Coach USA has experienced.

Guest:

Name: Jason Louis, Vice President of Safety, Coach USA (coachusa.com)

Host:

Name: Hannah Maslar, Senior Manager, Customer Marketing & Community at Samsara

Operate Smarter is an original podcast presented by Samsara. samsara.com

*source: FMCSA

Drowsiness is one of the leading causes of accidents—and those accidents are often severe.

Drivers who sleep less than four hours are 11.5x more likely to crash than those who get a full night’s sleep, and 17% of all fatal crashes involve a drowsy driver.* In this episode of Operate Smarter, host Cole Jurden talks with Tom Karnowski, VP of EHS at USIC, the largest provider of public utility locating services in the U.S.

Tom shares how USIC is keeping their drivers from becoming a statistic. You’ll hear what it’s like to be a Samsara beta tester and a truly mind-blowing story about how a single alert not only prevented an accident but also uncovered hidden medical conditions, potentially saving lives.

Guest:

Tom Karnowski: Vice President of Environment, Health & Safety at USIC (usicllc.com)

Host:

Cole Jurden: Senior Safety Product Manager II at Samsara

Operate Smarter is an original podcast presented by Samsara. Subscribe for more episodes: @SamsaraHQ

*source: aaafoundation.org

What does it take to keep utility crews safe during everyday work — and in the middle of a hurricane? In this episode of Operate Smarter, host Sean McGee talks with James Banner, SVP of Administration and Safety at Pike Corporation, one of the largest utility infrastructure providers in the U.S.

James shares how Pike built a strong, top-down safety culture over the past two decades — and how real-time data is helping crews work smarter today. You’ll hear what it’s like to lead large-scale storm response efforts, why recognition is critical to retention, and how Pike is thinking about AI for frontline training and hazard prevention.

• James Banner: Senior Vice President of Administration & Safety at Pike Corporation
• https://www.pike.com/

• Sean McGee: VP of Product Management at Samsara

Operate Smarter is an original podcast presented by Samsara.

www.samsara.com

What does it take to modernize a 105-year-old logistics giant? In this episode of Operate Smarter, host Andrew Ackermann sits down with Michael Keller, Director of Network Solutions-Presort at Pitney Bowes, to find out.

Michael shares how Pitney Bowes is using technology to evolve its operations — without losing sight of what matters most: people. From presort services to driver engagement, he breaks down how the company is balancing innovation with experience, and why transparency and adaptability are now table stakes in logistics. You’ll hear how automation is improving both employee satisfaction and customer service — and what the future holds for AI and retention in the transportation space.

Guest:

• Michael Keller: Director of Network Solutions-Presort at Pitney Bowes
• https://www.pitneybowes.com/

Host:

• Andrew Ackermann: VP of Product Design at Samsara

Operate Smarter is an original podcast presented by Samsara.

www.samsara.com

About the Operate Smarter podcast:

There’s a reason why great operations leaders come from all kinds of backgrounds. Some started behind the wheel; others in finance offices, dispatch centers, or job sites. These diverse viewpoints are powerful — they help us see and solve problems in ways that others can’t. When they’ve personally managed a site, navigated a fleet through extreme conditions, or kept critical equipment running under pressure, firsthand experience shapes how the best in the business operate.

This podcast unpacks the strategies and insights that drive the industries we rely on, giving you direct access to operations leaders who are making a positive impact. From reducing safety incidents at massive organizations to improving uptime and driving efficiency, they've reshaped operations by combining experience with technology.

Whether you’re in operations, leadership, or simply curious about how things really work, Operate Smarter reveals the strategy behind the operators keeping the world moving.

Operate Smarter is an original podcast presented by Samsara.

www.samsara.com