When it comes to achieving operational excellence, few things matter more than a culture of safety. And few companies embody that culture quite like XPO.

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This year, 38 XPO drivers from 25 states earned their spot at the 2025 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) in Minneapolis. Often dubbed the “Super Bowl of Safety,” this competition isn’t just a point of pride, it’s a proof point for a deeply embedded, values-driven approach to safety, performance, and workforce development.

But what does it take to reach this level of excellence? And more importantly, how can other organizations emulate it?

Safety as strategy, not just compliance

At XPO, safety isn’t a box to check, it’s a core operational strategy. These 38 NTDC competitors logged millions of miles without a single preventable accident. That’s not luck. That’s leadership, training, and daily reinforcement of high standards.

It also requires investment. XPO’s commitment to professional development and real-time safety performance shows in the numbers and in the recognition.

This kind of success doesn’t happen in the rearview mirror. It’s driven by data, frontline communication, and a strong sense of accountability at every level.

What can we learn?

At WorkStep, we partner with companies across logistics, transportation, manufacturing, and distribution to uncover the real drivers behind workforce engagement, productivity, and retention. What we’ve learned reinforces what XPO has demonstrated:

• Safety sentiment is a leading indicator of retention. Workers who feel unsafe are far more likely to leave within 30 days.
• Recognition matters. Celebrating achievements (like qualifying for NTDC) drives motivation and long-term engagement.
• The best safety cultures are local. They don’t just rely on policies, they empower frontline leaders to solve problems in real time.

Want a safety culture like XPO’s? Here’s where to start

You don’t need 25 NTDC qualifiers to build a standout safety culture (although, wouldn’t that be cool?). Here’s how Ops leaders can start:

1. Continuously listen to your workforce
   Use tools like WorkStep to gather ongoing, real-time safety feedback from the frontline, then act on it.
2. Tie recognition to business outcomes
   Celebrate individual and team safety milestones. Turn qualitative feedback into quantifiable impact with tools like Impact Tracker.
3. Create local accountability loops
   Empower site leaders with the data and autonomy to address safety concerns quickly. Visibility is the first step; action is the real unlock.
4. Build trust with transparency
   Confidential feedback channels build credibility and when employees see that their voice leads to change, engagement skyrockets.

XPO’s driver accomplishments at the NTDC showcase what’s possible when safety is baked into every layer of the organization. At WorkStep, we believe operational excellence starts with listening, continues with leadership, and succeeds through data-driven action.

Want to make your frontline workforce safer, more productive, and more recognized? You don’t need a national championship. You just need to keep a pulse on what matters.

Let’s build that culture, together.