Case Study: Ventura Pest Control – Creating a Culture of Safe Driving

Credit: Ventura Pest Control

With a team of 43 employees and a fleet of 35 service vehicles, safety on the road is a top priority for Ventura Pest Control. The company has long emphasized a work-life balance for its technicians, with a residential focus that allows employees to be home in time for dinner, and to get there safely.

Ventura Pest Control, a locally owned pest management company based in Southern California, has been serving residential and commercial clients in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties since 1993.

The Challenge: Distracted Driving and No-Fault Accidents

Several years ago, Scott Moberly, co-owner of Ventura Pest Control, recognized a troubling trend: an increasing number of no-fault accidents, many caused by distracted driving. These included incidents like backing into poles or hitting fire hydrants - minor but costly mistakes that added up. The company had a no-cell phone policy in place, but it wasn’t robust enough to make a lasting impact.

"Before we really dove into this, we were purely reactionary,” said Moberly. “We disciplined people for poor driving, but we didn’t have a clear system to measure performance or reward good behavior.”

The turning point came during a session at PestSure’s annual Safety and Loss Prevention meeting, where Moberly, after listening to a presentation, realized that focusing only on discipline wasn’t enough. Ventura Pest Control needed better tools, clearer data, and a cultural shift from reaction to prevention.

The Solution: Incentives, Technology, and a Cultural Shift

The company first experimented with telematics tools to track driver behavior, starting with INRIX and later switching to GeoTab and now adding TRUCE distracted driving software, to provide more reliable service and accurate data. Technology has allowed Ventura to monitor metrics like speeding, hard braking, seat belt usage, and aggressive turns. It also helped reduce maintenance costs and provide proof of service for customers.

With real-time data in hand, Ventura Pest Control established a reward-based incentive program to replace the old discipline-only approach. Here's how it works:

• If the company’s collective driving score stays above 94%, a monthly reward is issued. If the company goes below the 94% mark, the program is paused for that month.
• The reward starts at $50 (gift cards or added to paycheck) and increases each month, maxing out at $600 in December - split between two top-performing drivers.
• If there’s an at-fault accident, the program resets and that employee becomes ineligible for the year-end reward.
• The company also deposits matching funds in an internal reward pool, which is distributed at the company’s first meeting of the new year.

A rewritten distracted driving policy, based on PestSure’s “Tools to Create and Implement Your Cell Phone Free Driving Policy,” has also been introduced. All employees have signed the new policy, and weekly Monday safety meetings reinforce the importance of safe, undistracted driving.

"Changing from a discipline model to a reward culture made all the difference,” said Moberly. “Employees see we care about their safety, not just the company’s bottom line.”

The Results: Fewer Accidents, Safer Roads, and a Stronger Team Culture

Since implementing the new program Ventura has seen the following positive changes when it comes to distracted driving and securing employee buy in.

• At-fault accidents have dropped significantly, from two or three per year to just four over a four year period.
• Employee buy-in has increased, especially among new hires who are onboarded directly into the program.
• Moberly spends less time worrying about accidents and more time growing the business, with the peace of mind that his team is safe on the road.
• The costs associated with running Ventura’s fleet Insurance, maintenance, etc. have decreased, contributing to the company's overall efficiency and bottom line.

“Getting that call that someone’s been in an accident used to be one of my biggest fears,” said Moberly. “Now, I can focus on other parts of the business, knowing that we’re doing everything we can to keep our people safe.”

Riding the Ups and Downs

Implementing Ventura Pest Control’s safe driving program has come with its fair share of ups and downs, even having to let a team member go because they violated the company’s policy, but the team has remained committed to the bigger picture.

“You have to trust that you’re doing the right thing,” said Moberly. “It’s not going to be perfect, and that’s okay, we’re doing something positive, and that matters.”

While the company uses technology to monitor driver behavior, the process has involved learning, adjusting, and occasionally tweaking the approach. Weekly safety meetings now include a review of driver scores, creating transparency and accountability while recognizing top performers.

Scores can vary - some techs are hitting 100 percent, while others, often younger drivers, may fall into the 80s. The focus remains on reducing hard braking and speeding, with team-wide targets set at 94 percent or higher.

Moberly emphasizes the not being afraid to adjust along the way, as long as the priority stays on safety.

“We don’t kick ourselves over what we could have done differently,” he said. “We keep moving forward because the end goal is worth it.”

Ventura’s gameplan to reduce distracted driving has not impacted sales and service levels, a concern many pest management professionals have when implementing a distracted driving program. Moberly says the company is tracking for its best financial performance in company history in 2025 after fully implementing the distracted driving program.

Key Takeaways for PestSure Members

• Technology matters – Choose reliable technology tools for measurable driving data.
• Culture counts – Move from a discipline-first approach to a reward-based system to build trust and engagement.
• Consistency is key – Weekly safety meetings, ongoing feedback, and clear communication keep the message alive.
• Empower your team – Involve employees in developing and refining policies to improve buy-in and compliance.

Ventura Pest Control’s journey shows that a thoughtful, data-driven approach to driver safety - combined with meaningful incentives - can lead to fewer accidents, stronger employee morale, and long-term savings.

As Moberly put it, “It’s about making sure everyone gets home safely every day. That’s the real reward.”

PestSure – Your Partner in Safety

Founded in 1980, PestSure is the only insurance and risk management provider that is 100 percent dedicated to the pest management industry. It offers industry professionals a full suite of insurance, risk management, and safety training and education offerings.

PestSure provides insurance, safety and risk management consulting to pest management companies representing $2 billion in revenue, $750 million in payroll and more than 16,500 service vehicles. The program is administered by Alliant Insurance Services.

Call 888.984.3813 or visit our contact page for more information.