Since 2017, Republic Services hosts the best collection technicians across the country to compete in the company’s Republic Services ROAD-EO National Championship, which allows employees to demonstrate their expert skills when it comes to all things trash.
Ninety-three finalists will be competing at the 2023 ROAD-ED National Championship on Feb. 21 in Phoenix, Arizona, including Lewisville’s very own Ryan Nelson.
“They [Republic Services] hype it up and everything and it’s just a fun event that they have,” Nelson said. “There’s a lot of camaraderie with the people and the managers. It’s just a fun event and I mean, it’s nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
To qualify for the national championship, Nelson competed in several smaller competitions locally and regionally. This will be his first time competing in the national championship.
In the national championship, drivers and operators will navigate timed courses with challenges featuring obstacles they encounter every day. Competitors also face a complex diagnostic assessment where they identify as many maintenance issues as they can before time runs out.
“I’m just going to do my best and see where my best leads me,” he said. “I always try to, you know, I want to win, so I did prepare before and think about it and my strategy and just do my best. I’m just going to be very thorough about everything.”
Republic Services awards first, second, and third place to winners in eight categories: rear-load driver, front-load driver, side-load driver, roll-off operator, wheel loader operator, bulldozer operator, collection technician, and post collection technician. In 2021, Lewisville’s very own Oscar Tienda won second place for front-load driver.
Republic Services is the only company in the environmental services and waste management industry to host a competition of this kind for its employees. The company holds the national championship every other year.
“I just think it's a great thing for this company to do that,” Nelson said. “You know, Republic, to offer to have something like this and it's exciting, it really is exciting.”
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Arianna Morrison is a reporter for Star Local Media, covering the communities of The Colony, Little Elm, Carrollton, Lewisville, Flower Mound and Coppell. Email her with story ideas and more at amorrison@starlocalmedia.com.
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