WTI Transport recently recognized driver Willie Barnes for reaching one million safe miles without a recordable accident. The Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based company celebrated “Willie Barnes Day” on March 30 and presented him with a diamond-studded ring.
“I just can’t say enough about the accomplishment,” Steven Rumsey, the company’s chief executive officer, told the Tuscaloosa News. Rumsey told the newspaper that it was the first time WTI, which delivers building materials and iron and steel products throughout the country, had officially recognized a driver for outstanding safety.
WTI president Rendy Taylor told the News that one million miles for Barnes is a conservative estimate. “He’s probably got three million-plus miles, but all that we can go back and record put him over a million,” Taylor said.
Barnes’ strategy for safe driving? “I don’t wait until the last minute,” the 59-year-old driver told the News. “I always give myself a couple of hours to play with.”
