UPS recently announced the induction of 785 drivers into its elite Circle of Honor, raising the total number of active drivers who have steered clear of accidents for at least 25 years to 4,451.
Of the Circle of Honor members, 137 have been accident-free for 35 or more years, with six of those having driven more than 40 years without an accident. The company’s most seasoned safe driver in 2007 is tractor-trailer driver Ron Sowder of the Kentucky District; Sowder has reached 45 years of driving without an accident.
Collectively, active drivers in the company’s Circle of Honor have logged nearly 5 billion safe miles during their careers; that’s as many miles as 10,000 trips to the moon and back. UPS says its 102,000 drivers worldwide are among the safest on the roads, logging more than 2 billion miles — and less than one accident per million miles driven — per year.
“Safe driving is at the heart of our business, something our drivers don’t take for granted,” says Kevin Strahan, corporate health and safety manager for Atlanta-based UPS. “This group of men and women embodies our commitment to safety, making the roads safer not only for themselves but for all motorists.”
