UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced three elite drivers from Nevada are among 1,283 newly inducted worldwide into the Circle of Honor, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving.
Nevada boasts 35 active Circle of Honor drivers with a combined 1,023 years of accident-free driving. Joseph Dellinger Jr. of Tonopah and Stephen Dewey of Las Vegas are the state’s senior safe drivers, with 36 years each of accident-free driving under their belts. There are 760 total UPS drivers in Nevada.
Globally, 6,486 active UPS drivers are members of the Circle of Honor. Collectively they’ve racked up 178,663 years and more than 5.3 billion safe miles during their careers, or the equivalent of circling the earth more than 212,000 times.
“My thanks go to all of them for their dedication and focus, and for the countless lives they’ve saved,” said Gerald Mattes, president, UPS West Region.
Globally, the most seasoned UPS Circle of Honor driver is Thomas Camp of Livonia, Mich., with 50 years of driving without an accident. Thomas Santocke of Dearborn, Mich., and Ronald McKnight of Bronx, N.Y., are next in line with 44 years each of safe driving. Thirty-seven others have logged at least 40 years without an accident.
UPS’s 102,000 drivers are among the safest on the roads, logging nearly 3 billion miles a year and averaging less than one accident for every million miles driven.
UPS invested $175 million in 2012 on safety training and employs its own comprehensive driving course called “Space and Visibility.” All UPS drivers are taught safe driving methods beginning on the first day of classroom training through the company’s defensive driving platform. The training continues throughout their careers.
Founded in 1907, UPS has a rich history of safety and training. The company issued its first driver handbook in 1917 and began recognizing safe drivers in 1923. In 1928, UPS recognized its first five-year safe driver, Ray McCue, with UPS founder Jim Casey presenting him a gold and platinum watch. UPS formally established its safe driving honor program in 1928.