WEST CARROLLTON, Ohio (AP) — UPS is celebrating a first, achieved by one of its Ohio
drivers: 50 years without an accident.
Company
and local officials in southwest Ohio watched Ron Sowder drive a UPS
truck into West Carrollton on Wednesday to become the company’s first
driver to hit the half-century safety mark. Atlanta-based UPS says more
than 2,500 active drivers have gone at least 25 years without an
accident.
Sowder is a Navy veteran and Springboro native who
estimates he’s driven more than 4 million miles and transported more
than 35 million packages for UPS. He currently drives five days a week
between a distribution center in West Carrollton and the UPS air hub in
Louisville, Ky.
Sowder said staying accident-free is more challenging these days.
"When
I started driving for UPS, folks in cars did a better job keeping their
hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road," he said. "Now it seems
like anything goes — texting, putting on makeup. I’ve even seen folks
reading books behind the wheel."
Sowder said defensive driving and leaving "a space cushion" between
vehicles has become more important than ever.
UPS colleagues have dubbed him the "Big Dog," for being the company’s
longest-tenured safe driver.
___
Online:
UPS: http://www.ups.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
WEST CARROLLTON, Ohio (AP) — UPS is celebrating a first, achieved by one of its Ohio
drivers: 50 years without an accident.
Company
and local officials in southwest Ohio watched Ron Sowder drive a UPS
truck into West Carrollton on Wednesday to become the company’s first
driver to hit the half-century safety mark. Atlanta-based UPS says more
than 2,500 active drivers have gone at least 25 years without an
accident.
Sowder is a Navy veteran and Springboro native who
estimates he’s driven more than 4 million miles and transported more
than 35 million packages for UPS. He currently drives five days a week
between a distribution center in West Carrollton and the UPS air hub in
Louisville, Ky.
Sowder said staying accident-free is more challenging these days.
"When
I started driving for UPS, folks in cars did a better job keeping their
hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road," he said. "Now it seems
like anything goes — texting, putting on makeup. I’ve even seen folks
reading books behind the wheel."
Sowder said defensive driving and leaving "a space cushion" between
vehicles has become more important than ever.
UPS colleagues have dubbed him the "Big Dog," for being the company’s
longest-tenured safe driver.
___
Online:
UPS: http://www.ups.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.