Elite UPS Driver Group Grows to More Than 8,700

• UPS “Circle of Honor” Drivers Have Logged Enough Safe Miles to Drive to Mars and Back 19 Times
• Michigan’s Tom Camp is Company’s No. 1 Safe Driver, with 53 Years of Accident-Free Driving
• First-ever Latin American Female Driver Joins the “Circle” 
  
  

ATLANTA, Feb. 24, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced the induction of 1,613 drivers into its elite “Circle of Honor,” raising to 8,703 the number of drivers who have not had an avoidable accident for 25 years or more. 

Collectively, the 8,703 drivers have logged more than 5.3 billion miles and more than 245,000 years of safe driving through their careers. That’s enough miles to travel to Mars and back 19 times – or to circle the earth at the equator nearly 213,000 times.

The number of active Circle of Honor drivers is the most in company history and includes 53 new members from Canada, Germany and Puerto Rico. That includes Marlene Nazario, a package car driver from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico who is the first Latin American female driver to be inducted.

UPS’s top safe driver in 2016 is Livonia, Michigan, package car driver Tom Camp, who has now driven for more than half a century - 53 years - and delivered more than 5 million packages without an accident.

“Maintaining safe highways and roads is our highest priority, so I commend any person who achieves this milestone of 25 years or more crash-free, creating safer driving conditions for us all,” said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “The achievements of this group of drivers are truly worth recognizing.”

Of all the Circle of Honor members, 514 have been accident-free for 35 or more years, with 68 of those having driven more than 40 years without an accident. 

One of the 68 is Orlando tractor-trailer driver Ginny Odom, who in 2014 became the company’s first female driver to reach 40 years without an accident. As a single mom working in a non-traditional job role, Ginny’s accomplishment is a testament to her perseverance.

“I never thought I’d make it to 40 years without an accident,” said Odom. “But it shows you what you can accomplish if you work hard. And the company’s training and methods really work.”

This year, 50 new inductees are women and 21 additional women have joined the ranks of those with more than 30 years of safe driving. A total of 193 women are in the Circle of Honor.

UPS began recognizing its safe drivers in 1923. Founder Jim Casey honored the company’s first 5-year safe driver, Ray McCue, in 1928.

The company’s 102,000 drivers worldwide are among the safest on the roads, logging more than 3 billion miles per year and delivering more than 4 billion packages safely.

Before ever making a delivery, all UPS drivers are taught safe driving methods through the company’s defensive driving platform. The training continues throughout their careers. The company’s UPS Integrad^® training school for delivery drivers, and their Driver Trainer School (DTS) for tractor-trailer drivers feature the most rigorous safety training in the industry.

“Our drivers’ expertise behind the wheel has helped many avoid the life-changing impact of accidents,” said Teri McClure, chief human resources officer and senior vice president, global human resources and labor. “I salute their efforts and hope they serve as an example for all of us as to the importance of dedication and focus behind the wheel.”

UPS extends its safe driving expertise to the communities it serves through UPS Road Code^® training, a teen safe driving program available in the United States and internationally.  Taught by UPS volunteers and based on the company’s safe-driving methods, the program is available to teens between the ages of 13 and 18. To date, more than 22,900 teenagers have participated.  The program has been extended to the UK, Canada, Germany and China, and UPS plans to expand the program into Mexico in April 2016. 

UPS Road Code training is offered in the U.S. in conjunction with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and overseas in four countries with various youth development organizations $12.5 million in total UPS Road Code contributions from The UPS Foundation since the program’s inception.

About UPS

UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the Web at ups.com^® and its corporate blog can be found at Longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.

Editor's Note:

Video b-roll can be found at: www.upsprmedia.com/circleofhonor2016.zip.

A graphic with more information on safe-driving methods used by UPS drivers – which can help keep any driver safe on the roads – can be found at pressroom.ups.com.

TOP FIVE TO ARRIVE ALIVE

UPS’s 102,000 drivers log more than 3 billion miles a year – enough to drive to Mars and back 19 times – and are among the safest on the roads. Here are five tips based on safe-driving principles they use daily:

1. Look Left, Right, Left Again … before crossing an intersection. And don’t forget to check your mirrors!
2. Safe Space … When stopped in traffic, keep a car length between you and the car ahead to allow room to pull around a stalled vehicle or a cushion if it makes an unexpected turn.
3. Back Off! … Space between you and the car ahead is critical – 4 to 6 seconds if you’re going under 30 mph, 6 to 8 if you’re going over 30.
4. Stale Green is Mean … If you’re not sure when a green light will change, visualize the point beyond which you’ll stop if it turns yellow.
5. A Roving Eye … Check your mirrors every 5 to 8 seconds. Just a quick glance, then back to the road ahead!

HOW MUCH IS 5.3 BILLION?

• 5.3 billion miles is enough miles to drive to Mars and back 19 times.
• It’s enough miles to circle the earth at the equator nearly 213,000 times.
• It’s enough miles to drive every mile of every road in the U.S. nearly 1,300 times.
• 5.3 billion seconds ago James K.Polk was the 11^th president of the United States, and the Civil War was still 13 years away.
• 5.3 billion minutes ago many ice age species, like the wooly rhinoceros and sabre-toothed cats, were going extinct .
• A stack of 5.3 billion dollar bills would be about 360 miles high.

Dan McMackin
dmcmackin@ups.com