6,486 Now Included in "Circle of Honor" For Driving 25 Years or More Without Accident
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 27, 2013 /CNW/ - UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced the induction of 1,283 drivers into its elite "Circle of Honor," raising the number of drivers who have steered clear of accidents for 25 years or more to 6,486.
The number of new inductees is the largest for any single year in the company's history and includes 41 new members from Canada, Germany and Puerto Rico. Seven of the new inductees are Canadian and all work in Ontario: Owen Sound, Chatham, Oshawa and four from Toronto.
Collectively, the 6,486 drivers have logged more than 8.5 billion kilometres and more than 178,663 years of safe driving through their careers. That's enough kilometres to circle the earth 212,000 times.
"Keeping our highways and roads safe for travellers is our highest priority," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "I commend UPS and these outstanding drivers for helping create safer roads for us all and achieving the milestone of 25 or more crash-free years of driving."
Of the Circle of Honor members, 364 have been accident-free for 35 or more years, with 40 of those having driven more than 40 years without an accident. UPS Canada's top safe driver in 2012 is London package car driver Doug Coxon, who has driven 35 years and delivered more than 46 million packages without an accident.
This year, 36 new inductees are females and 18 women have joined the ranks of those with more than 30 years of safe driving. This latter group is led by Orlando tractor-trailer driver Ginny Odom, who is credited with 38 years and more than 4.8 million kilometres without an accident. There are a total of 132 women in the Circle of Honor.
UPS's 102,000 drivers worldwide are among the safest on the roads, logging nearly 4.8 billion kilometres per year with less than one accident per 1.6 million kilometres driven.
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. In 2010, UPS implemented a ban within its organization on text and e-mail messaging while behind the wheel, distractions that are a proven cause of traffic crashes.
"Our training and our drivers' attention to details such as avoiding distractions while driving all play a part in their remarkable record," noted John McDevitt, UPS senior vice president of human resources and labor relations. "The annual expansion of the Circle of Honor is proof that our training works."
UPS extends its safe driving expertise to the communities it serves through UPS Road CodeSM, a teen safe driving program expanding globally. Taught by UPS volunteers, the program is available to teens between the ages of 13 and 18 and more than 10,000 teenagers have participated to date. The program is available in the United States, UK, Canada and Germany and further international expansion is planned, starting with Shanghai in July. The four-session training effort is based on UPS's safe driving methods. UPS Road Code is offered in Canada in conjunction with Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada thanks to $300,000 from contributions by The UPS Foundation.
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 blog.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.
More information on UPS's commitment to safety is available at pressroom.ups.com/safety.
A complete list by state of new Circle of Honor inductees and infographic can be found at www.upsprmedia.com/circleofhonor2013.zip.
SOURCE: UPS Canada Ltd.
Robyn van Teunenbroek, UPS Canada
905-676-1708
[email protected]
Erick Bauer, APEX Public Relations
416-934-2108
[email protected]
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