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In 1949, the New Yorker Magazine sent writer Phillip Hamburger to see what kind of operation was being run by a then middle-aged Jim Casey, founder of UPS. Hamburger’s story focused on Jim’s nearly maniacal devotion to department store packages.  They were UPS’s bread and butter during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. The New Yorker writer soon found out that Jim looked at packages like a jeweler looks at diamonds, each one special in its own right. It was during this era that a phrase was coined that still adorns the walls of local UPS facilities: Every Parcel a Guest of Honor. Sounding a bit archaic today, the slogan still holds solid meaning for UPSers like Worldport Security Manager Jeff Savage.

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UPS again set a new record for the latest class of amazing drivers who have gone 25 years without an accident – 1,235.  This year’s additions bring the total number of active Circle of Honor drivers to 5,842.  These drivers have collectively driven more than 5.3 billion miles without an accident.

And the safest driver of them all is Ron “Big Dog” Sowder from Springboro, Ohio, who recently celebrated 50 years of safe driving.  That makes Ron the safest driver in UPS history.  Ron has been driving safely longer than many people have been alive.  And speaking of being alive, there’s no telling how many lives he has saved by steering clear of accidents for so many years and so many miles.  Ron has amassed more than 4 million miles without so much as a scratch.

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Every year, UPS is proud to announce the new “class” of Circle of Honor inductees – drivers who have steered clear of accidents for 25 years. The company goes to great lengths to alert local journalists of each local driver’s incredible accomplishments.

This year, 48 separate press releases were sent to thousands of local reporters across the United States and abroad. We take pride in our safety training. And we take pride in honoring our people for their accomplishments.

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I spent three days working with a crew from Penn State Public Broadcasting helping them understand how UPS uses technology, namely GPS, to run an efficient and earth-friendly operation.

Engineering Manager Jack Levis deftly tells the story of UPS’s technological prowess and describes the behind-the-scenes machinations of what it takes to dispatch 60,000 drivers every day.

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UPS drivers across the globe drive 3.3 billion miles per year. They average less than one accident per million miles driven – an incredible statistic. That stat is due to two things: UPS has the best safe driving training in the world, and UPS drivers take an enormous amount of pride in what they do. Training and pride – it’s an unbeatable combination. And the proof is in the pudding. This year, 934 new Circle of Honor members were added to the total of current active drivers with 25 years or more without an accident. The total number of UPS drivers who have steered clear of accidents for 25 years or more now stands at 4,788. And on top of that remarkable number, Ron Sowder of UPS’s Kentucky District has attained 48 years of safe driving. Florida’s Ginny Odom, the top female safe driver stands alone with 35 years without an accident. Read More »

UPS is well known as a company that promotes from within. I’m a great example of that policy in action. I started with UPS in 1978 while still in high school. I was 17 and remember how intimidating the hub environment felt to me. Years later I would consider that hub, a maze of conveyor belts and steel girders, my second home. And exactly 10 years after I started with UPS I was still there, but instead of loading trucks I was riding on one with a driver in the ultra-rural northwest corner of Wisconsin. My job at that juncture was to produce a monthly magazine that UPSers in Wisconsin received in their homes.

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Winter weather, including freezing rain, ice and snow, can create hazardous driving conditions that increase the potential for accidents as well as getting your vehicle stuck.

Motorists should raise their awareness during winter weather driving conditions and practice these common sense defensive driving habits. Read More »

Whether you drive a 40-foot big rig or a two-door Prius, fuel conservation is a concern for most anyone. With a fleet of 88,000 vehicles on the street every day, logging over 2 billion miles a year, the automotive engineers at UPS can offer motorists some solid advice for saving fuel.

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