Paccar Leasing Co. (PacLease), Bellevue, Wash., has named Pat Rule the PacLease Driver of the Year for 2005. Orville “Pat” Rule Jr. of Avon, Ind., has logged nearly 50 years of accident-free truck driving.

Rule drives for ICON Transportation, a long-term partner of PacLease and local franchise Palmer Leasing Group. “Pat Rule’s outstanding driving record and achievement sets him apart from his peers and puts him in a class few drivers will claim in their entire career,” said Frank Walter with Palmer Leasing Group.
Rule, 65, has achieved more than 3.74 million miles of accident-free driving during 35 years over the road.
In addition to receiving the PacLease award, the Truck Rental and Leasing Assn. (TRALA) named Rule the 2005 Driver of the Year during its recent annual meeting. Rule also received the Indiana Motor Truck Assn. Master Truck Driver Award. Rule’s colleagues at ICON Transportation honored him by celebrating “Pat Rule Day.” He was presented with numerous awards including a 1.5 million Milestone plaque, and the company established the Pat & Ellen Rule Scholarship to be awarded annually to a spouse or child of an ICON employee.
When asked for advice to young drivers, Rule said, “Always keep your windows and mirrors clean, sit up high in your cab for better posture and visibility, and adhere to the speed limits.”
PacLease provides annual safety awards for ICON drivers, assists with training programs and participates in driver meetings. ICON Transportation Director of Fleet Tim Onstott said, “We use PacLease’s 25-point safety qualification test for hiring drivers. We are an ISO-certified company and the safety test is an ISO process at our company. At ICON, Pat is the standard by which all drivers are measured.”