Dot Transportation Inc. has honored veteran drivers Bob Patton and Dick Kramberg for surpassing three million career miles with the Mt. Sterling, Ill.-based company.

They are the first drivers in the company’s history to reach the milestone and were recently honored at the Dot Foods National Business Meeting in St. Louis.
"Dick and Bob are dependable, loyal and excellent at taking care of our customers," said DTI President Joe Tracy. "These guys have set the standard for Dot drivers, and our drivers are one of the main reasons the company has been successful."
Patton began at Dot Foods in 1963, drove full-time until 1992 and is now a part-time driver. "I love trucks; that’s all I ever wanted to do, be around trucks. Also, I enjoy seeing different parts of the country," said Patton. He recalls that Dot Foods, then named Associated Dairy Products, only had four trucks when he started. The fleet now numbers more than 500.
Kramberg started driving for Dot Foods in 1976 after hauling agricultural products. "What I did (before Dot Foods) was seasonal. You’d work a lot when working, but then everything came to a screeching halt once planting and harvest were over. It was good money when it was going, but in between it got pretty slack, so I came to Dot," said Kramberg.
Dot Transportation Inc. is a division of Dot Foods, among the nation’s largest food redistributors. In addition to its corporate headquarters in Illinois, the company has distribution centers in Modesto, Calif., Vidalia, Ga., Williamsport, Md., and Liverpool, N.Y.