UPS driver Ronald Sowder stepped down from his tandem tractor-trailer rig one night last week at the end of his 312-mile route from West Carrollton, Ohio, to Louisville and back. When he touched the ground,
he marked 45 years of accident-free driving.
It’s a remarkable milestone for the man fellow drivers affectionately call “Big Dog.” The 67-year-old Sowder is the most senior safe driver among UPS’ 102,000 drivers worldwide. He’s logged more than 3 million accident-free miles, enough to circle the equator 120 times or make six round trips to the moon and still have miles left over.
“Forty-five years of accident-free driving is a tremendous achievement,” said UPS Chairman and CEO Mike Eskew. “UPS drivers are among the safest and best-trained on the roads and Ron has set the bar extremely high for all of them. I’m very proud of him.”
Beyond the mileage, 45 years of accident-free driving is a very rare achievement even at UPS. During the company’s 100-year history, only one other driver has equaled the mark.
UPS has more than 4,200 active drivers who have achieved membership in the company’s Circle of Honor for steering clear of accidents for 25 years or more. Of those, 107 have gone 35 years or more without an accident and six – including Sowder – have gone 40 years or more. Collectively, UPS’ active Circle of Honor drivers have compiled nearly 117,000 years of accident-free driving.