UPS United Parcel Service

UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced that 27 elite drivers from Washington are among 1,613 newly inducted worldwide into the Circle of Honor, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving.  

Washington boasts 121 active Circle of Honor drivers with a combined 3,456 years of accident-free driving. Roy Oki of Spokane is the state’s senior-most safe driver, with 39 years of accident-free driving under his belt. There are 2,218 total UPS drivers in Washington. 

Globally, 8,703 active UPS drivers are members of the Circle of Honor. Collectively they’ve racked up more than 245,000 years and more than 5.3 billion safe miles during their careers. That’s enough miles to travel to Mars and back 19 times.

“My thanks go to all of them for their dedication and focus and for the countless lives they’ve saved,” said Joe Braham, president, UPS Northwest District. “Their attention to detail has kept them safe and has helped improve public safety.”

Globally, the most seasoned UPS Circle of Honor driver is Thomas Camp of Livonia, Mich., with 53 years of driving without an accident. Ronald McKnight of Bronx, N.Y., is next in line with 47 years of safe driving. Sixty-six others have logged at least 40 years without an accident.

UPS’s 102,000 drivers are among the safest on the roads, logging more than 3 billion miles a year and delivering more than 4 billion packages safely.   

Founded in 1907, UPS has a rich history of safety and training. The company issued its first driver handbook in 1917 and began recognizing safe drivers in 1923. In 1928, UPS recognized its first five-year safe driver, Ray McCue, with UPS founder Jim Casey presenting him a gold and platinum watch. UPS formally established its safe driving honor program in 1928.

** NOTE: The following table lists local drivers by hometown and UPS center.  If you’re interested in interviewing a local driver, please contact UPS Public Relations at pr@ups.com. Visit pressroom.ups.com for multimedia assets.

Following is a list of Washington drivers inducted this year to the Circle of Honor.

Driver	Hometown	UPS Work Location
Ballantyne,  Bradley	Woodland	Portland
Bitterman,  Scott	Olalla	Bremerton
Brentin,  Scott	Tacoma	Tacoma
Cook,  Paul	Moses Lake	Moses Lake
Crickman,  Charles	Spokane	Spokane
Ditore,  Joseph	Duvall	Seattle
Greetham,  Thomas	Gig Harbor	Tacoma
Grow,  David	Spokane	Spokane
Hawkins,  Pedro	Seattle	Tukwila
Hays,  Shawn	Vancouver	Vancouver
Holt,  Rick	Maple Valley	Seattle
Kato,  Kent	Renton	Seattle
Kogut,  Michael	Sultan	Redmond
Lauth,  Martin	Shoreline	Seattle
McGuire,  Daniel	Marysville	Arlington
Miller,  Jack	Kennewick	Kennewick
Nava,  John	Vancouver	Vancouver
Okubo,  Douglas	Kent	Seattle
Peters,  Tom	Kennewick	Hermiston
Ravella,  Thomas	Kennewick	Hermiston
Schmidt,  William	Cashmere	Wenatchee
Swensen,  Clair	Bonney Lake	Pacific
Tradal,  David	Bothell	Redmond
Van Sant,  Michael	Carlsborg	Port Angeles
Vance,  Kyle	Omak	Omak
Voight,  Phil	Tacoma	Pacific
Whitford,  Spence	Sultan	Everett

 

Contact:
UPS Public Relations
pr@ups.com