We have just recently recognized a group of local and line drivers that have achieved what I feel is a remarkable event in their driving careers at Reimer Express Lines Ltd. These drivers have gone either one million, two million, three million or in one case four million miles without a preventable accident! When I think how hard it is for any of us in a life time to drive without being involved in some type of fender bender or backing mishap while driving far less than a million miles, it is indeed remarkable to say the least. The awards were presented in the last two months and will continue through April for all drivers in each category. We have given them plaques, nice dinner vouchers, money and in all cases a beautiful leather jacket that has the Company logo and the recognition of the miles driven without a preventable accident. It won't be hard to recognize these great drivers when they wear that special jacket.
When I see some of the bad press we get from time to time about drivers, I am so pleased to talk about these drivers as well as all of our professionals that are on the highway each day. If the public understood the requirements that we place on these drivers to perform their duties in a safe and reliable fashion, the respect would increase significantly. We try desperately to get the general motoring public to understand what a large truck can and cannot do when they are moving in and around them on the highways. We developed a no-zone concept to inform the public about the areas where a driver is unable to see another vehicle, and therefore cannot respond properly. All we really ask is for the general motoring public to be aware that a larger unit on the highway does not respond like an automobile and consideration should be given.
Having said all that--it is now more important that we recognize these drivers, considering the exposure they have had over their many years of driving for our Company. The following local and line drivers received awards this year in the following categories:
One Million Miler Awards
Two Million Miler Awards
Three Million Miler Awards
Four Million Miler Awards
A brief explanation of the local drivers earning the Million Miler Award--it is not based purely on the number of miles that they drive, as they would never reach those kinds of miles within a city limit. We therefore realized that a day worth of driving in a city had to equate to some number of miles on an open highway. We have selected the 12-year mark of a local driver to equal a million miles of a line driver. To think that a driver goes 12 or 24 years without scratching a fender in a preventable accident is certainly noteworthy.
We certainly need to recognize Don Hunter with his 4,000,000 miles of safe driving with Reimer Express Lines, what an accomplishment! We just need more of his type of driving habits on all the highways in Canada.
