Tom Camp has driven more than 1 million miles for UPS without an accident and achieved a feat no other company driver has achieved — a spotless 55-year safety record.
by Staff
October 25, 2017
Photo of Tom Camp courtesy of UPS.
2 min to read
Photo of Tom Camp courtesy of UPS.
Tom Camp has driven more than 1 million miles for UPS without an accident and achieved a feat no other company driver has achieved — a spotless 55-year safety record.
Camp, 77, began his UPS career in 1962 delivering packages in suburban Detroit. Only one other UPS driver has reached 50 years without an accident. Ron Sowder of Dayton, Ohio, had 50 accident-free years when he retired in 2012. The Livonia, Mich.-based Camp has been wearing the number 50 on his uniform patch.
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"You need to assume other drivers are not as aware as you are," said Camp. "If you assume the other guy is daydreaming, that's a good first step."
UPS is donating a $25,000 grant in Camp's honor to the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute, and Gov. Rich Snyder has declared Oct. 18, 2017 Safe Driving Awareness Day in the state.
Of the 102,000 UPS drivers, 9,349 have driven for 25 years or more without an avoidable accident. Of those, 91 have gone 40 years and 10 have reached the 45-year mark without an accident. Ronnie McKnight, who drives in Manhattan, New York, is now number two with 48 years of safe driving.
During his tenure, Camp has seen an increase in congestion and distraction by other drivers on the roads.
"Traffic has doubled since I started with Big Brown," said Camp. "I can't count how many times I've seen folks do crazy things behind the wheel – reading the paper or doing their make-up. Cell phones are a part of it, too, but it’s more than just that."
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