Don't use other pin pullers, You could get hurt! 
Friday, June 03, 2005
Rig driver's eagle eyes earn honor
Rig driver's eagle eyes earn honor
Jerry Workman: He has logged 4 million miles behind the wheel without so much as a fender bender
By Steven Oberbeck
The Salt Lake Tribune
Jerry Workman
NORTH SALT LAKE - For 37 years, Jerry Workman has driven the highways of the West in a Motor Cargo Industries big rig.
Through rain and snow storms, high winds and heavy traffic, Workman kept an eye out for errant drivers who, at any moment, might try to cut off his truck, slam on their brakes to avoid a blowing tumbleweed, or swerve to miss a stray dog.
The problem with most drivers is they quickly lose their concentration after getting behind the wheel, Workman said. "They'll get distracted and start worrying about their cell phone, or playing around with their computer."
Not Workman.
Since stepping into his first Motor Cargo truck at the age of 25, the 63-year-old has driven 4 million miles - the equivalent of someone piloting a truck around the world 160 times - without as much as a fender bender.
It is an accomplishment few can claim.
"Four million miles without an accident puts you in the major leagues," said Mike Russell, spokesman for the American Trucking Association. "And if there was an all century team [of truck drivers], four million miles would definitely get you on it."
The odds are against anyone coming even close.
For the trucking industry in general, there is are approximately two accidents for every million miles travel. And each accident, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, causes about $5,000 in physical damage, a figure that excludes litigation expenses and higher insurance premiums.
"Who you put behind the steering wheels of your trucks is the most critical decision in this industry," said Pete Morrow, president of Motor Cargo. "Drivers are the people that the public see and remember going up and down the road. They also are the ones who interact most with customers, which means they can directly impact a company's bottom line."
Motor Cargo on Thursday recognized Workman and eight other drivers for their safety records. Those drivers, who are among
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71 based out of the company's North Salt Lake terminal, included Richard Neumann who reached the 3 million mile marker without an accident, five drivers who passed the 2 million milestone and another two who hit the 1 million mile safe driving target.
To put those records in perspective, Motor Cargo's vice president of operations Matt McClure noted that the typical motorist driving their personal automobile an average of 15,000 miles a year for the 37 years that Workman drove still would have fallen far short of the one-million-mile mark.
"Driving even a million miles without an accident is a major accomplishment," he said.
Workman, who was reluctant to share his personal tales of the road, did acknowledge a small non-work related transgression decades ago.
"I backed up in a parking lot one time and broke a tail light," Workman said.
His wife Linda, however, takes a slightly less serious view of her husband's performance behind the wheel.
"Let's just say that he probably drives that truck a lot better than he drives his car," she said. "But then again, maybe that is just because I'm with him
Jerry Workman: He has logged 4 million miles behind the wheel without so much as a fender bender
By Steven Oberbeck
The Salt Lake Tribune
Jerry Workman
NORTH SALT LAKE - For 37 years, Jerry Workman has driven the highways of the West in a Motor Cargo Industries big rig.
Through rain and snow storms, high winds and heavy traffic, Workman kept an eye out for errant drivers who, at any moment, might try to cut off his truck, slam on their brakes to avoid a blowing tumbleweed, or swerve to miss a stray dog.
The problem with most drivers is they quickly lose their concentration after getting behind the wheel, Workman said. "They'll get distracted and start worrying about their cell phone, or playing around with their computer."
Not Workman.
Since stepping into his first Motor Cargo truck at the age of 25, the 63-year-old has driven 4 million miles - the equivalent of someone piloting a truck around the world 160 times - without as much as a fender bender.
It is an accomplishment few can claim.
"Four million miles without an accident puts you in the major leagues," said Mike Russell, spokesman for the American Trucking Association. "And if there was an all century team [of truck drivers], four million miles would definitely get you on it."
The odds are against anyone coming even close.
For the trucking industry in general, there is are approximately two accidents for every million miles travel. And each accident, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, causes about $5,000 in physical damage, a figure that excludes litigation expenses and higher insurance premiums.
"Who you put behind the steering wheels of your trucks is the most critical decision in this industry," said Pete Morrow, president of Motor Cargo. "Drivers are the people that the public see and remember going up and down the road. They also are the ones who interact most with customers, which means they can directly impact a company's bottom line."
Motor Cargo on Thursday recognized Workman and eight other drivers for their safety records. Those drivers, who are among
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement See what drivers are saying about the new "Equalizer Pin Puller found at http://equalizerpinpuller.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
71 based out of the company's North Salt Lake terminal, included Richard Neumann who reached the 3 million mile marker without an accident, five drivers who passed the 2 million milestone and another two who hit the 1 million mile safe driving target.
To put those records in perspective, Motor Cargo's vice president of operations Matt McClure noted that the typical motorist driving their personal automobile an average of 15,000 miles a year for the 37 years that Workman drove still would have fallen far short of the one-million-mile mark.
"Driving even a million miles without an accident is a major accomplishment," he said.
Workman, who was reluctant to share his personal tales of the road, did acknowledge a small non-work related transgression decades ago.
"I backed up in a parking lot one time and broke a tail light," Workman said.
His wife Linda, however, takes a slightly less serious view of her husband's performance behind the wheel.
"Let's just say that he probably drives that truck a lot better than he drives his car," she said. "But then again, maybe that is just because I'm with him
