Georgia Truck Driver Clocks Two Million Miles Without an Accident
A truck driver working for Con-Way Freight Company in Georgia has clocked an admirable milestone – Ken Truman of Gray in Jones County, Georgia has completed two million miles of driving a tractor trailer without being involved in a single truck accident. Truman is only the 88th driver in the company's 25-year-old history to have completed the milestone, and company officials are justifiably proud of their employee.
Truman has been driving a tractor trailer for Conway since 1988. Since he joined as a driver, there has been a staggering increase in the number of vehicles that he has to share the road with, and that makes his accomplishment even more impressive. It takes extra care and fine-tuned attention to road and traffic conditions to be able to complete two million miles without a single accident to your name, but Truman proves that although it is challenging, it's far from impossible.
Truman has been candid about the reasons for his remarkable achievement and they are what Atlanta truck accident lawyers and trucking safety advocates have known all along. He never starts a journey without a complete pre-trip check of the truck, including the steering wheel, brakes, and lights. He makes sure that he checks the weather forecast for the route he is headed on before he begins to drive. Adverse weather can make it harder to control a tractor trailer, especially in slippery or foggy road conditions.
It also helped Truman that he knows the power of a good night's sleep for a truck driver. Overworked, overstressed truck drivers who have been "working" the log books – a common enough practice in the trucking industry where a driver manipulates his log books to be able to work longer hours and earn more money– are more at risk for an accident. Driving slowly and steadily without indulging in any undesirable driving behaviors, like sudden lane changes and tailgating have helped this driver pass a crucial safety milestone.
As Truman illustrates, it is not impossible to avoid an accident while driving a tractor trailer on a daily basis. Driving a big rig comes with a whole host of challenges, including the careless and sometimes reckless driving of "four wheelers". We applaud him for his great accomplishment and hope other truck drivers will follow his example.
