A 4 Million-Mile Celebration
It was a beautiful day in Nashville-a little bit chilly but the sky was blue and the sun was shining.
A perfect day for a celebration.
It was 7:30 am and linehaul driver Sam Hamilton was returning from his six-days-a-week run to Kingsport, Tennessee. He would normally be returning several hours earlier, but his departure the previous day had been delayed.
He didn't know it at the time, but that delay had been planned well in advance.
He got a call on his cell phone. Would he meet district manager Dave Huneryager for breakfast? Dave wanted to congratulate Sam on his achievement the previous week: 4 million miles of safe driving. Sure, said Sam, and he exited I-40 to meet Dave.
But there was much more than breakfast planned.
Waiting for Sam, in addition to Dave, were Mike Snell, relay manager, Billy Cullen, president of Teamsters Local 480, John Lindberg and Bob Meeks, drivers/trainers, several active and retired drivers, and a police officer from the commercial vehicle division of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
That's when Sam realized this was no typical day at work.
The police escort led Sam to the Nashville relay. With sirens blaring, the police escort pulled into the facility gates and past a crowd of Roadway employees.
The crowd began cheering as Sam pulled in. "I really got butterflies when I saw the crowd and heard them cheering," he said.
When Sam got out of his tractor-newly adorned with his 4-million-mile decals-he began greeting the awaiting crowd. Employees were eager to shake his hand and offer congratulations. And Sam was thrilled-and quite surprised-to see his wife and son in the crowd. They, too, had kept the celebration a secret from Sam.
During the ceremony in the drivers' break room, Sam received an amazing array of gifts: a plaque from the Mayor of Nashville; Jerry Brewster from Corporate Safety presented Sam's 4-million-mile plaque, belt buckle, and key chain as well as a leather jacket and hat; Billy Cullen gave Sam a watch, t-shirt, pen, and key chain adorned with the Teamsters logo; a representative for Senator Bill Frist, the Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate, presented a letter and autographed photograph; a plaque from Sam's fellow Nashville drivers thanked him for his "leadership and inspiration"; letters from the past and present Governors of Tennessee as well as a state flag that flew over the capitol; and Mike Snell presented Sam with a replica of his tractor door decal with his name and accomplishment.
Sam was understandably overwhelmed by the ceremony. "I thought there might be some type of recognition," he said. "But I really didn't expect this much!"
A great deal of work went into planning the celebration, but it was a labor of love for the Nashville employees. "When everything was coming together for the ceremony-like the letters from the Governors and Senator-I really got shivers up my spine," said John Lindberg. "It was great to be involved in recognizing Sam."
And it's a recognition that is well deserved; Sam, a 34-year Roadway employee, is only the 11th driver in Roadway's history to attain 4 million accident-free miles.
"Sam is not one for much fanfare-4 million miles was just another day at the office for him-but he's an inspiration to all of us," said Mike Snell. "We wanted to show our appreciation to him."
"Sam is dedicated, professional, and devoted to safety and I'm thrilled we can celebrate his success," said Dave Huneryager. "Today was a celebration of his years with Roadway and the safe miles he's driven. We are so proud of him."
After the ceremony was over and the crowd dispersed, Sam went outside to spot-clean his tractor. "I like to keep it clean," he said. "It has Roadway's name on it and mine, too."
The soft-spoken driver seems uncomfortable talking about himself and his achievement, but opens up when the subject turns to his profession. "I'm not in any hurry to retire," he says. "I enjoy working for Roadway because of the people-we have good management and a good union. I think the future looks positive."
Although Sam says that driving 4 million miles involves "a lot of luck," he attributes much of his success to the Smith System™. "Practicing the Smith System™ gives you time to react to a situation before it becomes critical," he says. He is a firm believer in having a cushion of space around his vehicle because "other drivers are constantly challenging you, but with a space cushion you can defuse any situation."
Sam also credits much of his success to his family-his wife and two sons. "My family is a big part of being safe," he says. "They help me start the day with the right attitude so I can concentrate on safety."
The ceremony was in honor of his safety achievement, but meant a great deal more to Sam. "It was a beautiful event and I really appreciate it," he says. "It feels good to know I work with people who care about each other."
