Two New Penn drivers reach safety milestone

For most drivers a 400-mile, daily commute would be daunting, and not just because of the increased risk of accidents they’d face compared to the average motorist. But for two local New Penn drivers, 400 miles on the road without incident is just another day on the job.
The motor-carrier company, New Penn, has recognized two of its local employees, Kenneth Davis, 61, of Attleboro, and Richard Alsfeld, 41, of North Kingstown, for driving 1 million miles without getting into a preventable accident.
“These are people who are out there driving for eight or ten hours a day, amongst other drivers and other traffic, 12 months out of the year, in all sorts of snow, ice, and other weather conditions,” said Bart Wagner, the terminal manager at New Penn’s Cumberland facility where both drivers work. “I just can’t say enough about how proud we are of their accomplishments.”
Alsfeld, who has been with the company for 12 years, is a “city driver,” and makes local pick-ups and deliveries, while Davis, who has been with the company for 11 years, is a “road driver,” and operates throughout the New England area.
Davis, who is retiring at the end of the month, was at first reluctant to talk about his accomplishment. With 35 years of experience and about four-million miles under his belt, he didn’t want to jinx himself so close to retirement, he said. According to Davis, accident threats come every day.
“It’s something you get used to,” he said. “You can almost tell what people are going to do, just by watching them.”
After driving eight to 10 hours, and 400 to 600 miles a day, he said he would rather drive his tractor-trailer than drive a car. “I’ve been driving it all my life,” he said. “A million miles, not everybody can do that.”
The company began giving million-mile awards about 15 years ago because it “gives [drivers] something to look forward to; something other than a paycheck,” said Andy Kerlick, vice president of safety at the New Penn headquarters in Lebanon, Penn.
New Penn was located in Cranston for 18 years before outgrowing the 52-door facility and moving to the newly renovated 92-door facility in Cumberland. Located at 55 Industrial Drive, the facility now houses 130 employees; including 112 drivers. The facility averages about 1,000 shipments per day at this time during the year, which tends to be slow, according to Wagner.
Drivers at the Cumberland facility specialize in moving shipments that don’t fill an entire truck, called less-than-truckloads, or LTLs, allowing them to make multiple pick-ups and drop-offs in a day – depending on the size of the freights – ranging from lighting fixtures to automobile parts to whirlpools.
New Penn has 17,000 drivers that service New England directly, and is able to reach the rest of the country, Canada and Puerto Rico through partner carriers. For road drivers, it can take eight to 10 years to reach one million miles, and 10 to 13 years for city drivers.
“Safety is a big deal in the trucking industry. We’ll drive about 50 million miles at New Penn this year,” said Kerlick. “We reduce accidents, and delay of freight: It’s a win-win situation for the employees, the customers and the company.”
“Truckers have an unfair image as being unsafe drivers. This proves there are good guys out there that operate under conditions and operate safely,” said Kerlick, who added that about 20 drivers each year are able to reach the one-million-safe-miles mark.
The company, which just celebrated its 76th anniversary, set up an incentive program for its drivers to recognize them for milestone achievements. In addition to a million-mile plaque, drivers receive a watch after eight years of safe driving, and a ring after 10 years. Drivers are also awarded “safety points,” which they can cash in for merchandise, such as television sets.
“We are all extremely proud of our skilled drivers for their outstanding achievement,” said Steven Gast, president and CEO of New Penn. “They exemplify the engagement and pride essential to make our highways safe while meeting our customer’s needs.” •