MANSFIELD — Bill Napier might be the best driver this side of Indianapolis.
The Mansfield man reached a safe driving record over the weekend that earned a ceremony from his employer, Holland.
A professional linehaul driver with 24 years experience at Holland, Napier reached the safe driving record of 3 million consecutive miles without a single preventable collision. To put his accomplishment in perspective, 3 million miles equates to circumnavigating the Earth at the equator 120.5 times or completing the Indianapolis 500 exactly 6,000 times — collision-free.
Holland celebrated Napier’s achievement with an awards ceremony at its service center in Columbus, Ohio service center. Napier drove into the terminal hauling one of Holland’s new “Trucking Moves America Forward” (TMAF) trailers.
“Our safety professionals represent the best of the best in our industry,” said company President Scott Ware. “One million collision-free miles is an amazing feat. Tripling that, and traveling 3 million miles without a collision is hard to imagine.
“Bill Napier has set a high safety standard. He’s a great example of what can be done when safety knowledge and focus are at the forefront. My personal thanks to Bill for reaching this remarkable safety record.”
It takes a lifetime of exceptionally safe driving to reach this unique achievement. Napier’s key to staying collision-free is pretty simple: Watch out for the other guy.
“You have to pay attention and watch the drivers around you. You can usually tell what they are going to do before they do it,” Napier said. “This gives you a chance to stay clear when they do something they shouldn’t.
“You need to think about the drivers in every vehicle around you.”
Columbus Terminal Manager, Scott Shaffer, is pleased when any of the Holland drivers hit a million-mile safety record, but Napier’s achievement is especially meaningful.
“Bill is the third driver at our Columbus terminal to reach the 3 million safety milestone,” Schaffer said. “We’re very proud of each of these safety superstars.
“Bill’s achievement is special to me because we started our careers at Holland on the same day back in 1992. He personifies what a Holland driver should be. He’s a true professional who is always safety-conscious. I know all of his fellow drivers have a lot of respect for him and what he’s accomplished.”
