UPS announced additional investments in safe driving education and training, including the rollout of 20 additional driving and delivery simulators across the country, nearly doubling the number of driving simulators in UPS facilities since first launching in 2020.
In 2022, enhanced and rigorous training efforts resulted in more than 20,000 drivers receiving training and more than 1,200 additional drivers being inducted into the UPS Circle of Honor (COH), an elite group of UPS drivers who have each achieved 25 years or more of accident-free driving. With these new inductees, COH now includes more than 10,000 members across four continents, with a shared 305,691 years of accident-free safe driving.
All of UPS’s more than 100,000 drivers benefit from the company’s commitment to industry-leading training. That cutting-edge training is showcased at Integrad®, UPS’s dedicated driver training schools. These schools pioneered the use of virtual reality (VR) in an industrial training environment. The UPS Driving Simulator provides realistic driving experiences before UPS drivers operate an actual delivery vehicle. This VR experience is coupled with hands-on driving and instructor-led classroom training delivered by elite professional trainers.
“Safe driving is no accident. Our drivers have a passion for safety that is built on a foundation of best-in-class training programs,” said Executive Vice President and President U.S., Nando Cesarone. “The most important stop for our drivers is when they return home safely after work. And that’s why it’s our top priority to build a safe place to work that delivers on our promise to provide great paths for every UPSer to achieve their career goals.”
Training at Integrad facilities includes real-life challenges with typical road hazards, such as pedestrians, parked cars and oncoming traffic, to ensure our drivers are ready to keep themselves and their communities safe while on the road. Our culture of safety spans training and support services within our facilities and hubs and for on-the-road drivers and is backed by an investment in 2022 alone totaling more than $343 million on safety training courses.
“Safety begins with the right training and is a process of daily commitment and continual learning,” said Jacqueline Williams, a UPS Circle of Honor driver with 42 years of accident-free driving. “I use the safe work methods we learn every day. They help me and my fellow drivers to stay safe while keeping our customers and communities safe as well.”
UPS drivers are not only among the safest in the industry, but also the best paid. UPS provides employees with industry-leading pay and benefits, and the average yearly compensation of full-time package delivery drivers is $95,000. In addition to the health and welfare benefits that UPS provides, the total compensation for drivers is about $145,000 a year. For those who seek flexibility, part-time UPS employees receive the same generous healthcare benefits as full-time employees, which requires no premiums, no co-insurance and low co-pays.
(UPS)
