Silver Spring mail truck driver Carter Scott has been honored with the Driver of the Year award from the U.S. Postal Service and the National Safety Council.
The Postal Service announced Scott’s accomplishment to 4,000 attendees at the National Postal Forum, the mailing industry’s largest annual conference, held in Indianapolis last April.
Scott could not attend the conference, so the recently retired Chief Logistics Officer Kelly Abney accepted the award on his behalf.
A local celebration was held at the USPS Suburban Maryland Processing and Distribution Center in Gaithersburg last June.
The Postal Service has a storied history and a workforce of nearly 640,000 employees. To be eligible for the Driver of the Year award, nominees must have driven for 15 years or 100,000 miles without a preventable incident.
A USPS driver for 45 years, Scott received the Million Mile Award last year for his outstanding safety record. He has been driving without a preventable accident since 1979.
“I drive the postal vehicle just as I drive my personal vehicle. I believe in safety, and my intention is to return home each day to my family,” Scott said.
The Postal Service’s “For the Long Haul” initiative recognizes employees who have held the same position for over 25 years, emphasizing the important role of long-serving employees as key ambassadors in the community.
USPS spokesperson Mark Wahl said that employees like Carter Scott have become fixtures in their community for the customers and coworkers they have served for decades.
“Customers may not know Mr. Scott by name and that is what is unique about our organization,” Wahl said. “With more than 2,000 different job titles, we have many dedicated team members who remind me of the “Wizard of Oz;” behind the scenes providing exceptional customer engagement, efficient and safe, like Carter, and we continue our hiring efforts in every community with secure careers and amazing benefits.”
Photo: “USPS Mack MR” by JLaw45 is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Photo of Carter Scott courtesy of USPS.