VANDALIA, OH — Jim Shanks can finally say he’s worth a million – in miles, that is.

On Tuesday, September 14, he will become a member of the National Safety Council’s Million Mile Club: an honor reserved for employees driving one million miles – or 30 years – without an at-fault accident. He’s the first letter carrier in Vandalia to receive the honor.

“This is such a huge accomplishment,” said Postmaster Mark Matthews. “Jim has been delivering mail to 521 houses and businesses on his current route for the past eight years. And that’s a lot of ground to cover without bumping a mailbox or hitting any kind of vehicle.”

Shanks will be recognized for his accomplishments at 8:30 a.m. at the Vandalia Post Office, 323 James Bohanan Drive.

Matthews will be joined by Cincinnati District Manager Chu Falling-Star and Manager of Post Office Operations Cheryl Kellner in presenting Shanks with an award.

“Driving more than a million miles without a preventable accident is such an amazing feat,” said Matthews. “I’m extremely proud of Jim for putting safety and service first.”

According to the National Safety Council, nearly 5,900 postal employees have achieved a unique distinction most of us never approach in a lifetime — driving more than 1 million, accident-free miles. No other business comes close.

The nation’s 34,000 Post Offices are linked by 221,000 vehicles — the world’s largest civilian fleet. As one of America’s last vestiges to make house calls, 340,000 letter carriers and truck drivers log more than 1.2 billion miles annually when delivering to America’s 140 million addresses.  

Since 2005, when records were established, 5,858 Postal professionals have each driven more than a million miles without a single accident. Reaching this pinnacle requires 30 years of service and a safe attitude.

Driving for the Postal Service is a privilege that requires all drivers to demonstrate safe driving practices throughout their careers.

Behind-the-wheel job candidates undergo a rigorous screening, training and testing process to earn credentials to operate a right-hand drive postal vehicle.  

After a review of state driving records, candidates undergo a thorough medical examination and an extensive interview process. Potential drivers also must pass road tests in their own passenger vehicles before taking eight hours of classroom training to pass a computer based exam. If they pass these hurdles, defensive driver training and a special skills course for hands-on behind-the-wheel training follow.

The skills course acclimates candidates to driving right-hand drive postal vehicles under various conditions on an “off-road” course that simulates street conditions. When completed, driving instructors accompany them for a 45-minute street drive followed by a final exam in a postal right-hand-drive vehicle.

Information on the National Safety Council’s Safe Driver Program is is located at www.nsc.org/usps. Questions can be directed to National Safety Council Customer Relations at 1-800-621-7619 or uspsawards@nsc.org.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no direct support from taxpayers. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 28th in the 2009 Fortune 500.