The Trucker Newspaper - December 1, 2019

12
AT
THE TRUCK STOP
PRESENTED BY CAT SCALE, VISIT WEIGHMYTRUCK.COM
Holland drivers Dan Runice and Robert Wolford
join 3 million safe miles club
Courtesy: HOLLAND
Dan Runice, left, and Robert “RB” Wolford both were recently honored by Holland for 3 million miles of safe driving. Runice has been a professional truck driver for 38 years. Wolford is a
third-generation truck driver.
From time to time, At the Truck Stop will feature drivers
who’ve been honored for such things as driving a million or
more safe miles, for being Driver of the Month, Driver of the
Year, Trainer of the Month, etc.
Today we feature two Holland professional drivers — Dan
Runice and Robert “RB” Wolford — who have driven over
3 million consecutive miles without a preventable accident.
To put this distance in perspective, 3 million miles is
equivalent to driving across the United States, from coast
to coast, more than 1,000 consecutive times—all without a
single preventable accident.
“We are immensely proud of Dan and his 3-million-mile
safe driving record,” said Tamara Jalving, YRC Worldwide
Inc. vice president of safety. “His safety record represents
decades of unwavering professionalism behind the wheel.
We congratulate and thank him for his commitment to safety.
Dan helps to make our highways safer while delivering
award-winning quality service to our customers.”
Runice has been a professional driver for 38 years. He’s
been with Holland for the past 25 years operating as a line haul
driver out of the Tomah, Wisconsin, service center. His routes
take him through some of the country’s most challenging
weather conditions making his safe driving record even more
exceptional. Runice is one of 33 active Holland drivers to
have reached this incredible safety milestone.
Runice attributes achieving 3-million consecutive miles
without a preventable accident to his safe driving skills and
to always being alert — with a bit of good luck thrown in.
He watches other drivers around him, anticipates traffic flow,
looks for unexpected behaviors, doesn’t crowd others and
always leaves an “out.” Traffic volumes are intense and filled
with distractions. His safety advice: “Do not risk your life
texting while driving.”
Runice and his wife Becky have three children and two
grandchildren. In his spare time, he enjoys watching his
grandchildren participate in sports.
YRC Worldwide, Inc. also recognized “RB” Wolford for
equalizing Dan’s achievement.
“We are tremendously proud of “RB” and his safety
achievement,” Jalving said. “His record represents decades
of unwavering professionalism behind the wheel and a
concentrated safety focus. His dedication to safety helps to
make our highways safer and helps Holland deliver awardwinning
quality service to our customers. We congratulate
‘RB’ and thank him for his continued commitment to safety.”
Wolford grew up with trucking in his blood. He’s a thirdgeneration
truck driver, inspired by his grandfather, father
and uncle. A member of the Holland Safety Committee and a
driver mentor, he believes in sharing safety knowledge.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have had good, safety-minded
mentors in my career. I’m proud to be a driver mentor for
Holland,” he said. “I’m a firm believer in giving back. No one
knows how to do it right from the get-go. It’s important to do
your part, be safety-minded and lead by example.”
Wolford has participated at the Michigan state truck driving
championships eleven times (always placing in the top three).
He was chosen Rookie of the Year at his first Michigan
truck driving championship in 2008. Wolford twice qualified
for the National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC), the
“Superbowl of Safety,” and competed for the first time in
2008 against the best of the best professional drivers in the
United States in the Straight Truck class and again in 2017 in
the flatbed class. Just to qualify for NTDC, drivers must earn
first place in their class at their state competition and remain
accident-free, regardless of fault, for one year prior.
The Michigan Trucking Association honored Wolford as its
September 2019 Driver of the Month.
Holland celebrated Wolford’s 3-million-mile safety
achievement at the Detroit, Michigan, service center with an
award ceremony where Wolford received a surprise two-car
police escort with flashing lights and sirens as he neared the
Detroit terminal in recognition of his safety milestone. 8