Greenwood — Gary Genier almost reached the elite status of driving 1 million miles without a preventable accident as a truck driver for Churchill Truck Lines.

Then they went belly-up. Same thing for Genier’s next employer, ICX.

Now the Avon resident has finally achieved the milestone through USF Holland, a unit of YRC Regional Transportation.

“We are all proud of Gary’s outstanding achievement,” said USF President John O’Sullivan in a statement. “He exemplifies the engagement and pride essential to make our highways safe while meeting our customers’ needs. He is truly a leader in the industry.”

It usually takes a driver between 8 and 10 years to reach the million-mile mark. Genier has been with USF for nine years.

“I would probably have 3 million miles if the companies I (previously worked) for didn’t keep folding,” he said.

Given the rigors of truck driving, Genier’s new plateau puts him in some rare air.

“In today’s age, it’s quite an accomplishment,” said Don Fouts, manager of USF Holland’s Indianapolis terminal, where Genier is dispatched. “With construction and the advent of cell phones, it has made their job a lot tougher. They have to watch out, not only for the other driver but for things like when fatigue sets in. It’s important for them to recognize things like that rather than push themselves too much.”

The accomplishment hasn’t made Genier think of himself as a superior driver. He appreciates it for another reason.

“It’s saved me a lot of headaches,” Genier said. “It’s a big pain in the rumpinsky to do paperwork. The goal is not to have a wreck, so each day I go one day at a time. There and back. That’s all I try to do.”

There and back for Genier is Jamesville, Wisc., five nights a week. There he meets another driver from Minneapolis, switches trailers, and comes back to USF’s southside terminal. It’s 620 miles round-trip.

Most of the driving is done overnight, which Genier prefers.

“I sleep good (during the day), so I’m wide awake all night,” he said. “Whatever you have at night in traffic backups for construction, you can double it in the daytime.”

Unfortunately he also normally hits Chicago’s morning rush hour.

“You’re not going to get much heavier than that,” Genier said. “It’s bumper to bumper. You keep your eye on your right and left. I always try to leave a lane I can switch, but you don’t always have that option in traffic.”

Genier’s been in the business long enough to notice the increase in road construction and traffic. It’s made for plenty of close calls.

“You’ll be in traffic — traffic on the right, traffic on the left,” Genier said. “Somebody not paying attention turns in front of you and you either have to chase that person out of his lane or slam on your brakes. Do what you do fastest to try to avoid an accident.”

And there are accidents. Just not with Genier. At USF Holland there are road drivers, which is what Genier is, and there are city drivers who make local deliveries. The latter group endures more accidents, simply because they’re working during the day when there’s more traffic. An accident can be as simple as someone backing into a parked rig and knocking off a mirror. Fouts says his terminal averages one accident every two weeks.

“Sometimes you may have three or four in a week. Sometimes you may go three or four weeks without any,” he said. “You always have to be ahead of your game, looking well ahead of you, anticipate what everybody does. I liken it to somebody riding a motorcycle. You always have to be aware of your surroundings and thinking ahead.”

Genier isn’t the only one at USF to reach such status. There are two drivers at USF’s Indianapolis terminal with 2 million non-accident miles. One driver at the company’s Louisville terminal recently retired with 3 million to his credit.

“But that is very rare,” Fouts said.

It’s not exactly earned Genier a new level of respect.

“My wife doesn’t even look up to me,” he said. “That’s also because she’s taller.”

But that doesn’t matter. What does is that Genier has a job he likes and is good at.

“It’s the closest thing to being your own boss,” he said. “I get dispatched out of here. As long as you don’t kill too much time, you can do what you want.”

And maybe eight years from now, he’ll have another million to his credit.

For more information on USF Holland, visit the website at www.usfc.com.



wade.coggeshall@flyergroup.com