Philadelphia letter carriers get much-deserved recognition

FOX CHASE (WPVI) -- Letter carriers loaded up for another day of work in Fox Chase Tuesday morning, but some of them had a little extra to carry.

Nine members of the station on the 7200 block of Rising Sun Avenue were awarded plaques, pins, and jackets, recognized for driving a million miles or 30-plus years without any preventable accidents.

"I hope to do it at least another 10 more years and maybe join the 2 million mile club," Jim Wallace, a letter carrier for 33 years, said.

"It's not easy to drive safely in the Philadelphia area with the traffic pattern and so many drivers on the road," Philadelphia District Manager Chu Falling Star said.

Since 2005, more than 9,000 Postal Service workers have driven more than a million miles without an at-fault accident. Since these recipients started with the post office three decades ago, the vehicles have changed, and so have the drivers around them.

"All those distractions that you do, they can wait, there's no reason to do texting. I get on my kids all the time," Wallace said.

These 'Million Mile Drivers' stress the importance of frequent safety talks, awareness, and training.

"When I started in 84, they took us down to the Navy base, set us loose on the runway because they didn't want us to run into anything and how far we've come as drivers since then," Bob McHugh, letter carrier for 32 years, said.

"My first day I spent with a carrier who had 30 years in the post office, you watch them, you learn from them," Thomas Woodruff, letter carrier for 31 years, said.

This recognition is a thank you to the men and women but these letter carriers also set an example to the next generation.

"I think they are such a great role model for our new hires to share with them about their tips. Because it didn't just happen. It happened because they care," Falling Star said.