UPS has more than 100,000 drivers on roads across the globe. Lindsay Cordova, Site Manager for UPS Integrad, joins Cheddar News to discuss what this intense training entails, and its Circle of Honor program for employees.

A Look at UPS Driver Safety Training

This segment is brought to you by ups delivering what matters for your career and for the world. For most employers, one of their top priorities is making sure employees receive the proper skills to work safely and efficiently, especially in fast paced high demand environments will ups more than 100,000 drivers on roads across the globe. But before they get out there, they go through intense training for their safety and for the safety of others. So joining me now is Lindsay Cordova Ups Integra site manager, Lindsay. Thanks so much for coming on the show. What does this training entail? Well, the training of a new driver starts off with a week long workshop that's hosted at one of our corporate training sites called Integra. At these corporate training sites, we use the the most current technology and a format designed to show them, let them and teach them the way to use the defensive driving program. We use technology such as simulators, virtual reality and even interactive tablets. And we even have, we have mock towns where they're able to go out and apply defensive driving methods before they ever have to deliver a package I know each year s inducts qualified employees into the Circle of Honor program. Talk to me more about what that is. Yes. The Circle of Honor program is a very prestigious award that recognizes drivers who accrue 25 or more safe driving years. Currently, we have 10,434 drivers in this program and we induct approximately 1000 every year. So what we do is we have a ceremony and we bring them in and award them a new uniform that has the circle of honor patch on it. And this sets them apart so that we can recognize them for their commitment to safety. You'll see them in our work group and you will see them out in the public as well. What are some of the specific hazards that you train drivers to be aware of when making deliveries to our homes? And what should we all keep in mind when we are on the roads? Well, there are a lot of hazards to list, which is why us invests more than $343 million in the safety training every year. We have a lot of hazards that move. They're called objects such as pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and vehicles and they can impede our path. We even have to be aware of hazards that don't move. Those are ground items like mailboxes, car ports or mailbox or other items that might get in our way if we're trying to pull out from a park position. The best tip I can give not only our drivers but the public is to be aware of your surroundings. It gets so easy to get comfortable with the daily routine, either driving to and from work, going to pick up the kids or in the case of a U P S driver running the same route every day, you get comfortable with it, but we can't get comfortable with what's around us. We always have to keep our eyes moving and expect the unexpected. How does this safety program, Lindsay come to life for both your new and seasoned drivers. The safety program really comes to life not only when they learn it, but when they start using it, the small things that they do repetitively add up to safe driving years and even as a driver, I can remember key points where I looked back and was thankful. I'm glad I did that right, because something could have gone wrong. So what opportunities does this training present to current and potential future employees? And how is technology playing a role in it? Well, technology is playing a role by giving our new employees a larger platform to practice these methods. The simulators and our virtual reality create situations that put them in the driver seat before they're ever out into the public and this is an that allows them to be successful at the job. This job is a great one, a full time driver job pays up to $95,000. And if you consider the benefits and health insurance, it could be a total of $145,000 total compensation. And it made a difference for me. When I drove, I had my first baby when I was a driver and I got that bill and I scrolled down to the bottom. There was a $10 co pay. So it's definitely worth the benefits of going through all of this and trying to be successful. How can anyone interested, Lindsay, find out more about this training program and opportunities that might be available at ups? Anybody interested can easily go into great employer dot us dot com and just look around, they'll find a world of opportunities at their fingertips. Right? Lindsay Cordova, U P S Integra site manager. Thank you. And to learn more about opportunities at U P S and ways that you can deliver success, visit. Great employer dot ups dot com.