2010
Gregory SimsDSR, USA
In 1966, Gregory Sims could hardly imagine himself enjoying life behind the wheel as a professional driver. At the time, he was an outfielder for the professional baseball team the Houston Astros. When it came time to pursue a new career path, Greg had heard that trucking was a good industry to get into and worked his way from a dockhand to becoming a service center supervisor.
Eventually, Greg decided that he would prefer to drive so he got behind the wheel. “I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the service center,” he said. “The best part of being a driver for Con-way Freight is the people that I get to meet on my pickup and delivery route.”
The job does not come without challenges, however. Driving from customer to customer within the city requires a lot of patience and constant attention. “I don’t even listen to music in my truck so that I am not distracted,” Greg says.
“A big factor in staying safe is getting enough rest,” he said. “You just can’t give your full attention to the road if you are drowsy. I always say that if you get tired, the right thing to do is just pull over and shut down. Even 15 or 20 minutes rest can bring you back to life and help you stay alert.”
When asked what achieving two million accident-free miles means to him, Greg said, “I am very proud of it, this isn’t something that you can get overnight. I consider myself lucky that I am able to enjoy what I do for a living and do it well.”
A resident of Sacramento, Calif., Greg is based out of Con-way Freight’s Sacramento service center. He has been married for 41 years to his wife, Joyce, and has five children and four grandchildren. In his spare time, Greg enjoys hunting and fishing.
