Many companies don't take safety in the workplace lightly and Frito-Lay, 220 Reach Road, Williamsport is no exception.
Recently, three of the company's drivers were honored for achieving a significant milestone: Driving more than 1 million miles accident free.
Jeff Berger, Carl Probst and John Spencer were among 100 Frito-Lay's drivers in the U.S. and Canada honored for the achievement during a banquet in Plano, Texas.
Berger, 50, of Hughesville, has been driving for Frito-Lay for 12 years.
He said safety is a priority with the company.
"That's the first thing on our minds," he said.
It's a good thing.
After all, Berger is on the road a lot, delivering Frito-Lay products.
He travels throughout much of the northeastern U.S. and into the Midwest as far as Michigan.
"I love it," he said. "I like the ability to kind of pick the routes from day to day."
Berger said safety training and seminars are part of the job for the local company's more than 20 drivers.
"The Frito-Lay fleet is not only one of the largest private fleets in North America, but also one of the safest," said Bill Simkins, manager of National Fleet Safety, Frito-Lay North America. "Our drivers attend extensive training programs and consider safety to be their number one priority."
It normally takes a Frito-Lay driver about a dozen years to reach the 1 million mile mark.
More than 500 drivers employed by the company have reached the milestone.
In addition, two drivers reached the 3 million mark this year, and 22 others reached the 2 million mark.
Through its safety efforts, Frito-Lay has experienced a 71 percent decrease in collisions since 2002, according to company officials.
Berger, a married father of three, noted he's been accident free as a driver since he started working at the company.
He previously worked as a driver at Snyder Valley Farms, where he also served as a traffic manager.
