Knoxville-based truck driver honored for driving three million accident-free miles
Published May 5, 2023; 7:53 p.m.

Jimmy Means

KNOXVILLE -- XPO, a leading freight transportation company, honored Knoxville-based truck driver Jimmy Means who exceeded three million accident-free miles in his LTL career. The company tracks accident-free miles as part of its Road to Zero driver safety program.

Jimmy began driving LTL tractors in 1993 with Con-way, which was acquired by XPO in 2015. To put Means’ accomplishment into perspective, it typically takes about nine years and nearly 20,000 hours of service for LTL drivers to reach one million miles – the equivalent of 40 trips around the Earth.

The company honored Jimmy with a celebration in XPO’s terminal in Knoxville. He also received the keys to a brand new XPO tractor with a customized cab design that displays his name and record achievement.

Jimmy’s three-million-mile accomplishment was celebrated in April, which is also Distracted Driver Awareness Month. As motorists become even more attached to their smartphones and distracted driving increases, Jimmy recommends the following safety tips to keep all drivers on the road safe:

1. Wear your seatbelt: This one tops the list because recent studies show around 10% of drivers still don’t buckle up. When driving is part of your daily routine, you unfortunately encounter a lot of dangerous situations and people on the road. To ensure you’re protected at all times, wear your seatbelt. Beyond the fact that it’s a legal requirement, this is a top means of defense against aggressive, impaired or distracted drivers.

2. Don’t rush: Million-mile truck drivers didn’t get there by speeding. While you may be eager to complete your trip as quickly as possible, obeying the speed limit is an essential safety practice. When bad weather approaches, use common sense and reduce your speed. The same holds true when following other vehicles. It’s critical to always keep safe distances from other drivers to ensure you have enough time to react to any situation that may arise.

3. Wait it out: Daily driving requires a firm understanding of your vehicle’s capabilities – and your own unique circumstances. Sometimes it’s best to postpone your trip when possible. Adverse weather conditions and traffic delays due to construction can create hazardous circumstances for drivers. When weather predictions call for excessive wind gusts, torrential rain, heavy snow or ice, it’s best to wait for things to calm down. And, of course, never drive when tired.

4. Be on the lookout: Drivers who’ve successfully driven a million miles are always on the lookout for potential hazards. And when you’re a million-miler, you’ve seen it all. From freak accidents to impaired drivers and challenging traffic conditions, the threat of danger never subsides. You need to constantly scan the road and stay alert to spot hazards in plenty of time to react.

5. Use cruise control with caution: While most truck drivers acknowledge that cruise control is beneficial when the time is right, it’s definitely not recommended when driving in bad weather. If you’re faced with heavy rain or strong winds, it’s best to leave the cruise control off. Failure to do so could result in a loss of control.