A trucker with nearly 4 million accident-free miles was inducted into the National Private Truck Council’s Hall of Fame last week.
Truck driver Robert Harmeyer has been driving for the Batesville Casket Company in Batesville, Indiana for 31 years, racking up 3.9 million miles with zero preventable accidents and no moving violations. Now, the National Private Truck Council has honored his spotless driving record by inducting him into their Driver Hall of Fame.
“We are grateful to have someone of Rob’s caliber representing Batesville on the roads, as well as in our community,” said director of transportation for Batesville, Keith Hazelwood according to a Batesville Casket Company Press Release.
“He consistently treats others with dignity and respect.”
Harmeyer hauls loads from Indiana to Texas, stopping in Dallas, San Antonio, and El Paso, logging around 3,000 miles a week with the Batesville Casket Company, but says that he hadn’t given much thought to receiving an award for keeping his driving record accident free.
“I just tried to be as safe every day on the road as I can,” he said.
“I never let my guard down and kept an eye out for the unexpected.”
Harmeyer, who is a certified master truck driver – a title reserved for those with 1 million accident free miles and who are employed by companies who are a member of the Indiana Motor Truck Association, also spends his time helping shape the future generation of truck drivers by working with Truck Buddy International, an organization that brings truckers to schools to speak to children about the industry, and even allows the kids to follow Harmeyer and other truck drivers from afar on their routes across the country.
Harmeyer was one of only four truckers inducted into the NPTC Driver Hall of Fame this year, but says he doesn’t plan to stop now that he’s earned a spot.
“We have other drivers in the fleet who made it to 5 million miles, and it’s giving me a lot of incentive to do the same,” he said.
