LOWELL, Ark. — J.B. Hunt Transport Services has recognized 54 company drivers for achieving two, three, four and five million miles driven without a preventable accident at its annual Million Mile Celebration at company headquarters in Lowell.
The drivers were awarded a total of $770,000 in safe driving bonuses, according to a news release.
“These drivers are the champions of our safety culture,” said Nick Hobbs, chief operating officer and president of contract services at J.B. Hunt. “Their million-mile achievements demonstrate an unwavering commitment to delivering long-term, exceptional value for our customers. 2023 was a record year for our safety organization, and these drivers were a huge part of that. Congratulations to all 54 drivers for their monumental safety milestone.”
The 2024 Million Mile driver class spent the last few days at company headquarters with their families, management and executive leadership team celebrating their million-mile moment.
On average, it takes a driver approximately seven to 10 years to reach one million safe miles, the news release states.
Among this year’s class is J.B. Hunt’s Jodi Edwards, the third driver to achieve five million miles and the company’s first to be honored with Women in Trucking’s Driver of the Year award.
The peak of the celebration took place on May 1 at the Million Mile Walk of Fame.
Drivers and their families walked the red carpet throughout the company’s Lowell campus where they were cheered on by hundreds of employees, ending with embracement and words of gratitude from company executives. Since 1996, J.B. Hunt has awarded more than $38 million in safe driving bonuses to nearly 5,000 company drivers and has hosted the Million Mile event dating back to 2001.
“The Million Mile event is a cornerstone of J.B. Hunt’s culture, rooted in company values of excellence, safety and integrity,” the news release states. “The company’s commitment to safety is exemplary in the industry and essential to delivering exceptional value to its customers. By recruiting and retaining some of the top driving talent in the country, J.B. Hunt puts thousands of skilled and well-trained drivers on the road each year.”
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
