Ten years and counting for Pat Noskey, Jr.
That’s how long he’s been driving for FedEx Ground with no preventable accidents.
The Oxford resident, who works at the Pontiac FedEx terminal, recently received a Platinum Award for his error-free driving.
FedEx Ground awards Bronze Awards for six months without preventable accidents, Silver Awards for a year, Gold Awards for five years and Platinum for 10.
It’s quite an accomplishment for the FedEx Ground Contractor but not one he dwells upon too much. If anything, he sees 10 years of error-free driving as doing what other drivers there do’being caring.
?[The award] is one of those things you don’t take for granted,? said Noskey, who currently oversees three drivers. ‘Every single day you still have to continue to strive for success. It’s something we all strive for in this building.?
Noskey and his wife Shannon have two children (13-year-old daughter Lindsay and 15-year-old son Patrick). For him, driving safely includes keeping a watchful eye for kids.
‘I’m speaking for fellow contractors as well. I have kids at home, too, and kids are one thing you always look out for when driving,? said Noskey. ‘You get it in the back of your mind.?
At FedEx, they also have weekly safety meetings every Monday morning when returning from the weekend and get fresh safety tips to take with them on the road.
Defensive driving helps also, he said, adding: ‘It sounds like a clich?, but you have to slow down and use extra caution.?
Noskey works eight to nine hours a day and likes to arrive to work a little early to go over his truck and make sure everything looks ok. He also charts his route, making sure he gets some of his residential deliveries done before businesses open.
On Monday, his mornings tend to start early with this time of year being a time to especially be cautious.
‘Sometimes [the roads] are dark with a little black ice,? he said. ‘Some residential roads haven’t been plowed. you have to take it carefully.?
Besides driving safely, another part of being successful at his job delivering packages means being aware of customers? needs. Some prefer their deliveries to be right on time; others want it not only on time but at a specific time–not early or late.
‘There’s lots of pressure with what these drivers do and it’s not easy,? said Richard Seelhoff, FedEx Ground Senior Manager. ‘Each customer has a unique set of needs and interests that we attempt to fulfill by delivering on the purple promise (purple and green are FedEx Ground’s official colors) of treating every customer like royalty.?
And while customers get treated like royalty, some famous ones are surprisingly down to earth. One customer who owns three houses on Noskey’s regular route is Michigan-native rocker Kid Rock.
‘I’ve met Kid Rock numerous times,? said Noskey. ‘He’s a very nice guy who doesn’t let fame go to his head. He’s an average, ordinary guy.?
The driver recalled another customer about eight years ago that made for an unforgettable delivery. When he got to her house one cold, snowy morning to make a delivery, he found her facedown in the snow on her porch with no shoes or jacket on.
‘I called out to her and tapped on her shoulder, but she was unconscious,? Noskey recalled. ‘I called 911.?
Apparently, the customer had gone outside in her pajamas to get her newspaper and had slipped and knocked herself out cold. ‘They told me she was lucky to have had a delivery that day because she probably wouldn’t have made it,? he said.
Noskey received a humanitarian award for saving the woman’s life.
While Noskey is quick to deflect praise and point out the many other FedEx drivers who do their jobs daily, Seelhoff is indeed proud of his driver.
‘I’m very proud of Pat and this accomplishment,? he said. ‘It means a great deal to us for Pat to be highly successful as a business partner and also for him to have the core value of being a safe driver for the community.?