Princeton USPS Drivers to be Recognized for Safe Driving

Seven Princeton mailmen will be recognized for their safe driving during a ceremony Thursday morning at the post office, 8 a.m., according to the United States Postal Service (USPS)

Lawrence Clausen, Eric Eikrem, Jerry Zrada, William Stein, Morris Johnson, Ronald Sciarrotta and Cleveland Stevenson are among the 9,400 Postal Service employees who have individually driven more than a million, accident-free miles. They will be recognized along with Bordentown mailman Mathew Masterson.

The office is located at 213 Carnegie Center.

“Safe driving is no accident,” USPS South Jeresy District Manager Sharon Rogers said. “The safety of our employees is our top priority, and we are proud that our comprehensive safe driver training program is second to none.”

The nation’s 31,000 plus Post Offices are linked by nearly 214,000 vehicles — the world’s largest civilian fleet, according to USPS. More than 300,000 letter carriers and truck drivers log more than 1.2 billion miles annually when delivering to America’s 153 million addresses.

All USPS drivers must demonstrate safe-driving practices throughout their careers. Behind-the-wheel job candidates undergo a rigorous screening, training and certification process to earn credentials to operate a right-hand drive postal vehicle.

After a review of state driving records, candidates undergo a thorough medical examination and an extensive interview process. They then take a web-based 4-hour defensive driving training course, followed by a 1-hour defensive driving debrief conducted by driver safety instructors who reinforce key safe-driving topics covered in the web-based course.

Candidates then become familiar with the vehicle through behind-the-wheel training on a mock driving course. The skills course acclimates candidates to driving postal vehicles under various conditions on an ‘off-road’ course that simulates street conditions. Their performance is evaluated on a final drive prior to becoming certified to operate Postal Service vehicles.

The attached image is a Patch file photo