Florida fisherman turned trucker praised for 3 million accident-free miles

“I've missed 23 of my wife's birthdays. I've missed 23 of our anniversaries. I've missed 23 Thanksgivings and 23 Christmases,” he said.

Now Lord can come home every week to be with his wife, but even behind the wheel he only has to look at the passenger seat to be reminded of home; his son Jason drives with him on the team and recently celebrated 2 million accident-free miles.

“We sit in the shade and talk,” he said. “In the morning we drink coffee.”

Covenant Logistics, which employs more than 1,900 drivers, recognized Lord's achievement with a check for $7,500. The company also customized Lord's truck and tracked down the exact color of a blue Peterbilt that Lord had previously driven, said Misti Olszewski, vice president of safety at Covenant, who praised Lord as a “top tier” of drivers.

“I think Don is just the kind of employee that everyone would want to have,” she said. “It's his spirit; you can just feel how much he cares about people, his family and his job. He takes so much pride in his work every day. I wish I had a hundred of him.”

Lord's achievement was to cover several miles in one go. If there had been an incident – and Lord said he had had near misses, like most drivers – he would have started again.

A change in mindset

When he became a professional truck driver in 1996, Lord's attitude changed. Working as a fisherman made him happy, but driving trucks was how he supported his family, he said.

“There were times when I didn't want to come back here,” he said. “Even though I enjoyed the work, I hated being away for so long.”

Lord's dedicated running gives him more time at home with his family – and on the water. When he's home, he finds time to fish, and he's been known to make fish fried fish and hush puppies several times a month.

His career as a fisherman prepared him to get behind the wheel of a big truck. By hauling a fishing boat in the bed of his pickup truck, he developed a basic understanding of maneuvering a big tractor-trailer, he said.

“You stay alert, pay attention to what you are doing and put what you have learned into action,” he said.

That approach has helped Lord stay safe on the road, according to Olszewski. A healthy dose of caution is beneficial, she said.

When asked if he plans to retire soon, Lord said, “I'm going to be driving for a while.”