As a fleet safety specialist, Donald is responsible for the safety of the truck drivers in our Publix fleet. He reviews applicants, gives new-driver orientations, leads refresher training sessions, performs audits to ensure that drivers are in compliance with regulations, and investigates any safety incidents that may occur. If a truck has been involved in a crash, he and his team photograph damage, request necessary inspections, and get equipment repaired as soon as possible. At times, he is on call 24–7 in case of an after-hours incident.

Most of Donald’s day is typically spent on a computer—entering data, pulling video footage, and investigating safety-related events. The first thing he does when he comes in is check his email for urgent notifications. If a truck has experienced a safety incident overnight, he needs to know about it! But he also makes time frequently to converse with drivers about safety issues such as road closures and detours. “Drivers are our best source of information about what is going on daily on our roads,” he says.

Donald started at Publix in November 1997. He held a series of warehouse jobs including selector, motor driver, inventory control coordinator, order checker, and supervisor. He was a truck driver for 16 years, 10 of which were spent as a driver trainer. He has been in his current role for the past 4 years. “Someone in charge of driver safety should know what it is like to be a driver,” he says. “That experience helped lead to my current position.”

Prior to his time at Publix, Donald served in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he learned the importance of teamwork, resilience, and leadership. He describes these qualities as necessary to the work he does today, and notes that teamwork is characteristic of Publix culture as well. The camaraderie is one of the things he likes best about his role.

Recently, Donald’s daughter gave birth to his first grandchild. “My favorite thing in the world now is being Pop Pop,” he says. In addition to spending time with his family, Donald enjoys camping and woodworking. His personal philosophy is, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”