Three-million-mile man ‘Stoney’ gets royal welcome at Walmart

Exiting his semi after completing the trip back to Greencastle, driver Jim Stone now has driven three million accident-free miles for Walmart.

Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE

In theory, Walmart Transportation driver Jim Stone has been to the moon and back. Six times. And without putting a dent, a ding or a scratch on his semi.

That’s three million miles driven without an accident for “Stoney.” Or the equivalent of 120 circumnavigations of the Earth.

Which is why when Stone returned to home base at the Greencastle Walmart Transportation Department about 2:30 p.m. Thursday, he was escorted by a Greencastle City Police car and welcomed home by air horns and co-workers shouting his name and waving American flags. And a hug and a kiss from wife Chela as he exited the cab of the semi.

For Stone, who hired on at Walmart on Oct. 18, 1993, it’s been a truck-driving career without a mishap.

Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE

“It’s taken 23 years, three months and one week to the day” to reach the coveted three-million-mile mark, Stone told co-workers assembled in the cafeteria for cake and congrats.

That barrier was broken the other night somewhere along the route on a run to Coldwater, Mich., Walmart Transportation Safety Manager Kevin Baker said.

But it wasn’t without some last-minute drama. Stone was 200 miles short of the three-million-mile goal when the schedule sent him to Menomonie, Wis. -- in a snowstorm.

“I was sweating bullets like I was driving,” offered Norman Nero, Walmart general transportation manager.

Stone told Nero regardless of the weather, he was sticking to his schedule and set out in the snowstorm.

Nero paced the floor, checking on the progress of his driver.

“I’d already ordered the steaks, you know,” he smiled, alluding to the T-bones that were served for the celebratory lunch Thursday.

With Jim Stone behind the wheel and co-workers saluting him, he arrives at the Greencastle Walmart Transportation facility Thursday afternoon, completing the trip that allowed him to pass the three-million-mile accident-free driving mark. Stone has driven more than 23 years for Walmart without an accident, becoming the second of the facility’s 61 drivers to do so.

Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE

But all’s well that ends well.

“I’ve still got Wisconsin snow on the front of my truck, if you want to check it out,” laughed Stone who lives just west the U.S. 40 and 231 intersection but has a Cloverdale address.

“It would have been nicer if it’d been July,” he added, admitting he “started to think about it the last couple months but I didn’t want to jinx myself.

“It’s been tense the last week or so,” he admitted.

Of the 61 drivers based at the Greencastle Transportation facility near the intersection of State Road 240 and Indianapolis Road, Stone becomes only the second to drive three million accident-free miles. Mike Allred of Greencastle previously completed that achievement on July 6, 2012 and is still driving for Walmart.

“It’s a pretty major accomplishment,” Nero noted, adding that by rough estimate a driver can log 100,000 to 150,000 miles in a typical year.

By virtue of his accomplishment in winning the Three-Million-Mile Safety Award, Stone receives a leather jacket and gets to pick out a new tractor with a bright blue cab that signifies the accident-free achievement.

Only he will drive it, and Stone gets to customize it with amenities like special seats and his choice of transmission.

“All the bells and whistles,” Nero said.

But at age 67, Stone realizes getting to the four-million-mile mark is highly unlikely.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said.

And retirement?

“That’s a good question,” he replied.