MORGANTOWN —After more than four decades as a United Parcel Service driver, Tom Howes is heading into retirement, but his dedication will not be forgotten.
“I feel like a football coach that’s losing their all-star quarterback,” said Tryston Kessler, Tom’s supervisor.
His career with UPS began when he was 19. In his first position, Tom worked between the early hours of 3:30-8:30 a.m. each day as a delivery truck loader. He said that was back when UPS only delivered to addresses in the United States.
A few years passed, and he was promoted to a full-time position as a delivery and pickup driver. From there, he began delivering wherever he was needed, covering Harrison, Taylor, Marion, Monongalia and Preston counties.
Over the years, Tom was often on his route during times of historical tragedies and events. For many of those moments, he remembers exactly where he was.
“Looking back, there are certain days that stand out to me in my memory,” Tom said. “Like where I was delivering on the day President Reagan was shot, the space shuttle exploded or on 9/11.”
As a driver, Tom recalls braving many storms.
The worst winter he remembers was around 2010 or 2011. The snow in Morgantown was deep, but it was worse in Preston County. Carports, garages, barns and other structures had collapsed from the weight of the snow.
As plow trucks were being driven nonstop, he said he delivered many roof rakes, tire chains and snow blower parts that winter. It became common for state road workers to call him directly, in hopes of getting the parts they needed as soon as possible to keep the roads clear.
When Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012, he remembers how heavily it rained while he was delivering. As his truck climbed higher in elevation, the rain quickly turned to slush. Fallen trees began to litter and block the roadways, but he continued on his route.
“The leaves were still on the trees and the wet snow was causing them to snap, which sounded like rifle shots,” he said.
Most importantly, Tom remembers the people who were there to help him when he needed them most. When the weather was rough, it was common for people on his route to offer him a warm place to stay. If his truck was stuck in a snowbank, he knew those same people were just one call away.
His career had no lack of mishaps as well.
In an attempt to surprise him for his birthday, Tom’s wife, Connie Howes, shipped his gift to her parents’ house for safekeeping. Unfortunately for Connie, Tom was going off his normal route that same day, since another driver had taken the day off.
“She stopped over at her parents’ house after work, and here I pull up to deliver to her parents’ house, because I had the package my wife had ordered,” he said. “It just ruined her surprise.”
Since taking on his first position at UPS, Tom has seen the company evolve into what it is today.
As a truck loader, he had to memorize charts instructing him how to reload each truck. When he first started his career as a driver, he had a clipboard in hand where he wrote down deliveries and collected signatures. Every truck at that time was standard shift.
When he began rural routes, country stores were a wealth of information when it came to directions. Today, many of those previous systems are now digitized, GPS systems guide drivers and the number of packages delivered each day has grown exponentially, due to online shopping.
Delivering packages day in and day out has allowed Tom to get to know the people on his route. He said what someone ordered often reveals their hobbies, interests and what is going on in their life.
Although Tom will miss getting to know the people on his routes, he is looking forward to enjoying many of the hobbies he has had little time for, including going to the gym with his wife and skiing.
“I would like to thank all of the people who have shown their kindness and appreciation to me for getting their deliveries to them,” he said. “My one regret is that I never won the lottery, because every rough road that I went up, I would tell the people when I win the lottery, I am going to pave your road.”
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