5 Million MILES of safe driving
Greeno has been a long-distance driver for the company since 1982
A Loveland resident reached an international first Wednesday, becoming the first Walmart truck driver to travel 5 million accident-free miles.
Warren Greeno, who grew up in northeastern Nebraska, said he began driving for Walmart in 1982 in Texas. When the company opened its Loveland distribution center at 7500 E. Crossroads Blvd. in 1990, he moved to Colorado and has been working there since.
On Wednesday, Warren drove a truck into the distribution center in east Loveland to celebrate reaching this milestone.
“It has been great over the years,” Greeno said. “They treat me real well, provide some good equipment. It is easy, the simplicity of hauling a truck. … We don’t have to handle any freight; just drop and hook. It is just a matter of driving a truck.”
Warren was honored for his milestone with a police escor t and celebration as he entered the center. His family was there to fire off confetti guns, celebrate the achievement and speak about him as a person.
“He is a very respectable man,” said Ryker Greeno, Warren’s 11-year-old grandson. “Ever yone loves him, it seems like. He is ver y awesome.”
Kelly Greeno, Warren’s son, said he sees his father as a man who is dedicated to what he does and who does his job “the best way he knows how.”
“He is my role model; he is my idol, my best friend,” Kelly Greeno said. “His hard work has taught me to work hard, and I am very proud of him.”
Beth Greeno, Warren’s wife, said their family have embraced the ideals of Walmar t set out by founder Sam Walton, whom they have met.
“He is a very special man,” Beth Greeno said of her husband. “He is a wonderful father and grandfather. He is a hard worker, and he has standards that he has set for himself and his family, and that is the kind of man he is; he is a mentor.”
Warren Greeno said a great deal of his success in his career comes from the support he has received from his family over the years, par ticularly his wife.
“She has done a superb job raising the kids while I am gone. You might say I am a weekend daddy,” Warren Greeno said. “I am ver y blessed. It takes a special woman to be a truck driver’s wife.”
Warren Greeno’s colleagues also spoke highly of
his driving as well as his character. Rick Caylor, another Walmart driver, said he has been friends with Warren for nearly 30 years and described him as a ver y genuine person.
“He is genuine with ever yone he comes around,” Caylor said. “I have seen new drivers come into our facility … and he just takes them in. He is a very humble, honorable guy. Probably the most honorable guy I know.”
Caylor, who has been a truck driver for 41 years, said he probably has not driven 5 million miles cumulatively, let alone with one company.
“That is quite an amazing feat,” Caylor said. “It is hard to believe; it is just that big a milestone.”
For Warren Greeno, the achievement was a personal goal he set for himself after realizing a few years ago that it was obtainable. To him, a major significance of it is positively upholding the standards of Walmart.
“Naturally it is cost-effective, but a lot of it has to do with the integrity of the company and the equipment that they use,” Greeno said. “You can tell just by looking at some trucks there that they are not backed like we are. Everything we do is safety first.”
He added his job as a long-distance driver is vital, especially during the current pandemic, to keep America equipped.
“We are capable and in a situation to do that,” Warren said. “The countr y needs it, and we supply it.”
Austin Fleskes: 970-6353630, afleskes@prairiemountainm edia.com