Vancouver FedEx driver speaks to youth on safe driving

For his strong record and outspoken advocacy, this winter Outen was chosen as one of 20 professional truck drivers named a captain on America’s Road Team — the American Trucking Association’s initiative to teach young drivers about the industry and lobby for stronger safety standards. Outen’s new role could also allow him to support natural disaster relief efforts. The team often delivers food, water and other emergency supplies to survivors in the wake of hurricanes and tornadoes around the country.

Representing FedEx, Outen has spoken to thousands of high school students over the years about safe driving. He makes a point to share his father’s cautionary tale.

“It’s not only the victim who is lost or suffering, but the entire circle of family and friends who loved that person,” Outen said. “And when you think about it, I imagine the person who was driving the other car, that took my father’s life, has to also deal with that the rest of his life.”

As part of America’s Road Team, Outen will tour the U.S. over the next two years, continuing to reach out to students at high schools and colleges about responsible driving. But he’s already finding more opportunities to connect with lawmakers to push for improved safety standards and infrastructure upgrades.

In February, Outen gave a presentation in Salem to legislators and the Oregon Trucking Association. During a recent trip to Washington, D.C., Outen held a 45-minute one-on-one meeting with U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, about the trucking industry and the need to improve road conditions across Washington.

“Our roads and highways really have not expanded to increase with the amount of traffic we’ve put on them,” Outen said.

“Obviously, between Washington and Oregon, we need a bigger bridge.”

Today, about 3.5 million people work in the trucking industry across America. In Washington, the industry accounts for about one of every 18 jobs. In all, about two-thirds of the state’s manufactured tonnage is transported in trucks, according to the ATA.

But what’s changed the most in all his years on the road is the rise of distracted driving. Spending 40 or more hours on the road every week, Outen sees drivers taking their eyes from the road all the time, and he aims to teach young drivers to watch for the signs.

Outen likes to casually rattle off statistics on the matter.

Ten percent of the deaths among teens from 15 to 19 are a consequence of distracted driving, he said. And every year, more than 3,000 people die and more than 430,000 are injured in crashes involving distracted drivers across the country, he added.

“When you combine that with the congestion of the traffic, it really becomes a hazard for everybody,” he said.