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Gov. Andy Beshear visited the main UPS global air hub Tuesday in Louisville to highlight the role Kentuckians are playing in distributing coronavirus vaccines throughout the nation to save lives and end the pandemic.

The governor, joined by leaders at UPS including David Quintilion, senior vice president of UPS Healthcare, visited Worldport Core, where millions of packages are sorted on the way to their final destinations, the freight facility and the Healthcare Command Center, where they track and monitor vaccine shipments, including the temperature and location.

UPS has played a key role in delivering all three approved COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

The company has demonstrated a near-perfect track record of on-time delivery of vaccines across the country and around the world, even in spite of inclement weather that affected large portions of the United States.

Women make history every day, but Women’s History Month provides an opportunity to focus on those remarkable achievements.

In a male dominated career, Somerville Facility Driver Patricia Clark is the first female UPS driver in the Boston area to attain 25 years of safe driving. All without a single accident. She was able to achieve this remarkable goal while driving a large commercial vehicle on busy roads and through severe weather situations.

Patricia delivers in old Boston—the historic waterfront neighborhood of Charlestown. “It has the original brownstones. Cobblestone streets designed for horse and carriage. To get to this safe driving milestone in the extremely tight, old city environment makes her accomplishment remarkable,” said Business Manager Kevin Thibert.

Patricia joined the ranks of UPS as a part-time package handler in Watertown, Massachusetts thirty years ago. She was motivated to be a driver for the job security, good health care insurance and wages. She saw mostly men working in this field, but wasn’t deterred. She knew office work wasn’t for her. She liked the idea of working outdoors and on her own.

Shares of United Parcel Service Inc. broke out to record highs Tuesday, as they soared 10.8% in afternoon trading to pace the S&P 500’s gainers, in the wake of the package delivery giant’s blow out first-quarter results. In the two weeks leading up to the earnings report, the stock had closed within a relatively narrow range of $175.81 on Monday to a record $179.71 on April 16. What helped boost UPS profit to a record was the American Rescue Plan Act that President Biden signed into law on March 11. UPS Chief Financial Officer Brian Newman said on the post-earnings conference call with analysts said that law prompted UPS to remeasure the International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ pension plan at current discount rates, “which have significantly increased since year-end,” resulting in a $6.4 billion reduction in pension liability.

Ever since I was a child, driving has been a topic that has always scared me. The accidents and crashes that I always heard about made me wary of entering a car. My fear was cemented further when at the age of seven I was involved in a car wreck alongside my mother and aunt. Thankfully, my family and I only received minor injuries, but the accident left me with an even deeper fear of driving. I carried this fear with me for most of my life and it was not until I became a part of the UPS Road Code program that I was finally able to break free from it.

As of January 2021, the novel coronavirus has infected more than 90 million people across the world. Nearly two million people have lost their lives. The quick and continuous spread of COVID-19 has crippled and closed many businesses across the world. This has resulted in a loss of employment and income. With hospitals hosting a nearly unmanageable population of patients, available resources have been declining. In order to help combat these challenges, the United Parcel Service (UPS) fights against COVID-19.

The United Parcel Service

With the recent release of coronavirus vaccines, the need for global distribution and transportation has been crucial in the effort to relieve some of the burdens of the virus. UPS, one of the world’s top courier companies, has played a large role in the transportation of crucial supplies and vaccines in the midst of such a trying time. In being just a small part of the solution, UPS fights COVID-19 in numerous efficient and productive ways.

At the most basic level, as UPS continues to serve its customers, it takes extra precautions to protect its employees. This protects consumers as well. With strict regulations to follow CDC guidelines and implementation of an emergency paid leave program for employees, UPS prioritizes health and safety for its workers and customers.