San Leandro postal carrier Dante Zamora was shocked to realize he had worked for the U.S. Postal Service for more than 30 years.

“I didn’t even know it’s been that long,” said Zamora. “Life goes by fast.”

Zamora, 55, is among 22 Bay-Valley District postal carriers who have been employed by the USPS for 30 or more years and have driven more than a million accident-free miles while on the job. They will be honored at the 13th Annual Million Mile Club awards ceremony today.

After serving with the 82nd Airborne from 1975-1979 in Fort Bragg, N.C., Zamora returned to California to pursue an education in electronic engineering at City College of San Francisco. It was during that time that an Army buddy told Zamora to take the postal entrance exam. Zamora passed the test and was faced with a choice: continue working at a gas station for $2 an hour and finish his last college course or move to the USPS for $8 an hour.

“I knew I would have a job for life with the postal service and if I passed I would never get back in,” he said. “I decided to try it out to see if I liked it.”

Now in his 31st year with the postal service, Zamora lives in Fremont with his wife and the couple has four daughters. He works a typical workday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. He delivers to more than 300 business routes and spends about an hour of his day delivering to residents. Zamora has driven the same route since 1988, building lasting relationships through the years.

“My customers are like a family to me,” Zamora said. “I love this job – I’m not kidding.”

When it comes to driving, Zamora said the most challenging time is when the truck windows are fogging up. He will wipe down the inside windows as needed to increase visibility because you’ve “got to be careful.”

Over the past 13 years, 248 postal drivers have received the Million Mile Club award. According to the National Safety Council, it takes approximately 30 years to accumulate one million miles. Today’s ceremony will take place at the Oakland Processing and Distribution Center at 1675 7th Street in Oakland from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room 229-W.

“Our drivers are the safest in the world, and these 22 drivers are the best of the best,” said Bay-Valley District Manager Kim Fernandez in a press release issued this week.

Despite driving more than a million miles on the job, Zamora still wants to be the one behind the wheel when he’s off-duty.

“I don’t let anyone drive,” he said.

13th Annual Million Mile Club Award List

Ronald Brooks – Brentwood

James Blickenstaff – Danville

Isagani F. Cuevas – Eastmont (Oakland)

Mark Bartholomew – Emeryville

Mary Superlario, Efren Ramirez, Percito Sanchez, Wesley Wong, Dwight Cariel –

Hayward

Celia Ramirez – Hollister

Francisco Mendoza – Los Gatos

Robert Gibson – Milpitas

Mark Duncan, Richard Jardine – Moraga

John Sanchez – Morgan Hill

Byung Yoon – North Oakland

Michael Andrews – Salinas Bataan

Gerald Ventura – Salinas Main

Dennis Carroll, Yvonne Wellwood – San Jose/Berryessa

Dante Zamora – San Leandro

Julius Gonzales – Vallejo