Sue McDaniel loves her job. But, before the lifelong Robertsdale resident gets behind the wheel of her big brown truck to do her run in Elberta and Lillian, scores of people are busy at the Robertsdale United Parcel Service facility, unloading tractor trailers and airplane packs of boxes and loading up her truck.

But, most customers are just glad to see McDaniel, her infectious grin shining over their shipment of cartons.

“Sometimes people who get something from eBay, QVC or the Home Shopping Network will show me what they got,” said McDaniel. “I take a quick peek, but I really can’t stop.”

McDaniel, who along with her husband William, are the parents of Shelbie McDaniel and Dusty McDaniel. Dusty’s wife, Jan, is expecting the elder McDaniels' first grandchild at the end of August. Sue hopes to retire from the company in about two and a half years.

Last March, McDaniel received the UPS Circle of Honor award for being a UPS driver to go 25 years without an accident.

“This is quite an honor,” said Jennifer Jones, a spokesperson for UPS. “”She was the only woman this year, and only one of three females to get the award since 1967.”

McDaniel, the first female driver in Baldwin County, had a short delay getting to that honor.

“I backed over a mailbox when I first started,” admitted McDaniel with more than a little embarrassment.

Maneuvering that big boxy brown truck over a variety of roads and in all sorts of traffic can be tricky, but McDaniel says that UPS trains all its drivers rigorously, and is a, “very safety oriented company. You are trained correctly, and they have all sorts of safety habits.”

McDaniel, daughter of Carl and Barbara Ellison, “grew up on a farm with four brothers,” so dealing with the rigors of delivering packages in all sorts of weather is second nature to her.

“I love this job, I love being outside,” said McDaniel, “I like taking people their packages.”

McDaniel added that she (and other UPS drivers) fill large water jugs with ice and water at the facility and she probably goes through a gallon or more of water each day. Regular customers make it a point to stock her favorite soft drinks (iced tea and Diet Coke) in places McDaniel can get to on her route.

“You sometimes get hot, and I am glad I have a fan installed in my truck, but if you keep moving, it’s not so bad,” said McDaniel. “They wanted me to go into management, but I’d much rather stay on the road.”

McDaniel says she is the only female full-time driver out of about 35 in Robertsdale, and she wishes more women would consider driving as a career. She added there was a little teasing at first, but “it was not too bad.”

“I feel I do my job as well as any guy, and the people on my route are very good to me,” said McDaniel.

While the maximum weight for a package has gone to 150 pounds, McDaniel says she has no problem asking other employees for help, and helping in return so no one gets hurt.

“The guys have always respected me, and are good to me” said McDaniel. “I wish more women would consider this career.”

Sometimes, because of her age and her motherly demeanor, McDaniel finds other younger employees coming to her for advice.

“Sometimes, they just want to discuss something with an older woman,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel recalls that on her 40th birthday, her customers had signs congratulating her up along her route.

“They are always looking after me,” she said. “I was stopped on the side of the road the other day, and they kept coming by asking if they could help, or if I could go someplace cool.”

McDaniel had to stay with her disabled vehicle, but knowing her customers cared enough to inquire after her welfare was heartwarming.

Still, starting her career, especially when her children were small was difficult.

“Running a family and doing this was a challenge,” McDaniel said. “You didn’t have a cell phone then, so keeping in touch was hard. My son would be sick and I would be over in Lake Forest (in Spanish Fort, her route then). I would go home and cry, but my husband kept telling me I could do it.”

McDaniel has had a few unsettling experiences during her career.

“I have been nipped (by dogs) a few times, nothing too bad, just little nips,” said McDaniel. Once a snake (she thinks it was a black snake) crawled up the middle of the truck. It’s head was right in front of the radiator. Gawd, that was horrible.”

Her customers have given her a few turns as well.

“I have had customers in various states of undress,” said the unflappable McDaniel. “One guy was lying nude, face down on a lawn chair. I told him not to get up, thank you. He didn’t, thank God. But you are not going to scare or impress me.”

She relishes getting glimpses of places most of us don’t get to see.

“I go places in banks, the Post Office and restaurants that most don’t get to go,’ said McDaniel.

McDaniel enjoys helping out her customers. One of the most common situations is a customer asking her to keep her eyes open for lost dogs. She has found several.

“One time, I spotted a dog lying in the road three miles away from home,” said McDaniel. “I told the owners about it, and I know they went and got their dog.”

In fact, her own dog, a Jack Russell terrier named Wishbone, came from one of her customers.

“They told me they had puppies, and I went to see them after work,” said McDaniel. “I just came home with him.”

While enthusiastic, McDaniel has one peeve she shares with rescue workers — people not making their house numbers visible.

“I tell people all the time that I hope an ambulance does not have to come here,” said McDaniel.

But, overall, McDaniel loves the people and her work.

“I do my best to deliver every package every day,” said McDaniel.