Pilot Driver Surprised with Custom Truck on 40+ Year Driving Anniversary

Professional truck driver Daniel Abshire has driven for Pilot for more than 40 years. To celebrate his 40-year anniversary and recognize his contributions, Pilot hosted a luncheon at their headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee. During the event, Pilot Company and Peterbilt surprised Daniel by presenting him with a custom Peterbilt truck that is reminiscent of the rig his father, Jim Abshire, drove during his tenure at Pilot. TMAF interviewed Daniel to learn more about his 40+ year career in trucking and this special day.

Every day, Daniel wakes up at 2 AM and is in the truck by 3 AM to deliver two loads from Roanoke, Virginia, where he lives, to Raphine, Virginia. In addition to his 300-mile a day delivery, Daniel oversees the trucks and drivers in Roanoke and Staunton, Virginia.

Daniel’s dad, Jim, the second driver ever hired by Pilot, drove for the company for over 40 years and became the company’s first lead driver. He used to take Daniel on rides in his truck as a kid.

Inspired by his dad, Daniel joined Pilot at the age of 21 and has been driving ever since. After his dad retired, Daniel assumed the role of lead driver, previously held by his father.

Daniel told TMAF that growing up, trucking was “all I ever wanted to do.”

The Peterbilt truck that Daniel was gifted was similar to the truck that he learned to drive on. Daniel said, “That’s what blew my mind — the truck looks exactly like what I was taught on!”

The custom truck was inspired by a photo of Jim with his Pilot Truck in the 1970s. Both Daniel and his dad are fans of Peterbilt trucks.

When Daniel was presented with the truck, he was left speechless. He said, “It blew my mind. I didn’t know what to say. It was so cool!”

Daniel enjoys driving his beautiful new truck, which captures the attention of fellow drivers on the road who are fascinated by the unique truck. He told TMAF, “It’s a head turner on the road…it’s like driving around in hot rod!”

When asked what Daniel loves most about the trucking industry, he said, “I like everything about it…You get to cruise around, but you’ve just got a tanker behind you,” Daniel said.

Some of the reasons he loves his job is the independence of the job and the ability to travel and see new places. He said, “You’re on your own. My office is in that cab.” Speaking about enjoying the scenery on his drive, Daniel, who lives in the mountains, said he enjoys the nature he sees and getting to watch the sunrise from behind the wheel.

Safety is a top priority for Daniel while on the road. He said he follows the advice that his dad gave him and was lucky to have learned from the best. Daniel said his dad gave him two road safety tips when he became a driver: No sudden movements and leave yourself enough space.

Daniel enjoys driving for Pilot. He said, “Pilot treats you like family.”

Over the course of his career, Daniel has driven 2.5 million miles and delivered over 200 million gallons of fuel. He has earned 9,800 Safety Days in the cab of his truck, which equals more than 26 years of safe driving.

A local television station and newspaper in Knoxville covered the event and interviewed Daniel. You can view the segment on WATE-TV here and read the Knoxville News Sentinel article here.