Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hitches a Ride in 18-Wheeler

Fans of Dale Earnhardt Jr. got a peek into life on the road in the cab of a big rig last week as the NASCAR driver tweeted about riding to the Daytona race in the passenger seat of one of the race team's haulers.

Deborah Lockridge
Deborah LockridgeEditor and Associate Publisher
Read Deborah's Posts
July 6, 2015
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hitches a Ride in 18-Wheeler

 

3 min to read


"Retired dealership service mechanic. Former backup fullback for the Mooresville Blue Devils varsity soccer team. Aspiring competition BBQ Pitmaster."

Gee, somehow Dale Earnhardt Jr forgot to mention star NASCAR race driver in the bio posted on his Twitter feed. But maybe now he'll add aspiring truck driver.

Ad Loading...

Dale Jr. fans got a peek into life on the road in the cab of a big rig last week as the NASCAR driver tweeted about riding from North Carolina to the Daytona International Speedway in the passenger seat of one of the race team's haulers, No. 88 driven by Andy Quillan, @trucker_squigz.

(In case you missed it, in the wee hours of Monday morning, Earnhardt "scored a dominating victory in the rain-delayed and crash-marred Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway," as Fox Sports put it.)

With more than a million followers on his Twitter feed, "Junior's" Twitter feed offered a positive look at trucking to a potentially huge audience. Some of these Tweets were marked as favorites by more than 1,000 fans, and hundreds retweeted them.

By all accounts he enjoyed his ride in a big rig, as you'll see in the highlights below. In fact, Monday he tweeted, "Working on @trucker_squigz for a spot in the hauler to @kansasspeedway later this season."

One fan Tweeted to Earnhardt, "If you're gonna be a super trucker you gotta establish a handle. What did u come up with?" The racer's response: "Hammerhead. My nickname as a child. Dad said I was hard headed like the head of a hammer. Imagine that."

Ad Loading...

Earnhardt starts his tweets about the trip by replying to a fan asking why he's up so "early/late," saying, "I'm @TeamHendrick climbing in the @nationwide88 hauler to ride with @trucker_squigz down to @DISupdates."

And at one point muses, "Is it me or does every song sound better in this 18 wheeler I'm rollin in?"

Some more highlights:

This is my first time riding in the truck in over 20 years. Figured I was long over due for a trip. https://t.co/PZmanFmwYt

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 2, 2015

Willie's Roadhouse on @SIRIUSXM. I've got $2 in the jukebox, and $5 dollars in a bottle....#EddieRabbittpic.twitter.com/f9Ix8KgvTW

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 2, 2015

Ad Loading...

One fan asked if he was going to take a turn driving the 18-wheeler. His response:

I do not have a CDL license to drive this hauler. And it's got 18 gears. That's 14 more than I know what to do with. https://t.co/yIGp0ZWKMz

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 2, 2015

Earnhardt had fun learning trucker terms, like "four-wheeler:"

4 wheeler on the shoulder! St. Augustine #TruckerTalk#DaytonaBoundpic.twitter.com/DthwTLSW3x

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 2, 2015

But learned the hard way that what goes in, must come out...

Ad Loading...

Made it to Darien, GA before I had to beg for a piss break. @trucker_squigz has a fridge full of @MountainDew & I mighta been overserved.

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 2, 2015

And ended the trip with a new perspective of the trucking profession:

New perspective for @trucker_squigz job. I told the 88/48 truckers I had fun. Their response: "You don't have to do it every week" #truth

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 2, 2015

Trucker Quillan, of course, being busy actually piloting the 18-wheeler and all the other aspects of the job, only posted a couple of tweets about the ride, but here's his selfie with Dale Jr.:

Had an awesome trip down with @DaleJr He learned alot and cant wait to go again #88hauler@nationwide88@DISupdatespic.twitter.com/sKStboTrtk

— Andy Quillan (@trucker_squigz) July 2, 2015

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More Blogposts

TMC 2025 Takeaway 2: Buy... or Subscribe?

TaaS. Does that mean trucks as a service, trailers as a service, or tires as a service? HDT's Deborah Lockridge has another takeaway from the Technology & Maintenance Council meeting in her blog.

Read More →
Red Cummins X15 powertrain display at TMC

TMC 2025 Takeaway: The Journey Toward Vertical Integration

HDT's Deborah Lockridge on how the trucking industry has moved toward "vertical integration" over the past 25 years.

Read More →
Girl Scouts at Touch a Truck event

Trucks Are For Girls!

HDT Editor and Associate Publisher Deborah Lockridge is a longtime Girl Scout leader and loves to connect her passion for inspiring girls with her love of the trucking industry.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
All That's Truckingby Deborah LockridgeOctober 29, 2024

Trucking Advocacy: Impact Beyond the 2024 Elections

No matter who wins the election, trucking continues to work to educate the people who pass the laws and make the rules that affect the industry. HDT's Deborah Lockridge shares insights from two major trucking associations in her All That's Trucking blog.

Read More →
View of Gulf of Mexico from under beach umbrella
All That's Truckingby Deborah LockridgeAugust 22, 2024

Recharge Your Brain for Better Business

Skimping on vacation may be the worst thing you can do for your business, your career, and your mental health. In her All That's Trucking blog, Deborah Lockridge writes about the importance of giving your brain what it needs to be innovative.

Read More →
kitten caught between two truck tire wheels

Trucker Pre-Trip Leads to Mission 'Im-paw-sible'

See what happened when a truck driver found an unexpected stowaway during his pre-trip inspection.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
All That's Truckingby Deborah LockridgeDecember 28, 2023

HDT Editor: 2023's Most Important Trucking Topics

Read Deborah Lockridge's picks for the most significant stories we covered at HDT in 2023: freight recession, zero-emission trucks, drivers and marijuana, and more.

Read More →
All That's Truckingby Deborah LockridgeOctober 31, 2023

3 Takeaways from ATA's 2023 Management Conference

HDT's Deborah Lockridge talks about key themes that emerged during sessions, conversations, and on the show floor during the American Trucking Associations' annual management conference.

Read More →
All That's Truckingby Deborah LockridgeSeptember 22, 2023

An Update on Spencer Patton's Battle with FedEx Ground

In her All That's Trucking blog, Deborah Lockridge shares a follow-up to last year's story about a FedEx Ground contractor who was very publicly challenging the company about alleged unfair treatment of its contractors.

Read More →
Ad Loading...

Girl Scouts Rock the Supply Chain

Curiosity about how Girl Scout cookies get from the factory to the customer drove the development of a supply patch program. HDT's Deborah Lockridge, a Girl Scout herself, writes about it in her All That's Trucking blog.

Read More →