Trucker Life · Illinois · November 10, 2026

Illinois Truck Driver With 38 Years Takes Dot Transportation Truck 6,000

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Image caption: Illustration: AI-generated illustration, not a photo of the people, vehicles or places in this story. It shows a veteran truck driver with a duffel bag climbing into a new silver semi-truck in a reefer trailer yard.

When Dot Transportation put its 6,000th truck into service, the company handed the keys to a truck driver who has been with it for 38 years. Jim Janssen of Quincy, Illinois, took the milestone truck on its first run, the Quincy Herald-Whig reported Nov. 9.

Dot Transportation Inc. is the transportation affiliate of Dot Foods, based in Mt. Sterling, Illinois. The truck entered service Oct. 26, and the number 6,000 is displayed on its side and front.

The first run

For the truck's first trip, Janssen hauled a full truckload of food from Mt. Sterling to Kearney, Nebraska. He then went to Omaha to pick up a full load of bread and delivered it to the Dot Foods distribution center in Mt. Sterling to be frozen, the paper reports.

"I've driven a lot of trucks for Dot Transportation over the years, and it's an honor to take number 6,000 out on its first run," Janssen said.

"Six thousand trucks is a big milestone for DTI, and it's fitting to see a Hall of Fame driver behind the wheel of this one," said Duskee Kassing, the company's senior director of operations. "Jim has built his career on delivering for our customers safely and professionally."

A Hall of Fame record

Janssen was inducted into the International Foodservice Distributors Association Truck Driver Hall of Fame in 2019. The Hall of Fame honors drivers in foodservice distribution for their safety and service records. To qualify, drivers must have at least 25 years of continuous service with a member company, at least 25 years without a chargeable accident and no moving violations in the five years before nomination.

The company behind the truck

Dot Foods says it carries 130,000 products from 1,500 food industry manufacturers, making it North America's largest less-than-truckload consolidator in the food industry. Through Dot Transportation, it distributes foodservice, convenience, retail and vending products to distributors in all 50 states and more than 55 countries, the Herald-Whig reports.

The company is also hiring 25 drivers for customer delivery specialist and no-touch freight transfer positions at its Mt. Sterling headquarters, according to the paper. The regional jobs are open to candidates who live within 100 miles of the distribution center there. The company says its driver pay ranks in the top 10% of the transportation industry and that its schedules provide home time every week. Those are the company's claims.

Big Rig Daily recently covered another long career with one company, Jim Cosentino's 4 million accident-free miles with XPO.

FAQ

Who drove truck number 6,000?

Jim Janssen of Quincy, Illinois, who has driven for Dot Transportation for 38 years.

When did the truck enter service?

Oct. 26, according to the Quincy Herald-Whig.

What does the Hall of Fame require?

At least 25 years with the same member company, 25 years without a chargeable accident and no moving violations in the five years before nomination.

Do you remember the first brand-new truck you were handed the keys to?

Sources: Quincy Herald-Whig.

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