A Ride & Story from a Portland Trucker

Last week, I hopped into an Uber in Portland and met Dahir, my driver. He was driving an electric Kia for the first time, testing it out for a week to see if it would work for his Uber gigs. Usually, he drives a Ram 1500 truck, which was fitting when he mentioned that Uber wasn’t his full-time thing—he’s actually a truck driver for Cisco, running routes in downtown Portland. He called it “a piece of cake” after 20 years in the industry.

As we were chatting, he asked where I was from. When I said Sheridan, Wyoming, his response made me laugh: “Oh, yeah, you guys have a Papa John’s there.”  (Well..we used to, but) It was such a specific, funny detail. Turns out, Dahir didn’t just know about the Sheridan Papa John’s—he used to deliver to it. For seven years, he ran a route out of Denver, driving I-25 north to Sheridan. But what made the story even more fascinating was that he didn’t live in Denver. He lived in Portland the whole time. Papa John’s would fly him from Portland to Denver so he could run his routes before flying him back home.

It was such a unique window into the trucking world—something you wouldn’t think about unless you talk to the people who’ve lived it. Dahir’s story reminded me how essential truck drivers are, especially as he explained that his company struggled to find enough drivers in Denver, forcing them to fly him in. It made me wonder how many truckers I’ve unknowingly shared a flight with, traveling to another part of the country to keep goods moving.

Working with Ryan Bros. Trucking Inc in Thermopolis , WY has already deepened my appreciation for truckers, but this ride added a new layer. Think about it—pretty much everything around you, from the chair you’re sitting on to the coffee you’re drinking, was on a truck at some point. Sure, it might’ve been on a train or plane, too, but there’s a high chance a truck finished the journey.

So here’s to Dahir and all the truck drivers who keep things moving. Next time you grab a slice of pizza or see a semi rolling down the highway, remember that someone put in the miles to make it happen. Thanks to Dahir for the ride, the great convo, and for maybe even delivering some of the Papa John’s pizza supplies I ate years ago without realizing it.

RIP Papa John’s Sheridan

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