To celebrate National Driver Appreciation Week, Pilot is tapping musicians and professional athletes “that hold pro drivers near and dear to their hearts to share messages of support and appreciation.”
One of those highlighted is Muscadine Bloodline, a country and Americana group with 3.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, according to Pilot. The band is currently touring with Post Malone, and “is showing their appreciation for pro drivers and life on the road by helping promote Pilot's Road Warrior contest on Instagram.”
"We're excited to announce we're going to be a part of the Pilot Road Warrior contest which recognizes truckers all across the country who get us gig to gig and back home to our friends, families, week in and week out. We just want to extend our deepest gratitude to you guys for laying it on the line for us, staying awake for so many hours, keeping us safe week to week," Muscadine Bloodline said in the Pilot video.
Sammy Smith, the Pilot-sponsored NASCAR driver, is also joining the celebration. According to Pilot, Smith will be sporting a Driver Appreciation-themed vehicle wrap this week at Bristol Motor Speedway. The vehicle will feature a "How's my driving?" phone number fans can call to leave Sammy a voicemail for a chance to win a soon-to-be-announced prize.
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is also participating. The baseball player “has a special celebration named the ‘Buck Truck’ where he pulls the trucker horn while he rounds the bases after a homerun—a celebration that pays tribute to his father, who is a professional truck driver.”
"As a kid, I used to wait for my dad to get home, and when I saw his truck or heard his truck coming down the road, I would always pump my arm up and down like this until he sounded the horn. I call it the 'Buck Truck' and still to this day, after I get a big hit or a big play, it’s a tribute to my dad that really means a lot to me. My dad is a Road Warrior because he was a trucker and if I wasn't a baseball player, I'd be a truck driver too," Buxton said in the Pilot video.