Any driver that safely reaches the milestone of a million or more miles has accomplished something amazing. Percell Bowser, who recently crossed the 2-million-mile threshold, put his own unique stamp on the accomplishment.
Bowser, who drives for Estes Express Lines, has the distinction of having reached the impressive 2-million mark as a pickup and delivery driver — without ever taking his rig cross-country. In fact, his well-worn route rarely took him outside of the Charlotte, North Carolina area.
“I have driven some short runs on the weekend. I might go to Richmond or Atlanta,” he told The Trucker. “I’ve done that, but I’ve never been an over-the-road driver.”
Because his driving career involves shorter runs, it’s taken Percell about three decades to reach the 2-million mark. But reach it he did — and safe miles are safe miles whether accumulated in broad swaths across the country or a few hundred at a time over decades.
Bowser started his career with Estes after two years driving for a local firm, and he says he has never driven for anyone else since the day he signed on with the company. He attributes his stellar driving record to the company’s firms, consistent drumbeat of safety first.
“The thing the company really, really stresses is safety,” he said. “We have regular training on safety where it’s reinforced over and over in us about being safe and things to watch out for, that sort of thing. That was instilled in me from Day 1 and it’s what brought me this far.”
When asked whether his routes around the Charlotte metro area have grown “stale” during his three decades with Estes, Percell said the answer is definitely “no,” noting that the view from the driver’s seat has changed considerably as the city has grown over that time span.
With that growth has come several changes, including the amount and hazards of increased traffic.
“Well, you know, Charlotte’s done a lot of growing over the years,” he said. “We are a big ‘hustle-and-bustle’ city now, and everybody seems to be in a rush. People get a little impatient when they’re trying to get somewhere, and you have to watch out.
“And the cellphone? Oh my gosh, the cellphone!” he continued. “I hope we can do something about that, because that’s really dangerous. I’ve seen a lot of people talking on that phone and driving.”
Now, at age 57, Bowser said he finds a lot of satisfaction in his chosen career.
“You know, trucking is really rewarding,” he said. “It’s really fulfilling to me because it’s an important service that (the trucking industry does) for the country. It’s like the lifeblood of a body, you know — without it everything else shuts down. Every day, I feel like I’m doing something beneficial.”
Bowser also gives technology its due for making things safer on the road. Unlike some longtime drivers, he doesn’t necessarily pine for the “good old days”; he says he appreciates the value of new technology.
“The technology definitely has some good things to it, like lane assist and (preventing) tailgating and things of such nature,” he said. “Some people — even truckers — they get to following a little too close sometimes. That feature will keep them from doing those bad habits. So yeah, it’s been a beneficial thing, and I think it’s headed in the right direction.”
Because of his dedication to safety and excellent record, Estes has drawn on Bowser’s expertise to help others in the company, enlisting him as a driver trainer in the past.
“The most important thing I tried to teach other drivers about being safe was not to get into a rush, be patient,” he said. “Patience is a big thing I stressed because it doesn’t take about a second for something to go wrong when you’re rushing.”
What about retirement? Well, Bowser sees that as a step to be taken slowly and patiently as well. For now, he says, he loves driving.
“Whatever God sends me, you know?” he said. “As long as I’m in good health I just want to keep going as long as I can.”
Dwain Hebda is a freelance journalist, author, editor and storyteller in Little Rock, Arkansas. In addition to The Trucker, his work appears in more than 35 publications across multiple states each year. Hebda’s writing has been awarded by the Society of Professional Journalists and a Finalist in Best Of Arkansas rankings by AY Magazine. He is president of Ya!Mule Wordsmiths, which provides editorial services to publications and companies.
