Since he was a kid, Danny Moore’s dream has been to drive a semi and serve his community with their trucking needs.
The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner
Since he was a kid, Danny Moore’s dream has been to drive a semi and serve his community with their trucking needs.
Today, still young and single, Danny of Stronghurst, is turning heads at age 31, and living his dream.
Shortly after graduating from West Central High School in 2012, he began working full time as a dispatcher for the Henderson County Sheriff’s office and shortly after, was sworn in as a full time deputy. He also worked part time as a Stronghurst Deputy and by the age of 19 in 2014, Danny was able to purchase his first semi, hire a driver, and start his own trucking business out of his home in Stronghurst.
Danny was probably one of the youngest in the Midwest to own his own trucking company at the time. In most states you have to be 18 to get your Commercial Drivers License to drive a semi. When Danny turned 18, he got his CDL, so he was able to drive his semi during the day as he was hired on to work night shifts at the Sheriff’s office.
Soon after Danny started his business, his dad, “Ray,” who owned his own semi, began working for Danny.
“When I was little, I would anxiously await my dad’s arrival home from his week-long haul of semi-driving across the USA. Dad would be home for two days and I would spend as much time as possible with him and help him take care of his semi,” Danny said. “At least I thought I was helping him,” he laughed.
Danny remembers at age 8, wanting to be a semi-driver someday, owning his own semi just like his dad. In fact, his parents gave him a cake that year with a semi and “Danny’s Trucking” inscribed on it.
His dad was his idol. Danny listened to his stories of travel as he helped him wash and maintain his semi. In the summers he would travel with his dad, and together they had traveled every state in the United States by the time Danny was 8 years old.
Now at age 31, Danny, in ten short years, has grown into a prosperous trucking business, from one semi to a fleet of 14 semis, 30 trailers, a service truck, and staff of 22 employees while forming three companies: D. A. MOORE TRUCKING, LLC., D.A. MOORE TRUCK SERVICE, WATCHMAN COMPLIANCE PARTNERS.
The latter is a safety consultant business for truckers where Danny helps businesses stay in compliance with the many federal and state laws, taxes, and obligations, and helps them with forming LLC’s, companies, etc.. He points out things they might be overlooking to help them avoid fines, talks of insurance costs, and downtime, looking over their records, answering questions, giving training updates as laws change, etc.
Around 20 percent of a trucking company’s expense is maintenance with one of the biggest breakdowns on the road like coolant breaks, etc., so soon, Danny found the need for a service truck to maintain his equipment, and to be more efficient. It took a year to build a clientele, mostly by word of mouth, he said.
Seeing the same need for others, Danny started his second company in July 2021:
D.A. Moore Truck Service, a full service semi truck and trailer repair company to help others.
The new company did service repairs for the highway department, school district, fire district, local truckers, elevators, farmers, oil companies, small trucks, as well as custom fabrications and welding. They’ve even worked on a few cars.
The service truck wasn’t enough so Danny worked out a leasing deal for a large plot of land along highway 94 south of the US 34 overpass, and in March of 2022, began construction on a 200’ x 80’ building. The large building houses a large reception area, a large office for Danny with a glass window that looks into the shop area, and a shop that can service as many as 8 semis at a time.
Danny hired technicians from nearby communities with a Facebook post such as the following:
Seeking applicants for a full time Professional Truck Driver or Owner Operator, hauling refrigerated products throughout all 48 contiguous states. Applicant must be dedicated, a self starter, and safety minded.
During the Quill interview Friday, at Danny's shop, technicians were busy doing service work on several local independent truckers’ semis.
“He always shows up and delivers the load he is asked to do,” Danny said. “It’s like the old saying about the mailman,”
‘Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Danny said his Dad was like that. Even through the toughest of times, 911, making food delivers, even through the COVID-19 pandemic, “Dad was there. Even when he caught COVID and had to stop several times along the route, he got the job done.”
“My dad also said, never ask someone to do something, you wouldn’t do yourself. I try to do that,” Danny said. A lot of my family members work here, but all my employees become family to me.”
Danny, sole owner, President, and CEO, doesn’t see himself as an executive on a higher level than others. He expressed they are partners in work and service, “we are family”, extending kindness, a helping hand, a listening ear when needed. Together, we make things happen, serving the customer, and meeting the needs of the community.”
At 19, after purchasing his first semi, Danny began hauling grain and livestock, and soon it involved into hauling refrigerated foods from meat processing plants from coast to coast returning with fresh produce. He’s hauled just about everything and acquired a dedicated line from Winegard Co. for delivering their tech products.
Danny gives credit for his success to Deb Winters of rural Stronghurst who worked in management for a company in West Burlington, IA.
“Deb was a key role in my trucking growth”, Danny said, “because she gave me a chance (at my young age) with my first contract that led me to expand. I’ll be forever grateful!”
“I grew up in this community. They have done a lot for me. I care about the community, and I want to give back however I can,” Danny said.
“I’ve seen the entire United States, from the Statue of Liberty, to the White House, to the Apple orchards of Washington, and from California to Miami, and both oceans, but I have never found myself wanting to be anywhere else but here,” Danny said.
“From the ‘90s to to the 2000’s I had watched with dad, everything, from seas to shining sea, just like the song,” he said.
Danny was baptized in the Christian Church on November 25th, the day after his 31st birthday where he attends Sunday church and attends a monthly morning breakfast and Bible study. He is a volunteer fireman on the MST Fire Dept. in Stronghurst, has served on the Henderson County Ambulance as a first responder, is an FFA Alumnus involved in West Central FFA fundraisers, tractor pulls, auctions, etc., he’s a certified police officer helping at the county fair’s July concert, or responding whenever called upon, such as a recent runaway child, which he found.
There is a lot of stress in starting a company, Danny admits, but trucking is a necessity to move every product.
“There is nothing in our households or businesses that hasn’t been trucked to a destination at some point. It’s a lifestyle I feel at home with. I enjoy working with family and co-workers who become family too. It’s a good feeling that makes my job not feel like work but a privilege.”
He’s a patriot and says, “It’s an honor to serve God, my family, and my community, and to be able to give back.”
Danny’s grandparents were Bob and Lucille Lauver. His parents arae Raymond Moore and Peggy Pulse Moore, and live in their homestead now, a couple miles south of Stronghurst where Danny grew up. Besides his dad, Raymond, Danny has a niece, two siblings and from time to time, other family members who come in to work with him. "I’m so thankful for them and for the family values we share."
Danny has met a lot of challenges for a young man. There are upstart fees, LLC costs, up front cost for diesel fuel, high expense of insurance, leasing and building costs, utilities, and payroll for a growing staff, and the purchase of 14 semis and 30 trailers, plus the fact there is usually a 30-day wait for payment for the deliveries made along with keeping a busy calendar going so that semi’s and drivers are always moving.
His current businesses are located at 1341 State Highway 94 Biggsville serving D.A. Moore Trucking, LLC, D.A. Moore Truck Service, as well as Watchman Compliance Partners”….
“I’ve been blessed with many dedicated customers from the beginning,” Danny said. “We look forward to growing with our customers and hope to serve customers of Henderson County and the surrounding areas even better in 2025! I’m thankful for the support and trust the community has given me!”