Meijer Truck Driver Tom Meyer is careful not to “toot his own horn” when friends call and tell him they think they saw him on TV.
That humor and humility may be one of the reasons he was chosen for the role. Meaning his friends are right; he is indeed the person guest starring across their screens – literally – tooting his horn for a young child from the cab of his semi-truck.
“I was relieved because I didn’t have to act,” he said of the key moment in our latest TV commercial. “Cars pass us all the time and stay on our side until we respond, so my role was really second nature.”
Tom is the latest of a handful of Meijer team members featured this year in TV commercials that are running across the Midwest.
The commercial Tom is featured in focuses on sustainability and shares an on-the-road experience common to 400 Meijer drivers who deliver truckloads of groceries and merchandise to stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. Driving more than 70 million miles each year, our drivers wave and occasionally toot their horns for countless passing children.
While he’s worked with Meijer for 43 years in stores and warehouses, Tom admits he didn’t know what to expect with his commercial appearance. He spent more than three hours filming, dutifully followed the crew’s direction, driving back and forth to make sure they had what they needed.
Careful to the end, Tom assured not every request for the horn is granted on a normal day. Being aware of his surroundings is a key part of his job. Busy roads or situations that will startle other drivers are not the time to risk safety.
“Any one of the drivers I work with could have done the same thing (in the commercial), but it was me this time,” he said.
“The best part of our day is looking down and seeing a child giving us that look. When my friends call and ask if it was me, I tell them getting to blow that air horn all day long is an experience I won’t forget.”