American Victor Shepherd has now covered 1,600,000 kilometers in a Toyota Tundra for the second time. This time with a 2014 model.
Victor Shepherd has reached a significant milestone in a Toyota Tundra. His 2014 Toyota Tundra pickup truck has just passed 1 million miles. That's the equivalent of 1,600,000 kilometers.
As if that's not remarkable enough, this is the second time Victor has achieved that distance in a Tundra.
Shepherd lives in the United States. He works as a self-employed driver. His job involves long hours and long distances on the road. That's why a durable car is important to him.
A few years ago, he covered the same distance in an older Tundra. That car was a 2007 Toyota Tundra. Here too, Shepherd covered 1.6 million kilometers, because it was time for a new car.
When the first Tundra reached that high mileage, Toyota responded. The automaker contacted Shepherd directly.
They offered him an interesting trade for what was, in some people's eyes, just a short pickup truck.
Shepherd was able to trade in his old 2007 Tundra for a brand new 2016 Tundra. It was an offer he chose to accept, giving him a brand new pickup truck from Toyota.
Toyota Tundra and its bulletproof reliability
Surprisingly, the new 2016 Tundra didn't become his primary work vehicle. Shepherd already had another Tundra ready. He had already purchased a 2014 Tundra to replace the old one.
The plan was for the 2014 Tundra to take over if the 2007 model failed. So he continued to use the 14-year-old in daily use. The new 2016 Tundra was used privately instead.
The first Tundra from 2007 proved to be very robust. It still had its original engine and transmission when it was replaced with the seven-year-old car. According to The Drive, it didn't need anything more than a routine service.
The story is a bit different for the 2014 Tundra, however. It has needed more than just routine maintenance. Along the way, things like the transmission have failed.
Despite the problems with the newer model, Victor Shepherd still has full faith in Toyota. At least if you ask him in front of a rolling camera.
– I think if you see a Toyota stranded on the side of the road, it's a scam. Those cars don't break down… very often.
The carousel monster in Victor's Tundra
Shepherd's driving needs are high. He usually drives about 16,000 kilometers a month. That adds up to a lot of kilometers in a year.
With the first Tundra, his annual mileage was around 140,000 kilometers, which is evidence of a job that can only be done over very long distances.
However, the past year has been less busy. The workload was lower than usual for Shepherd, which is why it took a little longer to reach the latest milestone.
Back in December 2023, the odometer showed 900,000 miles. But because 2024 was a worse year in terms of jobs, it is only now that the newer pickup has passed the million mark.
Victor Shepherd's story of two Toyota Tundras, both with over 1,600,000 kilometers on the clock, is unusual. But it's no more unusual than others having done exactly the same thing.
Million Mile Joe, for example, got his nickname when he drove extremely long distances in his Honda Accord. And even though Joe is gone today, the Honda lives on. Read more about it here .
