08/27/2026
It has been a tough week here at Amhof. We have lost two of our icons. On August 22, 2026, long-time driver Bill Wailand passed away.
A young Bill Wailand started with Amhof at the age of 44 years old, but he was no rookie—he had already begun his driving career with over a million miles travelled. Bill ran all 48 states and Canada, but here at Amhof he was most famous for running the Northwest Corridor, logging over half a million miles hauling oversized freight. In total, Bill drove over 3 million miles at Amhof alone. When Bill retired in 2024, he had achieved 30 years of Safe Driving Awards.
Four years ago, we had him involved in a “mock trial” at one of our safety meetings. He was cross-examined by our attorney in an effort to prepare less experienced drivers on how to react in the event of an accident, and to prepare them for the type of questions they would be asked when they took the stand.
Our attorney battered him with questions, and Bill responded with the voice of experience. Sticking to his trademark phrase when answering each question, he would start with, “The reality is…” and give an answer that stuck straight to the facts of the accident scene.
Two days prior to Bill’s death, I was talking to our attorney about returning to Amhof to be a guest speaker at an upcoming safety meeting. He remembered Bill, asked how he was, and if he was still driving, he remarked “Bill was the essence of a good driver”.
Bill’s legacy will live on at Amhof, and the skills he shared with our drivers will live on as well.
To our extended Amhof family, Graveside services will be 2:30 PM on Thursday, September, 3, 2026 at Oakdale Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Davenport, IA.
