It’s been 46 years since David Fiveash started his railroading career, and in that time, he’s never once completed a job application.

His introduction to railroading began in 1980, when Fiveash’s friend who worked for a short line called Mississippi Export Railroad asked if he’d like to come in for an interview. Fiveash was attending community college at the time, but he decided to take the 30-minute drive to learn more. He was hired on the spot.

He said, “I started as a general clerk, helping correct interline settlements. Back then everything was manual, using a typewriter or writing by hand, and the waybill physically moved with the train.” 

Since then, Fiveash has built his career on relationships, rather than rely on job applications. As a result, he’s done a little bit of everything from accounting to customer service and sales, working for the Gulf and Mississippi Railroad, MidSouth Rail Corporation, Kansas City Southern (KCS), CPKC, and finally Watco.

For 30 years at the KCS, he served customers across his sales territory in the South, including at short lines that later became known as Watco’s five-pack: the Alabama Southern, Mississippi Southern, Vicksburg Southern, Louisiana Southern, and Arkansas Southern railroads.

Between CPKC and Watco, Fiveash earned a brief but well-earned retirement that lasted all of 25 days. When he joined Watco, he returned to serving customers on the five-pack rail sites. 

He’s been an instrumental part of the Watco team according to Cody Gilliland, vice president of sales and marketing.

“From the very start, David was a natural fit for Watco,” Gilliland said. “His experience, knowledge, and positivity set him apart. Over the past two years, he’s been a great teammate to lean on and learn from.”  

Vice President of Sales and Marketing Brett Jensen agrees. He’s worked with Fiveash at both KCS and Watco. He said: “David’s institutional knowledge is second to none. But he’s also collaborative. If there’s a problem, he’s the first to find a solution. All of these traits combined make him an irreplaceable team member.” 

Now after two years at Watco, Fiveash has decided to retire for good. He looks forward to golfing more and traveling with his wife Sharon.   

“I’ve enjoyed my time at Watco,” Fiveash said. “I’m going to miss my teammates, but I’m only a phone call away.”