Thinking back on his early days of break dancing, Drury thought he could make the idea of weight loss through dancing relevant to the public.

"I just thought I could help people, because I think people can connect with me and my story," he said.

After entering yet another room full of women, Drury decided to get certified as a dance fitness instructor. In April 2011, he created his own dance fitness company called Big John's Dance Fitness.

Drury helps people dance off their weight through routines set to the songs of Usher, Rihanna, Flo Rida and other pop and hip-hop music he thinks people can recognize and move to. They sometimes even do the "chicken dance."

He holds hour-long classes every Saturday and Saturday starting at 9 a.m. for a fee of $5 per class. He's had as many as 30 attendees.

"I have people who can't afford it, and I'm never going to turn anyone away," he said. "I have a longing for helping people and paying it forward. I care about the people, not the dollars."

But Drury is having some financial challenges of his own. To accommodate his new lifestyle, Drury now works 50 hours a week rather than 70, and it's sometimes difficult to make ends meet. At the moment, he teaches his classes in his home because he's trying to find an affordable dance studio.

"Ultimately, my dream is to make a dance fitness DVD, because the obese public can relate to me," he said. "In these Zumba videos, there's no big people in those videos. How can the obese people relate to that?"

Open road ahead

Drury's target weight is 260 pounds. He's gained a few pounds back since he first lost the weight and now weighs in at about 315 pounds.

"It's still hard," he said. "I'm not going to sit here and say I'm perfect. ... It's still a battle for me, and everyone knows that."

Drury is now inspiring others by leading through example. Not only does he encourage his wife and sons to dance with him, but he and his wife prepare much healthier meals for the entire family.

They have replaced the French fries and fast food with baked chicken and fish. Drury no longer gets greasy meals at the truck stops; instead, he brings his food from home. He allows himself to consume up to 2,000 calories per day.

As a result of his new lifestyle, Drury has come out of his shell, his wife said. Believe it or not, he used to be a shy and reserved man.

"He has so much more drive and just ambition for life," she said. "It seems like he wants so much more out of life and he's more confident because he knows he can do it."

Drury's mission is to inspire overweight people to "just get out there and move." And despite the laughs and jokes he hears from fellow truck drivers about his passion for dance, Drury isn't hitting the brakes anytime soon.

"I can't think of a male truck driver anywhere out there doing what I'm doing," he said. "I'm breaking all the stereotypes. I'm so passionate about dance fitness. This is my calling in life."