A huge crowd completely filled the Hope and Sons chapel and poured out on to the driveway for the popular courier's funeral.
Mr Anderson (66) was killed on May 15 when his van crashed into a power pole on State Highway 8, just south of Lawrence.
"I'm overwhelmed by the number of people here," his widow, Kay Anderson, said.
Mr Anderson had loved his job of 17 years at New Zealand Couriers and had averaged 750km a day on his regular Dunedin-to-Queenstown run.
"It seems ironic that he should be taken from us doing something he loved so much," Mrs Anderson said.
Mr Anderson, or "Big Gav", as many referred to him, was recalled as a "steak, eggs and chips kind of man" for whom "salad was for rabbits".
He was also remembered as a man who was passionate about his family, work, driving, trucks, steam trains, classical music, travelling, cryptic crosswords and the Green Island Rugby Club.
Red-eyed and emotional New Zealand Couriers employees formed a guard of honour as his casket was placed in his old van, emblazoned with "Gavin Anderson, Dunedin" on the doors.
Police halted other traffic as a cortege of 16 red and yellow New Zealand Couriers vans followed their late colleague along Anderson Bay Rd to the Dunedin crematorium.
