Driver Lifestyles
Riding with Fido
According to recent statistics, an astounding 65% of all U.S. households have at least one pet.
Research has shown that having a pet reduces stress, but I personally have never known a stressed expediter, so who needs a dog?
Seriously though, with the amount of worry and tension most professional drivers face, it's no wonder that about one in five owner-operators and drivers go riding with Fido.
I have to be upfront and admit that I never had a pet during my expediting days. Sure, running single was, at times, a lonely life, but in addition to being lonely, I'm also very lazy.
Many times I considered getting a dog, especially when I saw other expediters/truckers with their pets and the companionship they seemed to enjoy. But, I also thought about having to leave the truck on a rainy night to walk the pooch and attend to the various needs of a canine.
So, I began thinking maybe I should get a cat - you know - they're independent, they more or less take care of themselves and are not as high maintenance as a dog.
Well, I remembered cats I had owned before and remembered the litter box, the fur balls they left behind and the fact that a kitty-cat doesn't really intimidate most truck burglars.
I continued down my mental list of potential "co-drivers" until I found what at first seemed to be the perfect pet. It didn't need to be walked or scooped, it was cheap to feed and it didn't take up much room. I didn't act on my idea, however. After more thought, I decided there wouldn't be a lot of love and companionship from a turtle.
Well, many years later, I've finally gotten a pet. It's a little female mixed-breed terrier from the local shelter that we named Greta.
Though still a puppy at 7 months old, she's a cute mutt and a vigilant watch dog - but not much of a guard dog. She'll yap at most anything that moves, but if a stranger comes in through the door, she'll try to lick them into submission.
She provides us with good company and unconditional love, so I can well understand the appeal of having a four-legged driving partner to help you through the miles.
For the professional driver, the top animal on the list is a dog. Even a little dog can raise enough noise to discourage that truck burglar or "professional" company. They can also act as an alarm clock for those early morning get-ups.
With all the friendship that we've gotten from Greta being part of the family, I wish now that I had gotten off my butt all those years ago and taken a dog on the road with me. I could have enjoyed it's friendship and kept the job from being so lonely.
Here are a few stories of expediters who insist that there canine friends accompany them:
Hooligan is an almost 6-year old Jack (Parson) Russell Terrier who has been sharing his master's cargo van for the last few years.
"He can be a real pain in the butt sometimes, but because he forces me to stop every two hours to walk him, it keeps me in relatively good shape," says veteran expediter Bob Worthington. "He also keeps me awake and he's a great watchdog."
Bob says that Hooligan has developed his own circle of friends:
"People know Hooligan, but they don't know me. I pulled into a delivery the other day and the guard said, "Hello, Hooligan." He couldn't remember my name, though."
"If I were to get another dog, I'd pick a breed that doesn't shed as much, but size-wise, this one would be good in any size truck."
"Hooligan's a good companion and I'd recommend a dog to anyone in expediting."
Bob adds, "I've only had to pass up a couple of loads because a company wouldn't allow a dog on their property, but I wouldn't trade Hooligan for that revenue."
Ben and Melanie Easters are tractor-trailer expediters from Texas and even they will admit their dog is unique - a prairie dog.
The couple found two of the animals - Critter and Chimi, both male - in a Kansas petting zoo before it became illegal to sell them. Sadly, Critter passed away about a year ago from a liver ailment, but Chimi survives still.
"He's about a foot long when he stands up and probably weighs three pounds," says Melanie. "He's not as outgoing when he's around other people. He's very friendly when he's with us. And, he likes cats, but not dogs."
Melanie tells us that the prairie dog, whose closest relative is the ground squirrel, is sensitive to temperature. He doesn't like it hotter than around 75-77 degrees which I thought strange for an animal that I figured was from the desert plains. She explained that in their native element, prairie dogs can escape the heat by going into their burrow. She says that Chimi is often the reason that they'll idle their truck - to keep a comfortable temperature.
She tells us that colder temps affect him as well - he slows down and becomes sluggish. Prairie dogs require a high-fiber, low-protein diet such as grass and hay. They get moisture from their food and, happily for their owners, produce very little in the way of waste products. When in the truck, Chimi's porta-potty is a cat littler box.
Each prairie dog is different in the way they relate to humans. Chimi likes to be held, loved and cuddled and likes his belly rubbed.
Melanie says that there's much information on keeping prairie dog as a pet, so their training has been on the job. She adds that the animal has a life span from 5-18 years while in captivity. "And," she says, "If he gets loose, he's just about impossible to catch!"
For more information about these animals, visit www.desertusa.com/dec96/du_pdogs.
Ed and Michelle King do their expediting in a tractor-trailer with a 120" sleeper and Michelle says that her two Boston Terriers "have the run of the place."
She continues, "We've been running with pets on a continual basis for the last three years. We got each one when they were about 6 weeks old. Layla is around 2 years old and 25 pounds and Walela is just about 1 year old and 17 pounds."
"They have quite their own personalities - Layla, when told no, will talk back to you. She'll carry on a conversation with you and she won't stop until she wins. Walela is the flirt of the two, and she'll try to con you."
In fact, the dogs relate equally well to both Ed and Michelle, and try to work their cons on both of them.
Michelle says that being smaller dogs, the terriers are very hyper "From the time they wake up, they go non-stop until they go to sleep. If we're on a smooth road, they'll nap, but as soon as they hear the air brakes and we stop, they'll be at the back door, wanting to go out."
"They're on a diet of Iams Weight Control. Their favorite treat is turkey or chicken Jerky Tenders."
Michelle adds, "They sleep in the bunk with us, or rather, we sleep with them if they let us. Layla is a very quiet sleeper, but Walela snores."