Which OTR companies allow pets?

Does your bf already have some OTR experience? If so I highly recommend J.R.Hall Transport in Ayr ON. I have a couple of friends that I went through trucking school with 8 years ago who have been there for at least 6 years and love it. They run company teams only and the trucks are always brand new. Usually they run west through Canada and then either back the same way or down into the USA and back. I know you live in the GTA but I also highly recommend driving the distance to work for a company out Cambridge/London way. There are A LOT of shady companies in the Mississauga area. Other places that I have team friends at who are totally happy are Bison and Arnold Brothers, both are Winnipeg-based companies with yards on the west side of Toronto. Bison in Mississauga I think and Arnold Brothers are in Milton. I have no idea if any of those three have pet policies.

As for food, don't worry - I take all my own food and eat healthy on the road - I take deli meat, lettuce, lettuce, and more lettuce and I make wraps for almost every meal. I'm not much for the cooking in the truck thing. In 8 years they've searched my truck once and I did have to spend 4 hours explaining an avocado to the US Customs guys at Portal ND but eventually they just agreed to let me throw it in the garbage. Turns out you can have avocado - but not the pit - so now I cut them in half, rub them with lemon and put them in a ziploc. If you take other fresh veggies or fruit, just buy ones that come from the US and make sure they have stickers on them or are in the original packaging. Do not take fruit or veggies from Mexico or South America. Never never never take citrus fruit of any kind from any source. Make sure your dog food is manufactured in the USA and carry it in it's original packaging. When they ask you what you have say innocuous stuff like ham, wraps, breakfast cereal, biscuits, cookies. If they directly ask you about fruits and veggies, say PREPARED salad. If they directly ask you about meat, say ham. They will run out of patience after you list about 4 or 5 items and wave you through. They WILL ask you about your dog food. They WILL ask if you have your rabies certificate. They will rarely ask to see it but have it within reach anyways. If you get caught with anything you aren't supposed to have, apologize profusely, profess ignorance and offer to throw it away. Don't argue with them for any reason at all, not even if they say the earth is flat and the sun is purple.

As for not getting fat, exercise the dog. A lot. Park at rest areas not truck stops and walk the dog for at least 30 minutes. Do it 4x a day. Every time you are loading or unloading at a customer that has a nice area to walk (most do) take the dog out while you are waiting. It's polite to ASK the customer if you can take the dog out if you are going to use their property. If you can get out of the truck and be on public property within a few steps, you probably don't need to ask. If the customer is a big operation like an auto plant or a distribution centre (Lowes, Costco, etc.) or if the customer is a hazmat manufacturer, don't take the dog out at all. Make sure you have tick medication on your dog and use it year round if you go south. Use only the stuff from the vet and make sure it has permethrin in it. There are ticks EVERYWHERE and you just don't want them hitching a ride on the dog into the truck.

And you'll be suprised who is out here driving truck with you. I have a B.A., M.A. and Accounting Dipl. I've met guys with Ph.D.'s. My buddies at J.R.Hall are retired business owners. And even the truckers with no education are on average WAY smarter than the average person you'll meet in an office. It's a very challenging and satisfying job. You won't regret it.

 

Good post! Great attitude! Great bike! (former ST2 owner and ridden /raced lots of other Ducs)

 

way to read the posts already made

 

I never had anyone question my wanting to be a truck driver, however by then most of my friends were used to me making uncommon decisions! I think many people will find something negative to say regardless of whether you want to be a ditch digger or a physics professor. They're just jealous because you will be getting paid to sight-see North America. As for career path, they are showing their own ignorance. The trucking industry in Canada is a $67 billion dollar industry and there are 2 non-driving jobs for every driving job so if you want to move on, you can (but you won't want to). Both the federal government at www.tc.gc.ca and the CTA at www.cantruck.ca have some great statistical information that you can wow your friends with.

As for being one of the 4% well my opinions are coloured by the fact that I'm also 50 yrs old and grew up in a different generation. I say be a big girl and don't get offended by any off-colour remarks. The guys out here are the best guys you will ever meet. They think it's awesome that we want to be out here with them. Learn your job and do it well. It's a psychologically tough job -- you have to be able to handle whatever comes along. You could be broken down on the side of a desolate highway at 2am. You could have a tire blow on a busy urban highway during rush hour. You will gain a whole new appreciation for how stoic and courageous the guys are that they don't even worry about this kind of stuff.

As for personal safety, I'd say it's something that is always on a woman's mind, but overall you're probably just as safe or safer out here than whatever you might be doing at home. Truck stops are well lit and busy 24 hrs a day. Rest areas are well lit and in some states have security or police patrolling at night. If you are interested in parking at or near a customer site that you have not been before, call them and ask them. How safe you feel will depend a lot on what areas you run. When you are driving team, you are pretty much rolling 20-22 hrs a day anyways, so parking is rarely an issue.

 

Ducati girl is a good salesperson......hahahaha.

Unfortunately she's endorsing companies that are experiencing such a high rate of turnover they're applying to the TFW program to recruit drivers.

As for "taking pets along".......the companies she listed should be fine with dogs and cats as seeing they put monkeys behind the wheel.

I

 

I'm sorry, I don't recall "endorsing" any particular companies. I did mention a few where friends work. The OP is a newly licensed driver looking for a company team job with a yard accessible from the GTA. Her options are limited so I'm sure she would very much appreciate any better suggestions you might have. Unfortunately I am an single O/O so I do not personally have any experience with that type of company and so am unable to "endorse" any that might be useful to her.

 

Saying you have friends that are totally happy is as good as any endorsement either of these companies could ask for.
Don't tell this new driver how "smart" she'll find the general driving population then try and slide this one by as a non endorsement.

I guess you could say that wasn't an endorsement but it was clearly implied.......simply a matter of semantics.

I would tell the girl to go run single first then try team. Both companies you listed will kick the #### out of her and put her with every deadbeat who thinks he can become her boyfriend.

 

Payne Transportation allows them, but not in the main office although that's loosely enforced. We're mostly OO anyways.