Two Dogs?

I had a cat in my truck. I also have a pitbull that rode in a truck. Between a cat and a dog, a cat is much easier to drive with. The cat loved the truck. She loved lying on the passenger seat and sunning herself. She loved going into the truckstops and watching all the truck drivers walking around. She wasn't afraid of the trucks at all. The cat adored New Jersey, Jersey City in particular. The crummier the area, the better the cat liked it. She liked to watch all of the litter flying about on windy days in northern Jersey and staring at the junkyard dogs that were next to a particular distributor in Jersey City. She would would watch them with an amused expression. The cat was a great alarm system because she would awaken me if she sensed danger lurking outside. The cat pawed me awake one night and, sure enough, someone had tried to break into the trailer while I slept. The cat also made it much easier at DOT inspections. The cops were always fascinated by the idea of a cat in a truck and would go much easier on me. At one weigh station, the cops spent most of their time playing with the cat rather than bothering with the truck. Cats are also easier because they don't have to be walked. All you need is a litter box filled with clumping scoopable litter like Arm and Hammer. I would scoop out the litter daily into a small bag and toss it into a trash can. The truck remained odor free. I had to put a $500 pet deposit down when I first got the truck. When I returned it, I got all $500 back because the cat did zero damage. No odors, no nothing. I had my pitbull in a truck and I kept having to walk her. She was afraid of the trucks in truckstops. She pouted and sulked the entire time because she preferred to be outdoors. She did no damage and was a source of amusement at the distributors because she is overly friendly. The DOT was amused by her too because she is nothing but a big bundle of licks and wags. She did zero damage in the truck. I'll tell you though, the cat was far far easier to travel with than the dog. The cat was far less demanding.

 

I don't think you will have a problem. It maybe an issue with a few companies out there but I am sure you will be able to find a carrier that is willing to let you do that. I know for certain though you will not be able to bring your dogs while you are in training.

Whatever you do don't stress over it. When my wife and I were teaming we had to convince a company to let us take our great dane with us. She weighed 207lbs. Course lucky for us she was just a puppy when we started and only weighed about 120-130lbs. With a little brown nosing and a few favors and a deposit we were allowed to take her with us.

Having your dog with you over the road I believe is the greatest. Not only is it your companion (or baby) but they are part of your life and need to share in the adventure! Another big plus having your dog with you is that it really helps to get your butt out of the truck all the time and get some exercise! We would often go for long hikes and even for a swim in a lake or river. Being from Florida our dog had not yet seen snow and her first experience was hysterical! Our dog has seen and experienced more than most people! Being a very large dog and unique color (harlequin) she also always brought a lot of attention and made friends everywhere. Sometimes small crowds would gather just to see our dog and take pictures. It was like having Mickey Mouse with us! Our dog has seen it all, from Japanese tour buses, to traveling midgets!

You do need to make sure that you are prepared though. Winter coats, pet meds, emergency vet clinics around the country etc... It is a lot more responsibility taking a pet with you but its well worth it. One nice thing is that most of those Petco's and or Pet Supermarkets have large parking lots and can accommodate big trucks. They also have receiving docks in the back in which you can temporarily park in to run into the store. This made it a lot easier to buy food and supplies and also at a lot of those stores they have vets on premises.

Wish you guys the best and be sure to take picts. (my pup picts are in my profile) Those were the best times I had while we were on the road!

 

Unfortunately, not all truck drivers have "wifey" back home who takes care of everything. This is a couple, who have a life already and love their dogs. I certainly am a bit miffed because I have 2 dogs and can take only one. Together they weigh about 25 pounds, and yet, I have to pay someone to take the other. And the reply "just get rid of it," really does not work. I'd rather not be a truck driver, than give up my dog. Everything is not perfect. There are people who have kids and are single parents, or people who have a sick spouse, or family member, and we all have to balance our lives and try to figure out how to put things together for our own benefit. As I recall, one of the premises of the USA is the ability for each person to "seek happiness," and that means the ability to have, and make choices, so it is great to see a company that is "not like all the rest." You might as well live in old school communist china if everything is exactly the same across the board.

 

KateL, the problem is that if the truck is not theirs and they did not pay for it then who is going to pay for the cleaning of the truck when the dogs make a mess???? What about the next driver that gets assigned that truck. If they own the truck themselves then fine, if not then consider the truck someone elses property.

 

I kept my truck cleaner than 95% of the truckers out there even with two dogs. I installed my own carpet on top theirs. I kept a small house vacuum cleaner and shampooer under the bunk. When I turned the truck in and cleaned/shampooed it looked good as new.

It doesn't take pets to get a nasty truck. It's the person that lives in it.

 

That cod be but I have gotte into "clean" trucks o.ly to have them smell like dog pee still and have fur still embeded in the seats and carpets.

 

Ya, true, but no worse than a "smokers" truck or some driver that was an absolute pig! I have seen many drivers far trump the mess of a little dog! Some people are pigs!

 

Interstate dist. Co allows 2 pets.

 

Interstate Distributors allows 2 pets, and if you hire out of the Fort Worth yard, they don't use trainers. They take the pet fee out of your weekly pay at $50.00/week. The fee is currently $750.00 per pet. No trainer, they give you a truck and you're off on the road, as long as you pass the driving test, its not difficult.