Trucking With Pets: Advantages And Tips For Trucking Together With Your Furry Friends

Life as a truck driver can be quite an adventure, but we all know that it can get lonely on the road sometimes. You get to see new places and travel down the open road, but isn’t it better if you share that excitement and adventure with that furry creature from home that will also keep you company all the way along?

Just picture this, wide, open roads. A smooth, hot coffee or tea in your hand, and, to round out perfection, your furry best friend snuggling against you. It looks more like a dream, right? Well, for more than 40% of truckers, having their beloved pet on the road with them is not a dream, but a life-changing reality. Plus, it will be the perfect surrounding, ideal to make one of the best trucking pictures out there.

If you have a furry four-legged family member at home, you may be able to make them your co-truckers. As a trucking company with a pet policy, Road Legends recognizes the benefits of traveling with your pet, and as a caring company, we want to bring all the opportunities that can benefit our drivers.

It turns out that new studies show there are surprising trucker health and productivity benefits that make trucking with pets a win-win for both drivers and trucking companies alike and they also can be your awesome companionship and can be a perfect replacement for the feeling of human touch.

Why drive with a pet? Learn more about how pets can improve your health and overall wellbeing.

5 Benefits of driving and spending time with a pet

• Companionship. Either with your dog or your cat by your side, you won’t feel lonely or isolated from the rest of your family and friends. Yes, you can laugh at our trucking memes but it will be much better if you have a loved one with you the whole way! Plus, you won’t have to worry about leaving your pet at home alone. You’ll be totally in control and responsible for your pet’s wellbeing.
• Healthier body. Pets give the best opportunities, they force you to be active. We all know that It can be hard to find the perfect motivation to exercise on the road, but if your cat or your dog wants to go for a walk, the chances to take that walk are much bigger. Time spent with pets not only increases your physical activity, but can also lower your blood pressure and possibly lower your risk for cardiovascular disease.  
• Reduced stress. Do pets improve your mental health? The answer is yes! The health benefits of having a pet are in a large amount, and some of them are reducing stress and anxiety levels. Cuddling a cat or a dog has been proved to decrease levels of our stress hormone - cortisol. Bonding with our pets also releases the so-called “happy” hormones in us, the humans, and our pets.
• Social interactions. People love to talk about pets. Traveling together with your pet is a real icebreaker. As you walk your dog or carry your cat, you are more likely to engage in conversations with passersby.
• Safe trucking. If you are traveling alone, a pet can make you feel safe while stopping at rest stops along the road. Having a pet around (like a dog) can give you a much greater sense of security.

Our driver Rebecca Washington captured a special moment with her dog

9 Tips for trucking with pets

You want to be prepared for your tours, but don’t forget, so does your pet. Before you take your pet on the road, make sure that you have everything that your pet might need during the tour.

1. Keep pets from wandering freely. For your own safety and the safety of your pet, it is not advisable to allow your pet to move freely through the driver's cab. Therefore, make sure that your pet is in a safe place before you start the trip.
2. Provide a car seat for your pet. Just imagine yourself driving and your pet sitting on its special car seat next to you. So adorable, right? Moreover, it will provide your pet with greater security. 
3. Pets should stay inside the truck while driving: We all know that every dog enjoys hanging its head out of the window when driving. But as much as that gives him a piece of satisfaction, it is a huge risk for him.
4. Make sure pets are easily ID-ed: Just like people, pets also need to have their IDs with them. So make sure that your pet has either a collar with its name, ID tags, or chips so they can easily be found and returned to its owner.
5. Keep pets close: When truckers get out of the truck, they need to make sure their pet is fastened with a leash so they can stop them from running away.
6. Don’t leave them alone in the truck: The indoor temperature in the cab is one of the major issues when you drive with your pet. It can rise by up to 25 degrees Fahrenheit in 15 minutes and 40 degrees in just an hour. Pets shouldn’t be left alone in the truck without some air flowing inside. It can be very dangerous for them, even deadly, especially in hot weather.
7. Block access to your driving cab area, especially the one where the pedals are.
8. Find safe and sealed storage for everything that the pet is not allowed to drink or eat.
9. Always have lots of freshwaters available.

Final thoughts 

Truck drivers who travel with their pets most of the time say they are happier and more focused on their job. We know the benefits of having a pet and we are SO PROUD to call ourselves a pet-friendly company. So, here comes the main question, is your pet ready to become a loving member of our Road Legends trucking family?

Contact us today to learn more about our pet policy, or fill out an application to join us— and don’t forget to bring Furry with you.