To some the answer is a resounding NO!  To others it is a resounding YES!

Having a pet is to each his own.  Before deciding to have a pet in the truck there are many things to consider.  First make sure with your carrier, if you don’t own the truck the owner, and think about the type of freight you haul.  If the answer is no problem to all of the above think about the expense of a pet.  They will need additional shots and health care to travel all over the country and stay healthy. 

Taking a pet on the road for extended periods of time and keeping them happy requires work on our part.  Proper food, plenty of fresh water, and exercise.  Deciding what pet is right for you is another decision.  We added our rescue kitty Squeaky to our truck as a kitten and we learned about cats by doing.  First thing was to get him to vet to get him on the road to health and buying the plethora of stuff a cat needs.  Who would have guessed a 2lb kitty would need so much stuff!   

Squeaky after several hundred dollars spent became a healthy rambunctious kitten and he rules the roost.  His antics kept us in stitches and we went from people who basically ignored cats to cat appreciators.  Now when we see a cat wandering around we look at them through different eyes.  Before very long though we knew it was time to get another companion to take on walks with us. 

Our previous dog Molly was a Cocker Spaniel and she was our companion for many years and we were devastated when she passed away.  We knew we did not want another Cocker Spaniel due to the upkeep of her coat and we did not want to compare the puppy to Molly as nothing could live up to her.  We wanted a bigger dog to play with, one that could play ball and would be able to handle long walks and who would guard our truck when we were away.

After searching we finally found Texas and were we in for a surprise.  Her breed should be a German Shredder as she recreates herself in dog hair every day.  What a mess it is to keep up with her.  Texas is a very good-natured dog which is good for her and she also gets vacuumed every day along with the truck.  She also is brushed often as well.  Still she leaves her calling card of pet hair everywhere we go.  Texas is also a slob as she wants to see and be part of everything so she grabs a mouthful of food and comes to the front of the truck to see what is going on and dribbles food everywhere.   Now she gets fed at night when we go to bed and we have a lot less mess.  For those that think Texas was our first German Shepard you would be wrong, I grew up with German Shepard’s, and we have had a few as adults.  In a larger house with a large backyard the constant hair was not such an issue.

Texas is proving to be one of the smartest dogs we have had and I am sure part of her intelligence is that she is with us all the time and we talk to her as if she can understand English.  Each day that we go for a walk or play ball good habits are enforced and as she is finally leaving the puppy stage and she concentrates longer.  She is by far not a perfect dog and her excitement often runs over and we have to work on calming her down.  What she is perfect about is not having an accident in the truck and she is not a chewer except with her toys. 

What is interesting is that both pets have been raised from babies in the Cascadia.  When we go home they are thrilled to get out of the truck but when we start getting ready to leave they both are pains as they want back in the truck and are underfoot.   Once the truck is underway they both settle down and go to sleep.  Now for the interesting part is that both Squeaky and Texas absolutely hate to ride in anything else.  When we put them in our pickup they both howl, whine, and will not settle down.  We have tried taking them for rides and giving them treats but nope if it is not their Cascadia they want nothing to do with another vehicle. 

For us the hassle, stress, and mess is worth every minute to share our lives with these two amazing animals that make us laugh and are a comfort when we are stressed.  In return we do a lot of little things for them such as opening a window, giving treats, and playing games they enjoy. 

 

 

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Linda Caffee

Bob and Linda started their driver careers after their children left home for college in 2000. Bob started as a driver for a large motor carrier with Linda as a rider. They decided to enter the Expedite industry as team drivers in 2005 and purchased their first Freightliner. Both, Bob and Linda have had their Class A licenses since the early 80's starting out driving in the oil field and hauling grain as fill in drivers where Bob worked as a diesel mechanic. Linda worked at the local country courthouse in data processing.

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