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Trucker Gives ‘Dead’ Cat New Lease on Life (2 Times)

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truck driver catA 3-year-old cat named BB-8 has 45-year-old truck driver Dennis McDonald to thank for his life today.

Zainab Akande of The Dodo, a website dedicated to the love of animals, tells the story. A road in hurricane-like conditions is not the friendliest place to bring your truck to a stop, but McDonald found himself doing that one morning. After his passenger pointed out a “dead” cat by the side of the road,

 

“McDonald’s intuition and sheer empathy for an animal — one he wasn’t even certain was alive — were what led to the 3-year-old cat’s chance at survival… McDonald saw that the cat was in rough shape, possibly with a broken neck or back — but regardless, he was still alive. (Another) motorist offered McDonald a box to transport him.”

And that’s just the beginning of the story. BB-8 required extensive surgery that was donated. His owner was found but couldn’t take the cat back and he was lost by his newly adopted family. Then BB-8 came back to his truck driver hero for a forever home on the road.

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Furry Friend Helps One Driver Hear on the Road

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Truck driver Pete Kleckner and Snickers are practically inseparable both on and off the road. Source: Overdrive Online

Pete Kleckner and his dog Snickers have a relationship that is extra special, even for pet owners. The truck driver depends on Snickers for more than just cuddles. The highly trained service dog is his ears on and off the road.

According to a feature in Overdrive Online,

“The independent contractor from Crookston, Minn., never leaves home without his good buddy. The dog has been trained to respond to five sounds: an alarm clock, intruders, fire alarms (and strobes) door knocks, door bells and back in the day, a landline phone. When they arrive at the truck stop and she hears anything outside she doesn’t like, she will bark or put a paw on him. If someone is outside the truck trying to talk to him, Snickers will alert him.”

Snickers accompanies Kleckner, who is deaf, almost everywhere he goes on his route. She joins him at rest stops and restaurants. One of the few exceptions? Shipping docks. As Kleckner says, those are “too cold.”

While not all human-animal trucking teams include a service animals like Snickers, Kleckner and his dog are part of a growing number of drivers who are bringing their furry friends on the road – a perk allowed by some trucking companies and appreciated by independent owner-operators.

Like their humans, pets can’t do a long drive without breaks to stretch their legs. Apex Capital Corp. notes that “most TA and Petro Shopping Centers offer dedicated areas for pets that need some exercise or a rest break … Waste bags and trash receptacles are also available for easy cleanup.”

What else do you need to know about pet friendly rest stops from Apex Capital Corp. before you hit the road? “Iowa 80 (Walcott, Iowa) does not currently allow pets inside the main buildings, however it does offer a Dogomat Pet Wash, which is self-served and open 24 hours.”

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Percy, the Trucker Cat: Lost and Found

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mprnews.orgWe saw this story on MPRnews.org and immediately thought it would resonate with our audience of CDL truck drivers. If you have a trucking job or a pet, you will love this story!

The story of Percy begins, as all great stories do, at a rest stop in Ohio.

Truck driver Paul Robertson and Percy had been constant companions in the truck’s cab for over a year. The two live in the truck, and have clocked thousands of miles together, after Robertson adopted Percy from a Twin Cities animal rescue. Percy settled right into the trucking life.

“He’s just great, he’s the calmest,” Robertson told MPR News host Tom Weber.

Robertson even built Percy a platform so he could ride shotgun and look out the window. The orange cat spent many an afternoon basking in the sun on the dashboard, and picking up an internet following. Robertson frequently shared photos of Percy’s life on the road on Facebook.

But when Robertson woke up the next morning at the Ohio truck stop, the passenger window was down and Percy was gone.

This had happened before — typically when there was a bird outside. Percy, through either sheer luck or impressive levels of cat ingenuity, would step on the controls and roll his own window down.

Panic set in.

“I don’t know if he’s been gone five minutes or an hour or three hours,” Robertson said. “I do the classic parent thing: I grab the food bag and I went around the truck. Shake, shake, shake. Calling: ‘Percy! Percy Percy!'”

No Percy. Not a meow. Not a peep.

Robertson scoured the rest stop, shaking the bushes and traipsing through scrub. The weather report compounded his fear: A storm was coming. Temperatures were dropping.

Devastated, Robertson went on Facebook. “This day can totally eat it,” he wrote. Percy was missing.

“Within minutes, I got texts from Sweden, from Portland, Ore.,” Robertson said. With his photography, he’d built a large community around the country and the world, specifically with roller derby players. He loves to photograph the sport.

Suddenly, people were offering to call all the nearby shelters on his behalf, and one person even showed up at the rest stop to help search for the cat.

After a fitful night of sleep in the truck, Robertson had to move on.

mprnews.orgPeople assured him they would keep looking. They would put out traps. Percy was chipped. He’d done everything he could.

“I just felt so low,” Robertson said of pulling out from the truck stop. He gets choked up even talking about. “I suddenly felt like I was abandoning my child. Man, that really sucked.”

He made his first delivery without Percy, at a factory. Then he made his second, to a mining plant in Indiana. He’d now driven 400 miles without his cat co-pilot.

In the mining plant yard, he went to get the paperwork for his next run.

“I’m feeling as low as a snail’s belly,” he said. “I grab the paper, I turned around, and I look. I think: Here’s a stray cat coming out from under my truck. … It doesn’t remotely register to me. I’m thinking my cat is 400 miles behind me, dying in the snow.”

Then he looked again.

“I suddenly recognize him. He just looks up at me with the big eyes, like: ‘Dad?'”

Robertson scooped him up.

“I took him into the truck and we cuddled and snuggled and he was rubbing his face on me,” Robertson said. “Oh my gosh, he stunk.”

Percy had hidden underneath the cab of Robertson’s truck for more than 400 miles, through the rain and the snow and two deliveries. He reeked of diesel ash. If cats really do have 9 lives, Robertson said, that surely shaved one off for Percy.

His best guess is that Percy found a space on top of the transmission, on the frame or by the fuel tanks.

“He found a spot, wedged himself in, and clearly wasn’t coming out for nothing,” Robertson said.

That night, just after midnight on February 26, he logged back onto Facebook.

“CALL OFF THE SEARCH!!! PERCY IS OKAY!!!” he wrote. He thanked everyone for their help, and signed off: “This little orange furry soul means the world to me. Thank you for caring about him too.”

Read the full original story here.

Do you have a great pet story of your own? Connect with us here and tell us about it for a chance to be featured on Drive My Way!

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How Cats Improved One Woman’s Trucking Job

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petsmartcharities.orgAfter seven years, truck driver Karyn Marshall decided she refused to make the long journeys alone. Knowing depression affects truckers, Marshall stayed one step ahead of her mental health.

Her company, Amistad Freight Service Inc., actually encouraged pets.

So, Marshall began to look into pet adoption.

She went to PetSmart but wasn’t allowed to adopt the black cat who caught her attention. The staff learned she intended to travel with the cat in her truck and voiced concern.

Marshall told PetSmart in a later interview, “I was heartbroken… I’ve had many adopted cats throughout my life. But because my home was a truck, it wasn’t considered to be a good one. That really hurt.”

Luckily, PetSmart referred her to another adoption partner called Safe House Animal Rescue.

The shelter worked together to find the perfect cat for Marshall. They introduced her to Snickers and petsmartcharities.orgthe two shared an instant connection.

Snickers was pampered immediately by Marshall as she bought him a new bed, carrier, toys and food. She said he fit right into the truck from the moment he walked in.

Not long after, Snickers gained a friend when Marshall and a few other truckers came across an abandoned litter of kittens at a California truck stop.

Each of them took one or two and Marshall came back with two kittens which she named, Pebbles and BamBam.

Pebbles found another home with one of Marshall’s friends, but BamBam stuck around, soon becoming best friends with Snickers. “The only life he knows is in that truck,” Karyn said to PetsMart. “And he loves it. He’s like a little kid – very active, and all over that truck all the time.”

As they say, opposites attract and the two cats became quick friends. BamBam’s activeness was a balance to Snicker’s mellow nature.

petsmartcharities.orgThe addition of the two cats in Marshall’s life have added stability, relaxation and a portable alarm clock, since BamBam is an early bird.

“He’s the alarm clock,” said Marshall. “You do not go past 7 a.m. Eastern time — no matter what time zone you’re in – without feeding BamBam. He’ll meow, nibble my fingers, bite my nose – anything to get my attention.”

Marshall encourages all truck drivers to adopt a pet for the road, as long as their employer allows them.

She says both of her feline friends have enriched her life completely. Though she’s not against dogs, she asserts that cats make the best trucker pets, no constant stops for bathroom breaks.

“They’re quiet, they don’t bark and they want to be with you, they couldn’t care less about what’s going on outside. They want to be loved on and worshipped like they feel they are worthy of,” Marshall states.

Do you bring your pet on the road? Share a picture with us and follow us on Facebook to see how your fellow drivers live life on the road. 

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Trucking Dogs That Dress To Impress

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Jack in a flannel shirt

On a truck somewhere, there’s trucking dogs that hates to be naked. The brindle-colored Chihuahua, Jack, belongs to truck driver Rhonda Spahlinger. “If he’s naked, he’ll stay in the corner and give me the evil eye,” Spahlinger says. “He hides from the world until he is dressed.”

Spahlinger’s pooch serves as one of many trucking dogs who dresses to impress.

In the process, the dogs bring joy to those with CDL driver jobs. Jack likes wearing T-shirts, flannel shirts, even a certain turtleneck sweater.

“I don’t care how hot it is, he better have a shirt on,” Spahlinger laughs. He even has a T-shirt that reads, “I’m naked under this shirt.”

Spahlinger, a lease operator for KLLM Transportation based in Jackson, Miss., drives throughout the Southeast. She drives solo for 26 years. Jack serves as great company on the road, she says. At truck stops, he often picks out the biggest dog there to play with. “He loves everybody,” Spahlinger says.

Emma in her puffy coat

Angela Neumayer’s dog, Emma, dresses up daily, too.

In fact, the cocker spaniel- dachshund mix has a full wardrobe that includes everything from a red raincoat to a plaid Christmas dress. Also in her doggie closet: sweaters, T-shirts, coats and boots.

“When I say, ‘Come here and put your coat on’ she puts her puffy winter coat on,” Neumayer marvels. Much of Emma’s apparel shows off her proud Canadian heritage, like Neumayer herself.

Neumayer, a Canadian owner operator leased to Erb International, dresses Emma to keep her warm.

Emma and Sam in raincoats

She even adds little boots to her tiny paws in the winter. Neumayer buys her pet clothes at PetSmart stores on her routes between the United States and Canada. And Emma isn’t the only dog she dresses. Two years ago, Neumayer took in an abandoned dog at a truck stop in Missouri. His name is Sam, and he’s partial to raincoats and sweatshirts.

But it’s Emma who relishes fashion most.

Rescued from a puppy mill, Neumayer found her at a shelter in Belleville, Ontario, in 2009.

“When I saw her picture on the website, I knew she was the gal for me,” Neumayer says. “She’s come a long way from being this tiny dog that was afraid of everything to developing her sense of adventure (and fashion).”

Pets brighten a driver’s life on the road in so many ways. Connect with us on Facebook here to see more pet-related content.

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How a Service Dog Changed One Man’s Trucking Job Forever

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trucking service dogWhen Frank met OTR truck driver Richard Ferguson that momentous day, both were in tough spots. Frank was skin and bones. Open wounds marred his fragile and raw frame. Ferguson, too, had encountered trouble many times, the result of his wild temper.

“Frank found me,” recalls Ferguson of the dog who turned his life around.

“I got up that morning and turned on my wipers to clear off the windshield. A dog sat in the road looking at me. I said, ‘Where did you come from?’”

Ferguson coaxed Frank into his truck. “Want some food?” he asked. Frank jumped into the truck, as if he’d done it countless times before.

That was a year-and-a-half ago. The truck driver and Labrador-pit bull mix have been a team ever since.

Ferguson, an owner operator leased to H&M Trucking, has struggled to manage his anger his whole life. As a boy, he endured nightmares and got into trouble in school. As he grew older, he became more aggressive, often confronting strangers. Through it all, he tried counseling and anger management classes. Nothing helped, until Frank came along.

“We both tame each other,” says Ferguson, 49. “I keep him calm, he keeps me calm. Since Frank’s been with me, I feel better.”

In fact, Frank, short for Hobo Frank, has officially been certified as Ferguson’s service dog.

Since Ferguson began traveling with Frank, he has not had a single confrontation.

“Frank keeps me mellow,” Ferguson says. “If I get loud about something, Frank investigates. He puts his head on my lap and calms me right back down. Because of Frank, I have learned to control my anger, learned to hold my lip. As a result, my arguments don’t progress like they used to.”

richarddog-2

Lasting Impact

For those with CDL trucking jobs, life on the road can be dangerous—especially at truck stops, where crime ramps up at night. For Ferguson, Frank serves as more than an anger management tool. He’s also a security system, a confidant, a constant companion.

“What impact has Frank had on my life? A big one,” says Ferguson. “I can do this without Frank, but I don’t want to do it without Frank. I don’t want a replacement. There is no replacement for him.”

When Frank can’t get into the truck anymore, Ferguson says, he’ll probably give up trucking. “Until then, we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing. Up north, down south, we’re going to keep traveling.”

Have a companion like Frank or want to read about others who do? Join our community here to learn more.

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Truck Cats Enhance Life on the Road for Truck Drivers

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cat

Allen Nose went to the pound for a dog. He left with a cat.

In the 16 years he and his cat have spent on the road since that day, Nose knows: “With a dog you’ve got automatic loyalty. With a cat, you’ve got to earn it.”

And earn it he has. With his cat, George, riding shotgun with him for so long now, the way Nose sees it, “it’s just him and me.”

Nose and George needle each other like good friends do. “I’ll give him a poke,” Nose says. “When he gets mad, he stinks the truck up. The litter box is his favorite tool. But he keeps me from going insane.”

Nose is one of several people with CDL permit jobs who like having their truck cats with them on the road.

Beth Cunningham Murray and her husband, an over the road owner operator, ride with a cat, too. “He’s Tucker, the trucker kitty,” she says. “We love having our little boy with us.”

The couple got Tucker from a friend shortly after he was weaned last May. “I’ve never seen a cat that likes driving so much,” Murray says. “Usually cats are skittish. Not this guy. He’s right out there.”

Truck cats bring comedy to long drives

Lynn Barrier Secrest jokes that she is the only “two-legged critter” on her truck. “I got a zoo on my truck,” she says.

Well, not quite. But she does have a cat named Elvira and two Boston terriers. Secrest got Elvira as a kitten. That was nearly two years ago. Now when Secrest takes her dogs for a walk, Elvira keeps a close eye on them from the truck. If they go out of Elvira’s eyesight, the cat doesn’t like it one bit.

Frisky Felines“She worries,” Secrest says. “As long as she can see us the whole time we’re outside, she’s OK. Otherwise, she meows like crazy when we get back to the truck.”

Secrest, an owner operator with Witchy Trucking out of North Carolina, jokes that if it weren’t for her pets she’d go crazy. “They’re company,” says Secrest, who’s had a CDL trucking job for 10 years. “I couldn’t see me being out on the road by myself.”

Tucker, too, adds comic relief during stressful situations. Like a dog, Tucker likes to play fetch. “You throw a balled up piece of paper and Tucker bounces back to you with it in his mouth,” Murray says. “He’ll bring it right back, drop it and meow.”

Murray loved cats her whole life

Frisky felines travel with CDL truckers

“Tucker cracks us up all day long with his antics,” Murray says. “When we stop, he sits on the steering wheel and honks the horn. We’ve told him, ‘Don’t do that,’ but he’ll look you in the eye and lay on the horn. I have a feeling he knows exactly what he’s doing.”

George was abused before Nose stumbled upon him at the Humane Society all those years ago. When Nose opened the cat’s cage, the Humane Society worker scolded him. But it was too late. George already had jumped upon Nose’s shoulder.

“I said, ‘We’re gone,’” Nose recalls.

“She said, ‘No, you can’t do that—’

“I said, ‘We’re gone.’ That cat and I had an instant bond. He watches out for me and I watch out for him.”

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