As an over the road truck driver, I travel the highways and byways of the United States and Canada. During my travels, I often see some pretty amazing (and amusing) things out there. Sometimes some sad things as well. Drivers and their pets are sometimes pretty interesting and amusing.
I have seen one driver several times in truckstops around the country who has a pygmy goat that rides in the truck with him. Yep, you read correctly; a pygmy goat. I guess a sheep would be too obvious. (Sorry, crude humor). The first time I saw him was in a truckstop in Texas. He had the goat on a leash and was walking it in the truckstop parking lot. Needless to say, I thought maybe I was just a bit too tired. I looked again, and sure enough it was a goat. Imagine that.
I knew a driver who used to carry a Bengal tiger around in the truck with him. Sadly, the tiger died a couple of years ago. It must have been pretty amusing to see the reactions of fellow drivers, police officers, and DOT officers when they saw that huge cat in the truck. I’m betting his truck was never searched.
Personally, over the years I have had only two pets ride with me over the road. The first was a cockatiel named Charlie. He was a good companion on the road even if his limited vocabulary made him a less than sterling conversationalist.
I bought Charlie in a small pet shop in Pennsylvania one day when he was about 6 weeks old. He pretty much grew up in the truck and really seemed to enjoy sitting on the armrest or dash and watching the world go by.
Charlie was always a big hit at the truckstops, especially with the waitresses. He would always draw a bit of a crowd around to talk to him, pet him (the brave ones) and watch him devour an order of scrambled eggs and toast.
Charlie rode with me for over a year. Somewhere along the way he developed a nasty habit of chewing the upholstery of my $100,000 truck. That’s when Charlie was grounded at home where he still resides.
My second road pet was Benny. I adopted Benny from the pound. As far as can be determined, he is part Lhasa Apso, part Poodle. Basically a furry little mutt, but with a great personality. Despite being several years old, Benny took to riding in the truck as if he had done it all his life.
Benny was great company until it was time to go to bed. Somehow he got the idea that the bunk was his and he grudgingly deigned to share it with me. Benny was a bed hog, and that was that.
His fuzzy, curly fur is what did Benny in; it wound up all over the truck. It was in the bed. It was in my clothes. It was, basically, everywhere! Sorry Benny, you’re grounded at home.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get another pet to ride in the truck with me. I doubt it. But it really is interesting to see what animals other drivers carry around with them. Like the guy I saw at a rest area in Ohio one day last year. He climbs out of the truck and here comes one, no two, three, four count em four Great Danes. Geez! How can you get four Great Danes and one fat trucker into a truck? I know they’re roomy and all, but geez Louise!
I’ll continue to watch the people, their pets and quirks and report the ones I think you may want to hear about. Like the driver who went to the emergency room two years ago because he was bitten by his alligator.
More from the road later!