Comments By Mike B.

I just recently brought my dog on the road with me for the first time. He is a mix breed, black lab mixed with something smaller, and he's 28 pounds. Swift allows dogs up to 50 pounds, and no "dangerous" breeds.

My dog is 5 years old. He was a house dog for the first year of his life, and then became an outside dog and was until I brought him on the truck. So he was already house broken, which made one thing I didn't have to worry about. But that would be the first potential "hurdle" I guess you could say. Potty training a dog in the truck could be difficult so if you're bringing a dog that doesn't have that issue, that's a great start.

The next thing, I would say is notion sickness. Some dogs can't handle riding in a vehicle. With mine, I've been taking him on car rides regularly for his whole life, so that was another thing I know he would be OK with.

So I would say those are 2 big considerations to make before you jump right into bringing a dog on your truck.

As far as pros and cons go, these are for me personally:

Pros: -You feel less stupid talking to your dog while driving, than you do talking to yourself

-Exercise. Having a dog that needs to be walked forces you to get out and stretch your legs and walk around more often.

-Companionship is nice. Just having a canine friend in the truck makes you feel less alone on those long days of driving.

Cons: -You have to be more conscious of when you need to stop to take your dog out.

-You have to be careful that your dog is not getting around your feet or blocking your view when driving.

-Food and water can be messy.

For the food and water, I've already tried a few different bowls but I think I've found the winning combo for my dog. He has a habit of trying to cover his food if he doesn't eat it all right away. So if I've gotten out of the truck while he was eating, I have come back to a food/water bowl that was tipped over from him trying to cover it. Not pretty. So what I've got now, is a heavy ceramic dish for his food, and a gallon, square Tupperware dish for his water, that I never fill more than 1/4 of the way. This allows me to keep water in there while I'm driving, without it sloshing out of the bowl.

I hope that gives a little insight, and I'll say I'm really enjoying having my dog with me!

His name is Jammer and he was mad at me for making him move so I could lay down lol

Very cute doggie! I didn't know Swift allowed pets, that's adds another possible company to work for. Thanks for all helpful information!

I am still considering a career as a OTR driver. For those of you that have traveled with your dog, can you please tell me your experiences, both positive and negative. My concern is with my dog and not so much myself. I think she would adapt and be fine with it, but it would really help to hear some real life experiences from current Truck Drivers. Thanks is advance!

I am not yet a driver, but am going to start school in the spring next year, if not sooner. I was just wondering about OTR routes, do you go to the same places all the time or is it totally random based on your company needs. At this point I sort of like the idea of random as the unknown can be exciting as long as you don't have a need to be home on a regular basis which I don't. I'm sure overtime my feelings of not knowing where I'd be headed would get old, but initially, its okay with me...Any help on this will be greatly appreciated.

I agree... Keep one thing in mind...the failure rate in the schools is high. It takes a whole lot of moxie to post a farewell note resulting from some level of failure.

I know exactly what you mean though, 2-3 gung-ho posts, then crickets. My guess,...many became a statistic on the opposite side of success and perhaps to embarrassed to write about it.

Read Paul's Prime diary...his last post, was his last post and left us with the harsh reality of this job.

G-Town, I'm a little confused by your comment " the failure rate in the schools is high". I was under the impression that the failure rate was very low and mostly those that don't put in a tremendous amount of effort and/or don't take this profession seriously are the ones that fail?

Thanks for the great advice!

From my experience, I think people tend to over-stress when it comes to backing. That seems to be everyone's biggest concern before they get started. Backing a 53 foot trailer is easier than anything you have ever backed in your entire life. It doesn't move around like any other trailer. The biggest problem people have, is by how they set themselves up to start the back. And that is where the practice comes in.

To more directly answer your question, there will absolutely be times where you can practice. As CalKansan said, utilize a few minutes of your breaks if you've got an open area. If you're stopping in the middle of the day for your 30, or even to shut down, there will often times be multiple empty spots where you can take a few minutes to practice.

Ive got 2 pieces of advice that I would give. 1) Start setting up as close to your target as possible. Don't try to back into a spot from 50 feet away when you have limited room. Try to have the back end of your trailer as close to the spot you're backing into as possible when you get setup. 2) When at a truck stop, don't try to impress anyone. You don't necessarily have to back into a tight spot on the front row just because it's close to the building. Unless you're parking late at night, your chances for finding an easier spot in the back are usually pretty high. Of course this is just a general rule and there are some very small truck stops out here that won't apply to that logic. But focus on getting in the spot safely, rather than getting in quickly or worrying about what any other drivers are saying. You will get ribbed at some point for being slow, but that is much easier to take than getting chewed up one side and down the other by an owner op that you just woke up out of his sleeper after you peeled his mirror back.

I am asking this because this seems to be one of the biggest issues for newbies. I'm not a driver yet, still in the process of deciding whether or not becoming a Trucker is right for me and my family, but am strongly leaning towards making the jump. I do have some experience backing up a fifth wheel trailer, it was not easy (I know TT is totally different). Backing up is one of my concerns, how can I become good at it in a short amount of time? Once you earn your solo status and are assigned a truck, can you spend time practicing in an open lot or other safe locations or is this just not realistic due to time constraints and delivery schedules? Why wouldn't the schools allow you extra time for this? I would be wiling to pay extra $$$ for extra practice. I think it would be money well spent and save me a huge amount of time and stress once I become solo. Any tips to help a novice will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for the great advice. The common theme here seems to be "common sense" be safe and rest when you are tired.

Thanks Brett for the very good info. I read your book yesterday, tons of great information! And, thanks for creating this website, I have learned so much in helping my family and I decide if we want to make the jump.

What type of technology can one typically expect to find with the major carriers and newer trucks. Do they have Wifi, 120 volt charging, GPS, Sirius XM radio or option for me to pay for any of theses items. What about Satellite TV? I know that might be expecting a bit much, but I have seen some mention of the unbelievable technologies available in the newer rigs.

I am a newbie, and still considering whether or not a trucking career is the right thing for me and my family. One of my major concerns is maintaining a healthy weight which will require eating a healthy diet without the benefit of a gym, grocery store and a kitchen to cook my own meals. Do the truck stops have healthy eating options that won't cost you major $$$? After-all, one of the main reason for driving is making a living, and not spending it before I get home...I know I can bring some food along, but after a few days it will be time to restock, and it does seem like one has a lot of time for shopping if you want to keep your delivery time commitments, not to mention where would you park at most stores?