For many long-haul truck drivers, the biggest drawback of the career is the isolation. Sitting alone in the cab for long stretches of road is not great for a driver’s mentality. That’s why many trucking companies allow their drivers to bring along a pet.

The New York Times recently profiled truck drivers who bring pets with them, and the entire article is worth a read. For the readers of Class A Drivers, many drivers may be wondering about the biggest benefits and drawbacks about getting a pet for the road. Let’s dive in.

Benefits

As mentioned, perhaps the biggest benefit is psychological. Long stretches of empty road can be extremely boring, and a pet – especially with their funny expressions and caring eyes – makes life more interesting.

The isolation of being a long-haul truck driver means you sometimes only see your family for a few days out of the month. If a driver adopts a dog, for instance, then that driver gains a loyal companion that would ride together no matter what.

Studies have even been done on dogs that show both dogs and owners experience a release of oxytocin when looking at their humans, the same bonding chemical that we get when looking at children and other relationships. This will even help you lower your blood pressure and relax if stuck in traffic.

A dog even helps with a truck driver’s physical health as the dog forces you to get out and spend time to walk them. After all, when they need to go to the bathroom, they can’t use the toilet.

Drawbacks

While getting out of the cab for a nice extended walk is good for your physical health, many drivers are too laser-focused on profits to consider the dog’s needs. A driver only makes money while actually driving, so the need to care for a pet does take some time away from your schedule.

If you would get frustrated with the need to walk a dog or, worse, if you’d take out your frustrations on a dog that just needs to pee and get its own exercise, then you probably shouldn’t get a pet.

When you get a pet, consider that a commitment for the entire life of the animal. For drivers who took to the road to experience complete freedom, pet ownership may not be the best idea.

Another drawback can be the difficulty in getting a pet as a truck driver. Many places that offer adoptions for dogs require a home address or a home visit to make sure the animal will be placed in a nice home. Unfortunately for truck drivers, this can be a challenge. It’s not insurmountable, but it may require some patience and additional paperwork.

Is Now the Time to Get a Pet?

If the benefits sound like they outweigh the negatives, then now might be a great time for you to get a pet.

Class A Drivers recommends that, if you want a pet, you should rescue. When you rescue, you save a life and make room in the rescue for more animals to be saved.

If you go to Petfinder.com, you can even search for any size, breed, or age that you are looking to get. For instance, a driver might want a young adult or senior dog because they don’t require the same amount of running around and constant play that a puppy does.

Rescues are like any other dog – with a variety of personalities and other traits – so check out Petfinder and call or email to ask about a pet you might want to ride with. You might meet your new best friend.