Around 800,000 pets are traveling in truck cabs across the U.S. and Volvo Trucks North America is releasing new safety recommendations for pets traveling with truck drivers.
“This National Dog Day, Volvo Trucks North America and the Center for Pet Safety are highlighting new recommendations to help professional drivers keep their four-legged co-pilots safer on the road,” Volvo said.
More than 60% of commercial truck drivers are pet owners, and nearly 40% of them bring their pets along for the ride. To increase safety for pets on the road, Volvo Trucks and the nonprofit organization Center for Pet Safety have issued a free guide for all pet-loving drivers.
“For many professional drivers, a dog or cat can be more than a pet waiting at home,” said Maddie Sullivan, product marketing manager, Volvo. “They are a constant companion through thousands of miles, long shifts and nights on the road,”
Keeping Pets Safe
The guide includes recommendations on how to choose and use crash-tested harnesses and carriers, prepare for emergencies, manage hot and cold weather and safely navigate overnight stops with a pet. It also covers pet first-aid kits, seasonal safety, emergency preparedness and hotel etiquette. One of the most important recommendations is also one of the simplest: pets should be properly restrained while the truck is moving.
“Professional drivers spend more hours behind the wheel than almost anyone, and for many of them, their pet is part of that daily routine,” said Lindsey Wolko, founder and CEO, Center for Pet Safety. “The new guide gives them real, practical answers, from picking a harness or crate that actually protects in a crash to knowing what to do if something goes wrong.”
Spotlight on National Dog Day
Recently released in connection with National Dog Day, the guide is designed for both drivers taking a pet on the road for the first time and those who have already logged hundreds of thousands of miles with a dog or cat by their side.
“Safety has always been part of Volvo’s DNA, and that shows in how much changed with the all-new Volvo VNL,” Sullivan said. “This guide helps drivers apply the same safety mindset to the animals that travel alongside them every day.”
Download the free Safe Travels With Your Pet guide here.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
