OTR truck drivers spend many hours on the road alone. And most of them like this part of their job! They like to be their own boss, feel the freedom of the open road and be alone with themselves when nobody bothers. At the same time, it could be boring.
Taking your pet with you on the road is an awesome idea as you will have your best friend next to you throughout a busy workweek.
You can see a lot of truckers driving over the road with their dogs. But what about other pets? Cats, for example?
Trucker cat
For cat lovers there are no boundaries to take them with you into a truck. They even have some advantages for truckers as companions, because they need less attention.
Why cats make a great pets for a truck driver?
- They do not need to go out for a walk, you can just put the litter inside
- You can take a cat out with you on a truck stop and it gets loads of attention
- They don’t need much food or space, truck makes perfect home for them
- They will lull you with a purr
- They are just so funny and cute
Driving long distance with a cat
Driving a long distance with a cat could sound weird for some people. But some truck drivers have mustachioed friends and travel with them in a truck. One of those happy cat owners is Brite Logistics’ driver Abdirahman Abdul. He is traveling with his lovely cat companion Aisha.
Aisha feels absolutely comfortable in a truck and thinks it’s her home.
“She feels comfortable while we are driving for a long distance. She has water and food, and all she needs. Truck is like a house, it’s very big. She does what cats do. Going over the sleeper, over tab.” – says Abdirahman.
Aisha grew up in a truck and used to be Abdirahman’s “team trucker”. They are driving together across the country. When he is going out on the truckstop, or using the bathroom she is with him on a small leash.
“We are a small team. I gave her the name after my mom Aisha. She is driving with me all the time, wherever I go. If I go home or to family, everywhere.”
Cat rescue story

Abdirahman and Aisha have met each other occasionally about one year ago. It was a springtime.
“I met her in Michigan about a year ago. I was driving for a small company. I’ve picked up a load. While I was on a side of a highway I saw a mother cat and small babies and they were going across the highway. And on my left side it was a small car that was going very fast, and it hit the mamas, boom. Mother was dead. Kittens were starting hiding in a bush.
I start looking but can only find her. She was I think 2 weeks old. I didn’t know what to do. I picked a little baby, I bought some pet food at Walmart. I gave her some water.”
From that time Aisha has been going everywhere with her new owner. She is a very lucky cat to meet a man who saved her life. And they are making each other’s life better.
“As a truck driver you are alone on the road. She gives me company. We need each other. I need her, she needs me. We are like a team.”
Trucking with a cat
Are you thinking about trucking with a cat? The main thing you should consider is if your cat would like it. A truck is big enough that your cat feels there like at home. You can find a place to put the food and water, litter and sleeping place for your cat inside.
Some cats would be happy to accompany their owners on the long distance driving while some of them would prefer to stay at home. If your cat has always been living in a house and has never been going out, it could be very stressful for it. It would take much time up to endless to get comfortable in new circumstances. On the other hand if your cat is used to traveling or you have a kitten, a truck can turn out to be a great home for it. You’d have a companion to spend time with during hours, days and weeks while you’re far from home.
Trucking companies with the pet policy
The majority of truckers prefer taking dogs with them over the road, but cats become more and more popular. Abdirahman said that he had seen lots of truck drivers traveling with the cats.
Some trucking companies have pet policy and allow pets on board and some are not. Brite Logistics is one of those who understands how important it is to take your pet with you on the road. We are a pet friendly company and welcome cats, dogs and other companions of our drivers in our office and in trucks on the road.
Abdirahman Abdul joined Brite Logistics as OTR truck driver at the beginning of 2021. He is a veteran and served 6 years in the Army (also in Afghanistan). We are pleased to have him in our team and he is happy too.
“Equipment, vehicle, everything is good. The people are professional. I’ve been with a lot of companies who don’t care about drivers. I want to stay here as long as I can. I love Brite, want to stay here, and do my job.”
Take your pet and drive with Brite!
For any questions just call us at 312-241-1999