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Wendy Turner of Dart Transit Company travels with her two pitbull pups, a mother and daughter, Shadow (3 years) and Trixie (11 weeks).

Jenni Shukhratbekov of Dart Transit Company describes her first encounter with Wendy: 鈥淚 met Wendy in October of 2021 when she participated in the Special Olympics of Minnesota truck convoy. She is one of our wonderful female drivers and travels with her very cute/sweet Pitbulls on the road with her.鈥�

Wendy鈥檚 travel schedule typically puts her out on the road for two weeks and then home for two-day breaks in between. She鈥檚 considered an OTR (over the road) driver for Dart Transit Company, which sends her traveling across 31 states.

Getting into the field of truck driving

Oftentimes the life of a truck driver is passed down through the generations, and Wendy Turner is an example of that: she learned about the profession at an early age watching her stepfather heading out on the road. As an adult, she has also had friends who were drivers and had the chance to go out on an OTR trip. From there, she has been hooked and a driver ever since.

The appealing aspects of driving trucks for a living

Like many drivers we鈥檝e talked to, Wendy loves the life of a truck driver. 鈥淚t鈥檚 peaceful. I love seeing new things, being out on the road, and I love always having access to different scenery.鈥� When Wendy鈥檚 on the road, she most enjoys the more mountainous regions of the U.S., and when she鈥檚 driving, she likes to chat with friends on the phone to help pass the time. She also loves to listen to country music — especially Brett Young, George Strait, Alabama, George Jones 鈥揼enerally older, more traditional country music.

One of Wendy鈥檚 favorite spots is the Iowa 80, which has a claim to fame as the largest truck stop in the world. 鈥淚owa 80 is off of interstate 80 in Wolcott, Iowa. It鈥檚 a really beautiful place to visit with a vintage truck museum where they鈥檝e got old-timey trucks hanging from the ceiling.鈥�

Wendy also loves the ability to leave the stressors of home behind, and describes her work as having a calming effect on her life. Family and friends tend to lean on Wendy for advice and guidance, but when she takes off for a two-week trip, they have to give her space. She embraces the opportunity to separate herself from everyone who depends on her back home, and she welcomes the chance to exert some independence when she鈥檚 traveling.

Driving for Dart provides a great culture and support system for truck drivers

Wendy has been driving for Dart since September of 2020, and prior to that, she drove for Swift for three years. Her home-base is Winston-Salem, North Carolina where she grew up. What Wendy loves about driving for Dart is the culture at the company. 鈥淩espect. Family values. If you have a family issue they support you and make sure you get home-based. They care about their drivers.鈥�

Having dogs in the truck brings home on the road

The thing Wendy likes most about having her dogs on the road with her is the companionship. Shadow and Trixie are great company as she travels the country. 鈥淵ou can do activities with them on a trip, there are a lot of toys in my truck. They鈥檙e good company.鈥�

On the road, Shadow usually spends time in the sleeper. Trixie lays in between the seats or on the floor and she鈥檚 got a quilt for comfort, too. The mother and daughter have a maternal bond and are good friends.

Wendy mostly keeps to herself when she鈥檚 on the road, and has her dogs as her companions, except when she participates in convoys with other drivers.

Truck convoys can be a fun community-building event for drivers

The Wall Street Journal describes a convoy as 鈥淎 group of vehicles traveling together for mutual support, protection or convenience. Truckers’ convoys, which have been part of truck driving culture since the 1970s, typically involve multiple big rigs lined up on the highway and moving in the same direction.鈥�

Wendy has enjoyed being a part of convoys since she became a truck driver. The one she holds near and dear to her heart is the convoy that Dart sponsors for the Special Olympics of Minnesota. This 17th annual event is a two-day celebration held in October at Running Races in Columbus, Minnesota, which helped raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota. 鈥淚 met a lot of very special, kind-hearted people, and it was nice because we were all together for the event.  We were each able to take one of the Special Olympic children on a ride with us. They love it because they can get in the truck and all of us follow each other for a mile or two and then we come back together back where we started. The kids love the experience.鈥� Dart has been a proud partner of the Special Olympics Convoy for more than 15 years.

Shukhratbekov describes how the Olympians and drivers teamed up to drive in the convoy together last October: 鈥淢any of the Olympians were excited to get in the passenger seat and get to know the drivers. With the help of local police, drivers and Olympians made a 1 hour loop north then back to Running Aces. Our drivers take their own time and work with their fleet managers to make it up to Minnesota for this event. We appreciate them for representing Dart for such a good cause!鈥�

It鈥檚 fun to be on the road with two dogs

When you鈥檙e spending many hours on the road every day with furry companions, a challenge is making sure you give them a chance to get out of the vehicle and run around. Luckily for Wendy, Love鈥檚 Travel Stops have dog parks at their facilities all across the United States with fenced-in lots where the dogs can run free and play with other dogs. There are convenient locations, so it鈥檚 fairly easy for truck drivers to schedule the route and give dogs that opportunity for play time.

Truck drivers deliver all different types of freight

Wendy鈥檚 work for Dart mostly involves hauling personal care products for a large multinational brand, and she also transports loads for one of the largest Big Box companies in the US. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a refrigerated trailer, I鈥檓 a dry van.鈥� This limitation helps shape the types of loads with which Dart will send her.

Truck drivers need to be aware of and engaging in safe practices

One of the most important aspects of Wendy鈥檚 job is the ability to discern what鈥檚 safe and what鈥檚 not safe in a typical 410-mile day. If she can stay focused on being safe and smart, the rest will take care of itself. 鈥淗ow long a load will take depends on the weather and it depends on the construction a driver faces on the road – there can be some loads that you pick up and it takes two days to deliver versus you pick up a load and it takes you three or four days to deliver – it varies just depending on what area you run in.鈥�

Working for a good company and having companions with you can be the two keys to happiness as a truck driver

鈥淒art is a really good company to work for. They allow you to have pets on the road with you and they give you whatever down time you need.鈥� Having her dogs as traveling companions, Wendy has created a home away from home. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e my babies. The fun, the running up trying to climb up on my shoulder or climb up on my leg when I鈥檓 driving. It gives you a sense of freedom to where you鈥檙e out on the road. You鈥檙e at peace, you鈥檙e calm. The job can be a little bit stressful. At the end of the day you go in, you take a shower, you pick back up, you feed your dogs, you walk them, and relax. And they do silly things. Playing with each other, sitting for a treat, the simple pleasures.鈥�

Fully equipped with a refrigerator, a microwave, a George Foreman Grill, and a crock pot, Wendy cooks most meals  in her truck. At the end of a long day, she  closes her truck curtains and cooks up a big feast for herself, which often involves a nice steak. Sometimes Shadow and Trixie are lucky to be served a sliver of steak themselves. After she finishes dinner and cleans up, she likes to put a 鈥済ood chick flick鈥� in the DVD player and settle in for the night. 鈥淣ot much more than that. It鈥檚 just a simple day.鈥�

If you want to read more about dogs in trucks, check out this story about Jameson, or this story about Sanza.

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Resources:
Wall Street Journal