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along for
the ride
them at home, just in case I had to leave them there, but they
really just like the truck a lot better,” she added.
Giles’ Texas ranch is home to a herd of goats, two donkeys,
two livestock dogs, a flock of Ancona and mini call ducks,
countless chickens and a couple of cats — and she plans to
continue expanding her menagerie. Her mother watches the
ranch while Giles is on the road in the northeastern U.S. for
a month at a time.
“I could give you a long list of weird chicken breeds [I
want] that you’d never hear of again, and I would love to get
back into doing cattle eventually, but that’s probably in about
20 years,” Giles said. “I love them all, and eventually I’ll
probably have them all.”
Her interest in quality breeds of chickens and ducks, many
of which cannot be shipped, has led her to use her truck as a
nursery for chicks and ducklings. Pet policy is a top priority
when it comes to choosing an employer, she said, adding that
even her two dogs are not permitted at many companies. All
Freight’s pet policy allowed her to procure the parakeets.
“I’ve always wanted some but obviously never even
thought about it because I’ve been driving a truck, but since
I’ve been with this company, they know I have a ranch,” she
said. “So, I was in the store one day and was watching these
two little parakeets and thought, ‘Let’s give this a shot.’”
She said she enjoys the birds’ “funny little habits,” such
playing king of the hill by fighting over the highest spot in
the play area.
“It’s like having toddlers with feathers,” she added. “They
really are just happy little bundles of feathers.”
The birds sing and chirp throughout the day. Like true
Texas birds, they enjoy country music, especially bouncy
tunes by Trace Adkins and Toby Keith, Giles said. When
she is having a bad day, she added, she plays their favorite
song, “We’re from the Country” by Tracy Byrd. She
needs the mood boost provided by the birds, she added,
because she got them near the two-year anniversary of her
husband’s death.
“Depression and loneliness is something every single
trucker fights with, no matter who they are or how long
they’ve been out here,” she said. “It’s all just a mind game
to keep yourself going and keep yourself sane, and cute little
fluffy birds that tear apart all their toys and throw fits if you
give them the wrong seeds are pretty good at it.”
The dogs are also a comfort on stressful days, she said, and
they provide security, as well. Giles added that she would
recommend pets to any trucker.
“I know I couldn’t do it without them,” she said. “When
you’re just so frustrated and having such a bad day, sometimes
it’s just really nice to look at something that’s cute and loves
you, and to just take care of [someone] besides yourself.”
Photos courtesy of Sarah Giles
Sarah Giles’ parakeets’ wings are clipped so they cannot
fly around the cab, and Giles has secured any items that
could shift and hurt the birds when the truck moves. In addition
to birds, Giles travels with two dogs, which provide
both comfort and security while she is on the road.
20 the trucker jobs magazine | DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021 www.TheTruckerjobs.com