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along for
the ride
those classes that they had on unemployment and they’re
like, ‘What do you like to do?’ I said, ‘I like to do masonry,
plumbing, carpentry, construction and I like to drive.’
They go, ‘You like to drive? Here, call this number.’”
He called the number, reported to the address he was
given — a Rite Aid distribution center contracted to Swift
Transportation — and asked if they were, in fact, hiring.
In the retelling of the story, he stops and chuckles at how
green he was.
“They go, ‘How long have you had your license?’ I
said, ‘Since I was 16, like everybody else,’” he said with
a laugh.
“They go, ‘I mean, how long have you had your trucker’s
license?’ I’m like, ‘You need a special license to be a
trucker?’” he continued. “The guy just shook his head and
said, ‘Here, call this number — and if you get your CDL,
give me a call.’”
In short, Larry did go on to earn his CDL and began a
career as a professional driver.
Angie, on the other hand, grew up in Springfield, Illinois.
She was well into a career in office work and was
busy raising two girls of her own when she and Larry
crossed paths.
“I met Larry about eight and a half years ago,” she said.
“I’d always told my friends, ‘There’s no way I’m ever going
to date a trucker,’ given their lifestyle. And, of course,
the one guy I fall for is a trucker. About a year later we
were married.”
The wedding meant more than just a change of marital
status for Angie.
“We were sick of being apart because he would be gone
for weeks at a time, and I’m like, ‘This is no fun!’” she
said. “One day his boss was like, ‘You guys, your kids are
all grown. Why doesn’t Angie get her CDL?’ Larry was
my driving trainer and that’s how I got my license.”
The road hasn’t always been smooth, but the couple has
learned how to pick their battles and navigate life as a both
a couple and a driving team. That’s partially what led them
to add a pet to the mix.
Like a lot of drivers who travel with pets, the road to
the couple’s family expanding to include three dogs started
with one. Gizmo, a Shih Tzu-Pomeranian mix who joined
the family three and a half years ago. It was Angie’s idea.
“I just missed having a pet, because I always had a pet
at home. I’m like, ‘Let’s get a puppy,’” she said. “Then we
both fell in love with Gizmo. Gizmo’s the one we always
say is our comedian. He’s so funny, and he just blended in
so well with the truck.”
They loved the first pup so much that the decision was
made to get Bandit, a second “Shih Pom” from the same
mother. In the time since, the two pups have staked their
respective claims to their owners.
“Gizmo has pretty much been Larry’s dog,” Angie said.
“Bandit’s been mine since Day 1.”
A little more than a month ago, the couple decided to really
shake up the pack by indulging Larry’s lifelong dream
of owning a Siberian Husky. Any doubts the pair had about
adding a large dog to the confines of a semi — even one
with an expanded sleeper — were quieted upon meeting
Nova.
“When we knew we were getting this truck, just out of
the blue I told Angie, ‘You know what? Since we’re getting
a bigger truck, maybe I could get my dog,’” he said.
“She started researching, and she started showing me pictures
of Huskies. When Nova came across the screen, I’m
like, ‘Oh my God! She’s perfect. I want her!’”
It was a match made in heaven.
“When we first went to get her and the breeder put her
in my arms, she just melted and was so calm, so relaxed —
she was like a baby,” Larry said. “She almost fell asleep in
my arms. I went, ‘Yes, this is it. This is the one.’ She’s been
perfect ever since.”
Contrary to what one might think about owning that
many dogs, especially on the road, Larry and Angie say the
stress of life behind the wheel has actually reduced with
the three companions on board. From inspiring the couple
to get out and exercise more regularly to helping them unwind
after a hard shift, the dogs have made life better.
“It’s a stressful job being out on the road,” Larry said.
“There’s a lot of stress out there. When I shut down and I
climb into bed, the boys climb in with me, and we snuggle.
They just totally calm me down.”
Angie says she also loves having the trio of four-legged
friends on board.
“When I’m driving in daytime, I usually (drive through)
construction and all the accidents throughout the day,” Angie
said. “Gizmo, especially, can sense when I’m getting
anxious. As soon as he starts feeling me getting tense, he
comes up right next to the driver’s side, and he’ll just sit
there. He doesn’t do anything, but it’s kind of like his way
of saying, ‘It’s OK, Mom.’ Then I’ll sit there and pet him.
They really are huge stress relievers.”
32 THE TRUCKER JOBS MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2022 WWW.THETRUCKERJOBS.COM