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. They are a constant companion through thousands of miles, long shifts and nights on the road,” said Maddie Sullivan, product marketing manager at Volvo Trucks North America.
Spotlight on National Dog Day
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 chief executive officer of the 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.”
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,” said Sullivan. “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.
More about the pet safety test of Volvo’s truck
The guidance follows a first-of-its-kind evaluation conducted late last year at the Volvo Customer Center in Dublin, Virginia. Center for Pet Safety experts examined the Volvo VNL from a pet safety perspective, studying its anchor points, restraint options and climate control. They also took to the test track with dogs secured in Center for Pet Safety-approved harnesses and carriers to evaluate how the systems worked in real driving conditions.
The evaluation found that the Volvo VNL’s strength-tested anchor points are compatible with Center for Pet Safety Certified™ harnesses and carriers.
To download the Safe Travels With Your Pet guide, visit Center for Pet Safety.
To learn more about Volvo Trucks North America, visit the company website.
High-resolution images associated with this press release and others are available at https://press.volvotrucks.us/.
For further information, please contact:
Allison Scudder
Public Relations Manager
336.833.4679
allison.scudder@volvo.com
Volvo Trucks North America, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, is one of the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturers in North America. Its Uptime Services commitment is delivered by a network of nearly 400 authorized dealers across North America and the 24/7 Volvo Trucks Uptime Center. Every Volvo truck is assembled in the Volvo Trucks New River Valley manufacturing facility in Dublin, Virginia, which meets the internationally recognized ISO 9001 standard for quality, 14001 standard for environmental care and holds a dual ISO 50001/Superior Energy Performance certification at the platinum level, indicating a sustained excellence in energy management. Volvo Trucks North America provides complete transport solutions for its customers, offering a full range of diesel, alternative-fuel and all-electric vehicles, and is part of the Volvo Trucks global organization.
Volvo Trucks supplies complete transport solutions for discerning professional customers with its full range of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Customer support is provided via a global network of dealers with 2,200 service points in about 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 12 countries across the globe. In 2025 approximately 120,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo Trucks’ work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care.