Trucker Dog - Name Unknown

Making the trip from Sewanee, Tennessee to Virginia Beach, Virginia is approximately 12 hours; if it isn't raining and if everything works right. Knoxville, Tennessee cannot be avoided whether you go I81 through Virginia to I64 or if you go I40 to Asheville, North Carolina and on to Virginia Beach via Hwy58. Knoxville doesn't have a true bypass and there is always road construction going on. Four lanes (one direction) suddenly go to two and then three other overpasses have entrance ramps on to the two lane section. We didn't see any fire engines, police or rescue vehicles, but we were cruising along around 60 mph when suddenly the traffic ahead was completely stopped. For about five minutes it inched forward a bit and then stopped, dead, no movement.........for over 30 minutes. Cars backed up around five miles behind us, cars on the overpasses, a bus, a dumptruck, a truck pulling a flatbed trailer with two golf carts, and many, many large trucks.

Everyone finally started shutting down the engines of the cars, bus, and those big trucks. Doors opened, windows opened; people got out of the trucks and cars; they walked around and talked to each other. I40 had become a huge parking lot.

There was a big white semi-trailer truck beside my van. I looked over and up to see this dog sitting in the passenger seat, calmly looking out the window. He didn't bark or hang his head out the window; he just sat in his seat and looked, at me. He looked big, a bit intimidating, strong, like a dog you would think a trucker would have. But when his driver got out of the truck, he finally lost his cool and barked. Wouldn't you know it, he had a high pitched bark, not manly and deep at all, more like a Pekingese. When the driver got back in his rig, the dog took his seat and resumed staring. Soon, the obstruction was removed (we never did figure out what the problem was) and we restarted our engines and resumed the trip. I have wondered since then how many truckers have companion traveling buddies such as this?

Be sure to check out other dog stories and pictures at Carnival of the Dogs, this Sunday, hosted by Mickey's Musings.