For many professional truck drivers, a dog or cat is more than company. A four-legged friend can ease the loneliness of life on the road, making time spent in the cab more enjoyable.

It is estimated that 60% of commercial truck drivers are pet owners, and nearly 40% bring a pet with them when they drive.

But that companionship comes with a safety responsibility. The animal may spend thousands of miles in the cab, sharing rest breaks, overnight stops, and the daily routine of life on the road. Their safety is extremely important and requires preparation and the right equipment.

Volvo Trucks North America and the nonprofit Center for Pet Safety have released a free guide for professional drivers who travel with pets. The guide’s central recommendation is straightforward: Pets should be properly restrained whenever the truck is moving. An unrestrained animal can distract a driver, interfere with vehicle controls or be thrown inside the cab during sudden braking or a collision.

The guide advises drivers to choose a crash-tested harness or carrier appropriate for the animal and to secure it to a suitable anchor point. Drivers also should plan for extreme heat or cold, carry a pet first-aid kit and prepare for emergencies that could separate them from the animal.

Those preparations can include current identification tags, vaccination and veterinary records, medications, food, water and contact information for someone who could care for the pet if the driver is hospitalized or the truck is disabled.

Drivers also should identify pet-friendly overnight accommodations before reaching the end of their available driving time.

The recommendations grew out of an evaluation at the Volvo Customer Center in Dublin, Va. where Center for Pet Safety representatives examined anchor points, restraint options and climate control in a Volvo truck and evaluated approved harnesses and carriers during track testing. Volvo said the truck’s strength-tested anchor points were compatible with products certified by the center.

However, the guidance is useful beyond one truck brand. Drivers should evaluate the actual attachment points, available space and climate-control limitations in their own equipment. A carrier may also have rules governing animals in company trucks, and customers may restrict pets at food, chemical or other sensitive facilities.

Before bringing an animal on a first long trip, drivers should consider shorter trial runs. A pet that is comfortable in a passenger vehicle may react differently to air-brake sounds, vibration, truck-stop activity or long periods in a sleeper cab.

For Alabama fleets that permit pets, the guide provides an opening to put expectations in writing. A clear policy can address restraints, cleaning, proof of vaccinations, customer restrictions, damage, emergency contacts and responsibility for the animal after a crash or breakdown.