How to Organize a Transport

Basically, there are two ways to transport with volunteers, the traditional
relay transport in which you run the most logical route between start and
end and divide it into segments / legs of approxiamately 100 miles each and
those in which you find a trucker or other volunteer going the whole way or
most of it.

Experienced transport coordinators will tell you to always include
a route divided into legs to leave open the option of a relay while maybe
hoping for a single source transport like a trucker, RVer or business
traveler, whenever you post a Transport Needed request.

The work in a relay transport comes from the communication and coordination
needed to get that many people working together in sync. And yet they have
been used by rescues for years to move dogs from shelter to foster to
forever home, sometimes clear across the country. If you have the time,
patience and communication and organizational skills, they do work.

If you don't, either recruit someone in your group to function as your
Transport Coordinator who does or turn to outside transport resources like
CUR on any number of individuals who volunteer to coordinate transport runs
and work with different rescues. 

Help and advice from more experienced
coordinators is usually available for those who are inexperienced and are
willing to learn. If you need a mentor, email us and we will make
introductions to some who may be able to help you.

RollingRescue does not provide coordinator services. Our moderators have
served in that capacity, individually, in special cases, but it is not the
norm and is done completely on their own.

Getting Started:

If you read and follow the directions for posting to rollingrescue you will
be able to formulate a post that makes it easy for potential volunteers to
see exactly what and where you need help and if you include a route with the
legs, you will have one post that can be used on most any transport list and
will be equally usable to the trucker or the volunteer who can only drive
one leg. Print out the directions and follow them as you write your post.

Handling Responses:

As people respond, you keep track of how your route is filling out, you
respond to each one confirming their participation or if you have
duplicates, asking if one would mind being a back up in case someone has to
drop out at the last minute. You also collect their information you will
need. Initially, what day(s) and time(s) are they available to drive, how
far can they go, do they absolutely need a crate or if you feel you must
have a crate, can they accommodate that size crate in their particular
vehicle.

Be sure that they are informed of the dog's personality and any quirks the
dog has. Find out if they are familiar with this breed, too. There are many
breed characteristics that you are going to be familiar with and accept as
normal which they may not be aware of. Special medical or behavorial
problems need to be fully disclosed and understood to protect both the dog
and the transporter. Fear biting, deafness, dog aggression, strong prey
drive, a tendancy to bolt, etc. are all examples of things people should be
aware of before they are confirmed as volunteers.

The information we ask for in our guidelines for posting will make sure that
significant potential problem areas are presented from the beginning, but
our posts do not address those things best described as breed
characteristics. The point is, don't assume. Ask. Tell. Communicate. And
once informed, if they still agree to assist, be sure they have been
instructed on how to handle those issues.

Information You'll Need From Volunteers

You get their name, their home city and state, their day and evening phone
numbers and cell phone numbers as well as their email addresses. You will
need those to ensure you can contact them and stay in contact with them
during the transport. You ask for information on their vehicle such as make,
model, year and license plate and color which will assist the people they
will meet in spotting their car at the meeting location. And most will also
ask for a driver's license number. A brief physical description of
themselves is also gotten. A sample blank Driver Information Sheet is in a 
separate file.

All of this information is used by the coordinator to facilitate
communications and also for security purposes. If a transporter does not
arrive at the meeting place on time and they have your dog, you have the
information you need to try and contact them or if need be, contact the
state and local police. Accidents happen and transporters have been known to
steal dogs, it pays to be able to confirm who you are dealing with and be
able to track them down if ever needed.

Arranging the Transfer of the dog from person to person:

When you have adjoining legs filled, you put those two people in touch with
each other and ask them to work out their meeting place and time (based on
the overall schedule of the entire transport, of course) and then they need
to tell you exactly where they will meet and when. Be very specific, use an
exit number as well as an exit name: "US 131, exit 79A, 28th Street East
exit, at the Bob Evans on 28th St, one block east of US 131 on the south
side of the street". as opposed to "we're meeting at the 28th St Bob Evans
resturant".

Exit numbers don't usually change, can't be mispelled and are faster to spot
than using just the name of the exit alone.  And in many states, most states
actually now days, they correspond to the mile markers, allowing people to
know how close they are to a given exit at any time. 

If I am heading north
on US 131 and I pass the 69 mile marker, I know I am ten miles from the exit
I need to get off at.  Just be sure you are using an up to date road Atlas
or routing program. Many states over the past few years have been
renumbering their exits so they do correspond with the mile markers and an
old Atlas may be incorrect.

Finalizing A Run Plan:

Anyway, when all of this information is collected, you have a complete
Driver Information Sheet that says who meets whom, where, when, what they
will be driving and how to recognize each other. These individual Driver
Information Sheets are compiled (copy and paste) into a final Run Sheet, you
add your own information on how and when to contact the Transport
Coordinator and the Run Sheet is then sent to each particiapant.

Begin a week before the run to monitor the weather and road conditions along
the route.

The Day of the Run:

The day of the transport your Transport Coordinator will need to plan to be
by the phone and computer for the duration of the run. When you send out
that Final Run Sheet, you will instruct people to call you immediately if
there are any problems, they are delayed, can't find the meeting place, no
one shows up to meet them, etc.

Your transport coordinator becomes the communication hub for everyone. For
those without cell phones or those who find themselves with dead batteries
or no service areas, you are their only means of communicating with the
people they are supposed to meet.

You should also ask each one to call you as soon as their portion of the run
is completed, so you know the progerss and approximate location of the
animal at all times. If weather or other circumstances cause delays, you
will need to communicate that to others on down the line.

Preparing the Dog and Supplies:

When the big day comes, the dog should be ready with a good ID tag firmly
attached to it's collar with your phone numbers on it, a collar and leash,
fed a light meal, pottied and clean. It should be accompanied by it's health
certificate and rabies certificate, any instructions needed for medications
or special feeding, a pair of plastic bowls for food and water, a jug of
water, a bag of food sufficient to the distance and time involved and a some
chewies and toys. If the animal has a favorite blanket or toy, make sure it
goes with them.

 If you are using a crate, be sure it is marked with your name, address and
phone number and the name, address and phone number of the person receiving
the dog. I also like to have a piece of paper along that lists the dog's
name, sex, spay / neutered, breed, gives a physical description of the dog
and identifies the rescue to whom the dog belongs, how to contact them and
lists the authorized transporters. 

Should an animal escape en route, the transporter has all the information needed 
to report it to local authorities immediately and should it land in a local 
shelter, they will have something to prove that they are authorized to bail it 
out.

It is a good idea to include a few drammamine tablets. If it is a long
transport, lasting more than a day, include some ID Modium. Provide
instructions for how much and how often to give these if nausea or dirareah
developes. 

If you know for a fact that the dog gets car sick, a crate is a
must and be sure to administer the drammamine an hour before it is to depart
or as recommended by your vet and tell people when to administer the next
dose. If the animal is on other medications, make sure you have written down
what was given and when and when to dose again.

The other item that many send along is a disposable camera with instructions
for each person to be sure and use it. A picture is taken of each
transporter with the dog. This becomes a nice addition to the baby book for
the new family, provides you with a record proving that a given transporter
had the dog in their possession and provides pictures for your rescue's
website, etc.

Be sure that you make a copy of the health certificate and rabies
vaccination certificate and any other records that accompany the dog. I
prefer to send the copies on the road and keep the originals which can then
be mailed to the new owner.

WORKING WITH TRUCKERS:

If your dog is traveling with a trucker, all of the above applies in terms
of information you need to supply about the dog, what to pack, etc. You will
also collect similar information on the trucker. Their name and phone
numbers, email address, etc. You will also want to ask what company they are
driving for or leased to and what their unit number is. 

You may also ask them if, in case of an emergency and you are unable to contact 
them by cell phone, pager, etc, if it is okay to contact them through their 
company's dispatch office and what phone number to use for that and how to 
identify yourself to the company.

In most cases, you will have a contact person such as a spouse or parent to
work with in addition to some means of direct contact with the trucker.  Any
contact with the driver's company should be with their permission and after some
discussion. Some drivers are employees and their company may or may not know
about their rescue work, may have policies about relaying messages through
dispatchers, etc. ALWAYS Discuss it with them before you risk creating a problem for them.

Understand that truckers are driven by their loading and unloading schedule
first and foremost. If they have to make a pick up or delivery before they
hand the dog off, they may be detained at the receiver's or shipper's and
unable to meet at the appointed time. 

Make sure that whoever you have
getting the dog to or from them is either very flexible and easy to contact
and / or have a back up person available to step in to meet the truck. Do
not put yourself in the position of scheduling someone to meet a truck and
get a dog off an hour before your volunteer had to to be at work, pick up a
child from school or other critically timed events.

There will be times when a trucker has offered their services, but can not,
at the onset, say exactly what day or time they will arrive to pick up or
deliver a dog, especially if those are occuring along their route and not in
a city where they deliver or pick up their paying load. If you and the
people on the other end are flexible, this need not be prohibitive.

Determine how much advance notice they can give you and if it works for you,
go for it. If not, seek another way to move your dog.  When possible, it is
best to time the pick up of a dog to correspond with a time and location
when the driver will be stopping for the night or at least taking a break.
This allows some get aquainted time with the dog before the driver has to
hit the road. And, worse case scenerio, an insurmountable problem emerges,
you can come back and collect the dog.

Also, understand that trucks are limited to where they can go. Ask them
where they would like to meet your volunteers. Chances are it will need to
be a truckstop or rest area along their route. Malls and grocery stores with
large parking lots MAY be an option, but in many places, trucks are either
not welcome in those settings unless they happen to be delivering there or
the roads leading to them are not truck routes.

Likewise, the ability to navigate a particular entrance or parking lot or
route is much different for a semi truck and trailer. Low bridges,
cement traffic dividers in parking lot entrances, arches or signs, truck
routes, etc. are all things that truckers have to think about that usually do
not occur to those who drive cars.

If you are scheduled to meet a trucker at a truck stop, expect that you will
need to meet them in the resturant parking lot. If you are taking a dog to
them and you want to see the truck, you will need to walk back into the
truck parking area. Four wheelers are generally not allowed in these parking lots.
Have them come to the resturant and then escort you back on foot. Most truck
parking areas are crowded; wandering around alone, trying to find a strange
truck could  be difficult and dangerous.

Always be sure that you know what the trucker needs to be able to help you.
Some want a crate, some don't have room for them. Don't assume. Ask.
Communicate. Be sure that the trucker is aware of the dog's personality,
housebreaking skills or lack thereof, how it acts on a leash, reacts to
people, behaviors like chewing, biting, etc. BEFORE finalizing transport
plans.

All transporters should be fully aware of any habits or quirks a dog has,
but with the trucker, the dog is going into their home on wheels. They are
taking it to work with them as well. They may have their own pets on board,
their wife or child and they all have the same fabrics that you have in your
home: carpet, leather, pillows, bedding, etc.

If the dog can not be trusted with potty habits or chews things, is dog or
cat or child aggressive, they must know before hand in order to decide what
they can and can not handle or what measures can be taken to allow them to
work around the problem. 

That is true of all transport volunteers, but given
that a trucker is apt to be driving ten hours a day with additional time
spent on paperwork each day, for several days at a time, while dealing with
the transport animal, it becomes even more critical.

Truckers who are experienced with transporting or who have their own animals
on board will most likely be supplied with paper towels, Lysol, stain
removers, etc. already, but it does not hurt to ask if they have those
things already or if you should send some along. 

It is not always possible
for them to stop at a regular store and these kinds of things tend to be
very pricey at truckstops. A truck can not stop the minute a dog informs
them they have to go. An occasional accident is almost inevitable. If you
find yourself dealing with a trucker who has not done many transports, you
might want to discuss that issue. If you're working with a trucker who has
been recruited from your circle of friends and does not normally travel with
dogs, be sure you discuss it.

The age, mobility and size of a dog becomes more important in trucking
transports, too. Trucks are configured in various ways, but safe to assume
the dog is going to have to either be capable of climbing or jumping in and
out or be lifted in and out, a much further distance than a car or van.

Where lifting may be necessary, the driver is going to be lifting the dog
near shoulder height to get them to the floor of the cab from the ground. A
large dog with mobility problems may not be an option for a truck. Depending
on the degree of the dog's infirmity and the driver's physical ability, a
sturdy harness on the dog may solve the problem  by providing a good
"handle" by which the driver can assist and steady  the dog in climbing in
and helping to ease them out without injuring the dog or themselves.

Finally, to get the most from the resources that truckers represent, be
creative in visualizing how you can work with them.

If a truck can provide 2,500 miles of a 3,000 mile transport, is it possible
to find volunteers to patch the rest of the transport together, possibly
laying over the dog with someone in the area where the dog and truck must go
separate ways and then relaying it the rest of the way?

 If the dog is in a city along the truck's route and the truck will
eventually get to or near the dog's destination but is going elsewhere in
between, is it worth it to have the dog on the truck a few extra days?

If you only intended to start the dog out by driving a hundred mile leg of a
relay, but a trucker volunteers who could take the dog the whole way but
you'd have to drive 200 miles to meet them because that is as close as
they're getting to your city, is it worth it?

The answers to those questions depends on how long your transport is and how
good your chances are of moving the dog in a typical relay style transport.
Cross country relays are montrous time-consuming coordinating jobs,
involving a lot of volunteers, requiring layovers and almost always involve
some regions where volunteers are hard to find.

A truck can go a long ways towards making life easier for the dog and you by
vastly reducing the number of people involved and the time spent
coordinating the transfers. There may be times when a relay would be as fast
or maybe even faster in terms of total elapsed time in transport, but harder
on you and the dog when all is said and done.