Somewhere in the middle of a North Carolina blizzard, Melissa Ballard had broken windshield wipers, a Maine Coon in a kennel, and two puppies waiting to be picked up in Charlotte. The interstate was closing behind her. She kept driving.
That trip started in Jonesville, Virginia, wound through Virginia Beach for a cat pickup, then through the storm to Charlotte for the drop-off and puppy pickup, and finally all the way up to New York. Then, once in New York, she got a flat tire.
“All worked out fine,” she said.
That pretty much sums up Melissa’s approach to the job.
How a Love of Animals Turned into Life on the Road
Melissa drives a Ford Escape and operates primarily along the East Coast, running routes between Virginia and New Hampshire, Virginia and Ohio, and plenty of local trips in between. She came to CitizenShipper after seeing an ad, drawn in by one simple thing: she loves animals.
What most customers don’t know when they book with her is that she also volunteers at animal control and rescue organizations. Pet transport isn’t just a side hustle for Melissa. It fits into a broader commitment to animal welfare that she’s built her life around.
“I value quality over quantity,” she said. “I will care for animals’ welfare before anyone.”
She’s selective about the number of transports she takes on, carries a thorough emergency kit, and she thinks carefully about every animal in her care. For Melissa, getting a pet safely to its destination isn’t the job. It’s the whole point.
What She Does to Keep Animals Calm on Long Drives
Melissa travels with blankets, kennels, water, food, and extra leashes. She talks to the animals, pets them when it’s safe to do so, and checks in regularly during stops.
Her emergency kit goes further than most: antibiotics, flea medication, syringes, paper towels, wet wipes, plastic bags, a battery charger, a tire pump, and extra food and toys. It’s important to be prepared for the kinds of things that don’t show up in the original shipment listing.
She uses GPS tracking during transports so owners can follow along, which she says helps customers who tend to worry. Given that she’s often moving someone’s dog hundreds of miles away, that’s most of them.
Melissa stops regularly for breaks, texts owners when she’s on the way, when she stops for gas, and when she’s getting close to the destination. If a customer prefers calls, she adjusts. “It depends on the job,” she said. “If they text, I text back.”
Want your pet to travel with this level of care? Get free quotes from background-checked drivers like Melissa on CitizenShipper, and choose the driver you feel best about.
The Drop-Off That Made Her Cry
Melissa has done a lot of transports, but one sticks with her. She picked up a dog from an owner who had to give up the pet for adoption. Understandably, she was devastated to give her up. The parting was hard to watch, and Melissa comforted her before leaving.
At the drop-off, seeing the dog settle in with the new owner, Melissa started crying too.
“When I dropped off her dog at the destination, it was so heartwarming that I was crying,” she said. “I let the original owner know that the new owner was a good fit, and that relieved her anxiety.”
Melissa understands that pet transportation isn’t just about being an animal lover; you also have to be have good interpersonal skills. She made a point of communicating to the original owner the good news that the dog was happy in its new home.
Her Advice for New Drivers (and a Warning She Can’t Stress Enough)
Melissa has real, specific advice for anyone thinking about getting started in pet transport. It comes from experience, not theory.
Safety comes first in everything she does. And one rule she won’t bend on: never open a carrier or kennel when a door to the outside is open. She’s heard about incidents where this went wrong, and the consequences for an escaped or frightened animal can be severe. It sounds obvious until something goes sideways and you’re in a parking lot trying to catch a panicking dog near traffic.
She also learned the hard way not to take customer descriptions at face value. “Don’t trust a customer when they say their dog is a Lab and is friendly,” she said. “I saw one attack a kitten.” Knowing the animal you’re picking up, getting real information about its temperament, and being prepared for surprises is part of the job.
Her bidding approach is straightforward: after she submits a bid, she immediately messages the customer. Pricing factors in miles, tolls, and whether it’s a single-animal shipment.
She’s found that undercutting herself to win jobs backfires. “I had one review and realized that I charged too low and fit her into my schedule and it didn’t work.” Pricing appropriately isn’t just good for drivers. It protects the quality of care the animal gets.
Thinking about becoming a pet transporter? Read the CitizenShipper animal transporter guide to understand what’s involved, from USDA registration to building your first reviews.
The part of the job that makes everything else worth it
Ask Melissa what she loves about the work and her answer is short: “When an animal reaches its destination and gets home.”
Her goal, stated plainly, is to do good work and not get a bad review. There’s something genuinely refreshing about someone who’s just focused on doing the thing well.
The animals don’t know any of that, of course. They just know that the ride was calm, the kennel had a blanket, and someone talked to them the whole way there. Which is, in the end, exactly what matters.
Ready to find a driver who genuinely cares about your pet? Browse verified CitizenShipper drivers and get real quotes from transporters with reviews, backgrounds checks, and actual experience on the road.
Onboarding and Retention Manager – I lead driver onboarding and success initiatives, ensuring new transporters are seamlessly integrated into the platform and equipped with high-performing profiles and effective customer communication strategies. I provide hands-on guidance to help them position themselves competitively and win more shipments.
Using analytics and performance data, I proactively identify inactive or underperforming transporters and develop targeted strategies to re-engage and support them. My focus is on driving long-term retention, growth, and measurable success across the business.
Content Writer at CitizenShipper. I’ve also been published on The Penny Hoarder, Mommy Poppins and mxdwn.
