Haick Avakian · Updated March 4, 2026
Tyler Forney wasn’t browsing job boards or watching YouTube ads when he found out about CitizenShipper. He was pumping gas. A stranger mentioned the platform in passing, the kind of casual tip you’d usually forget by the time you got home. Tyler didn’t forget it.
Starting out: a side income with a real purpose
Tyler is honest about what brought him to pet transport. He and his family needed a second income stream, and CitizenShipper seemed like a practical way to build one. “Just trying to get our lives where they need to be with two incomes,” he said. That’s not a glamorous origin story, but it’s a real one, and it reflects why a lot of drivers end up on the platform in the first place.
He’s been at it for a few months now and says he’s genuinely enjoying it. The thing that won him over early was how simple the platform is to navigate. From bidding on a shipment to communicating with pet owners, the process clicked for him quickly. For someone picking this up as a side gig rather than a full-time career, that low learning curve matters.
Tyler’s approach to pricing is straightforward: bid low, stay consistent, and let the work speak for itself. He doesn’t overthink the strategy. In a marketplace where pet owners are often comparing multiple drivers at once, being competitive on price while delivering reliable service is a sensible way to build a track record from scratch.
Renting smart: why Tyler uses Enterprise for his transports
One thing that sets Tyler apart from many drivers on the platform is his vehicle setup. Rather than putting the miles on his personal car, he rents through Enterprise. It’s a practical choice that more people consider than you might expect, especially drivers who are newer to the work and haven’t yet committed to a dedicated transport vehicle.
Tyler is clear-eyed about the physical reality of this job. The most important thing he wishes he’d known before starting? “It’s a lot on your car and body.” Long drives take a toll, and that’s not something the job listings tend to mention. Renting sidesteps at least the vehicle side of that equation, keeping the wear and tear off his own car while he figures out the right longer-term setup.
For pet owners, the vehicle question often comes down to whether the animal will be safe and comfortable. Tyler’s answer to that is simple: he makes sure every animal is settled in their crate with proper bedding before the trip starts. The crate setup is the foundation of a calm transport, and getting that right from the start reduces stress for the animal the whole way through.
Specializing in cats: the quieter side of pet transport
Most people picture dogs when they think about pet transportation, but Tyler’s main focus is cats. Cat transport has its own rhythm. Cats tend to be more sensitive to unfamiliar environments than dogs, which means the crate setup and the overall calm of the transport environment matter even more. A dog might settle in after a few minutes of driving; a cat might need the whole trip to feel safe.
Tyler hasn’t run into any serious problems with his shipments so far. Things have gone smoothly, which he credits to keeping things simple: comfortable crating, regular stops, and staying in constant contact with the pet owner throughout the journey.
If you’re looking for someone to handle your cat’s transport, understanding how a driver approaches communication and comfort is just as important as the price. Cat shipping through CitizenShipper lets you read driver profiles, check reviews, and ask questions before you commit to anyone.
Want quotes from drivers like Tyler who prioritize your pet’s comfort? Get free quotes from background-checked pet transporters on CitizenShipper and pick the driver you feel good about.
How Tyler keeps pet owners in the loop
Communication is where Tyler puts consistent effort. He texts frequently during transport, sends photos along the way, and makes sure owners know whenever he stops. “Stay connected the whole time, send pics, and let them know when you stop,” he said. That’s the approach, and he follows it on every run.
He’s also straightforward about how he handles anything unexpected: he texts the customer right away and tells them what’s going on. No guessing, no delays, just direct communication. That kind of transparency is exactly what anxious pet owners are hoping for when they hand their animal to someone they’ve never met.
Tyler also uses GPS tracking, which he sees as another layer of reassurance for the people he’s working with. “It gives them peace of mind,” he said. Knowing where their pet is at any point in the journey takes real pressure off pet owners, especially on longer routes.
He checks in on his CitizenShipper profile and performance metrics regularly, which tells you something about how seriously he takes the feedback loop. Reviews matter on a platform like this, and Tyler’s strategy for earning good ones is simple: do right by the animal and the owner, and the review tends to follow.
CitizenShipper’s trust and safety practices back all of this up at the platform level, with background checks on drivers and a review system that keeps the community accountable.
What Tyler has learned in his first few months
A few months in, Tyler has picked up some things he’d pass on to anyone thinking about getting started. The biggest one is about expectations. This work is genuinely rewarding, but it asks something of you physically. Long drives are long drives, and if you’re doing multiple transports a week, that adds up. Going in with a realistic sense of what the job demands makes you better prepared to sustain it.
His advice for new drivers is two words: stay consistent. Show up, follow through, keep your communication steady, and don’t try to cut corners on what pet owners actually need from you. Consistency is what builds a reputation on a platform where your review history is your calling card.
On pricing, he keeps it simple. Bidding competitively got him in the door early on. Once you’ve built a few positive reviews, you have more to work with, but when you’re just starting out, giving pet owners a reason to take a chance on you makes sense.
If you’re curious about what the financial side of this looks like before you commit, the CitizenShipper driver profit calculator is worth a few minutes of your time. It factors in real costs like fuel and tolls so you can see what a route actually nets you.
Thinking about adding pet transport to your income? See how drivers like Tyler get started on CitizenShipper and find out what building a side income on your own schedule actually looks like.
The part Tyler didn’t expect to love: traveling with family
When Tyler talks about the most rewarding part of the job, it’s not the money, though that’s clearly part of the picture. It’s the travel itself, and specifically the fact that he can bring his family along. That’s a detail that doesn’t show up in most conversations about gig work, but it changes the experience significantly.
For Tyler, a transport run isn’t just a work trip. It’s time on the road with the people he’s doing this for in the first place. That reframe, turning what could feel like a grind into something that fits his actual life, might be the most practical thing he’s figured out in his first few months on the platform.
He’s not chasing a grand vision for where this goes. Right now, the goal is straightforward: build toward a more stable two-income household, do good work along the way, and keep finding ways to make the job fit around the family rather than the other way around. For a lot of people considering pet transport, that’s probably the most relatable thing he could say.
Want to learn more about how the platform works before deciding if it’s right for you? The CitizenShipper how it works page walks through the whole process, from listing a shipment to booking a driver.
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.
