The following is a firsthand story from team trucker Tara Gillaspie, submitted in response to our December cover story on trucker pets.

I also own a blue and gold macaw who rides with my husband Billy and me as we go down the road with are freight. (Read about another macaw-carrying trucker, as well as other drivers and their pets, in our December cover story.)

She is a little over a year old, and she has a vocabulary of about 50 words. She loves to ride on the truck with us. She love attentions from all the other drivers who take her picture; she poses for them and will holler out if they walk by without noticing her. When Billy gets out to fuel shes sit in the window hollering, “Daddy!” It’s very funny to see. She plays with me in the bunk and rolls over on her back to get a tummy rub. She will play peek-a-boo with me and even sing a song (as in “lalalalala”) when she hears me sing with the radio. Having Topaz with us is like having a child around. She is a joy to have.

We feed her a special blend of bird pellets that costs about $35 for a 35-lb. bag, lots of fruits and vegetables and whatever else Bobby and I are eating at the time. She has to share with us. You can’t feed these birds just anything — no sugar, chocolate, avocados or foods with lots of salt. This will shorten their lifespan, which can be up to 90 years.

Topaz is also potty trained. She potties on newspaper that we put on the floor behind the driver seat, and she also will say potty when she goes and tells us she was a good girl.

These birds are not for everyone because they require a lot of attention and affection. They bond to one person but tolerate others, if you keep them socialized with others. Topaz loves to go into the truckstop and grab the fuel ticket and tell the person behind the counter hello. She even waves goodbye as we are leaving.

If you are thinking of owning a macaw make sure you have a family member younger than you who would take care of this wonderful friend after you pass on, because more than likely the macaw will outlive you. All macaw have a different personalties; they aren’t always sweet. Sometimes they can get moody and bite, but Topaz has never bitten to the point it has hurt badly. It’s just her way of telling me she doesn’t like something I am doing, although sometimes she will even tell me, “Stop that! Get out of there! Quit!” Sometimes she just lets me know she don’t want to be messed with.