Krebs stated, “If I couldn’t bring her, I wouldn’t have done it.” “I wouldn’t have wanted to go into trucking in the first place.”
Krebs described herself as an “animal person” from a young age. She worked as a veterinary medicine technician for 16 years, so you might say she was bred to be an animal lover. Pebbles was one of five cats she got during her stint as a vet tech.
She explained, “It’s not unheard of in the veterinary industry.”
Although having five Sphynx cats and counting is unusual in a standard household, Krebs says it is the perfect match for her personality.
She stated, “I am not a cat person.” “I’m a dog lover. However, there is one cat breed that I adore: the Sphynx, sometimes known as the hairless cat. Their vocals have a friendlier tone to them, and they’re more social.”
Krebs says she got to wrestle with dogs a lot in her previous job as a vet tech. Sphynx cats, in her opinion, behave similarly to dogs.
She also revealed that she had admired the Sphynx breed since she first saw one on television as a child.
Krebs remarked, “I used to think that if I ever bought a cat, it would be that kind of cat.” She ended up with five. In fact, she claims that the company of five Sphynx cats has helped her deal with despair and divorce.
She stated, “I’m 50 years old.” “All I could think was, ‘How many more operations can I do?'” ‘How much longer do I want to wrestle 100-pound dogs on the floor?’
Kelly Jones, Krebs’ truck-driving boyfriend, took her on a three-week run in his truck as she recovered from hand surgery.
“I was just a passenger,” she explained, “and I just kind of fell in love with it.” “I definitely considered (driving a big truck) as a kid, but I was terrified. Going on the road with Kelly provided me a unique perspective on the lifestyle. You’re driving at 2 a.m. on occasion. You’re driving at 2 p.m. on occasion. It appeals to me because you sleep at weird hours.”
Krebs decided it was the right time to walk out over the road and “give this a go” now that her children had grown up and graduated from college.
“I’m excited to see stuff I haven’t seen before,” she remarked. She was born and reared in California and hasn’t seen much of the country. She’s spent her entire life in San Diego and considers herself “spoiled” to be able to drive to both the beach and the mountains in the same day.
“I haven’t seen — much less lived in — any other areas, but I’m curious to see what this means and to discover someplace I like better than San Diego, which will be difficult,” she said.
Jones asked Krebs whether she was open to the prospect of moving when she began her CDL training.
Krebs is looking forward to simplifying her life and living on a budget, with the option of purchasing a home and vacationing whenever she wants.
She explained, “It’s just being able to live and have so much power over what you do.” “Right now, I mean, your dispatch does a lot of things, but you’re kind of your own boss. You can tour the country and spend as much time at home as you like. That interests me. I’m delighted to work for myself while yet having the security of a business driver.”
Krebs is nearing the end of her training and is putting her skills to the test with Knight Transportation in order to obtain her own vehicle. Of course, she double-checked that Knight would allow her to travel with a cat. Krebs said she’s ready to go now that the company has been “cat checked” and her training is nearly complete.
Krebs, on the other hand, revealed that she had to choose which of her five cats to take on the voyage. Sprite and Raisin, for example, are sisters, and she didn’t want to separate them. Smudge and Tiny, on the other hand, were a little too energetic at times. Pebbles won by a landslide, she said since she had the best disposition and potential for handling life on the road.
That doesn’t rule out the possibility of the other cats reappearing. Krebs enlisted the help of friends to look after them when she is away, and she enjoys seeing and hearing from her fur-free lifelong mates.
Krebs expressed her satisfaction with her choice of companion. Pebbles like being on the road, and Krebs enjoys having the cat around.
Krebs remarked, “She basically sits in the passenger seat and is a fantastic co-pilot.” “Even though she isn’t a road dog like most people, she has done incredible things for me, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have her. I had no concept of what it would be like to load her onto a truck, and she has complete control. She sleeps the majority of the time when we’re on the move. She’s a food hound, and she’ll bolt if she hears a wrapper or if we open the cooler in any way.”
Pebbles, a “dwelf,” or dwarf elf cat, is tiny about 4 pounds, which helps. Pebbles is built like a dachshund, with a long body and short legs, according to Krebs. Pebbles was given the moniker “Squish” due to her dachshund-like stature.
The group’s appearance is a conversation starter for most, thanks to Pebbles the hairless cat, and Krebs’ purple hair. Jones took her and Pebbles on the road, and the three were detained in a terminal for three days, according to Krebs. She continued, “Everyone who walked by wanted to know about her one-of-a-kind cat.”
Krebs smiled, “It sparked a lot of conversations, and she was kind of this little celebrity of the terminal for three days.” “She carries her small bells with her wherever she goes. Everyone adores her; she is so friendly. Sphynx cats aren’t your normal feline. They aren’t aloof; they want to be liked, and they are gregarious. They don’t hide in the corner and only emerge when they feel like it. They’re just lovers, in my experience, and they want to be wherever you are.”
Krebs aspires to do the same, while appreciating her own life and independence. In some ways, she’s always been a free spirit, especially after a 19-year battle with breast cancer.
She remarked about her life after becoming a cancer survivor, “For a little period, I did sort of roam around.” “After I was divorced, I said to myself, ‘You know what? I have complete freedom to do whatever I choose. I don’t know anyone.’ At the time, the color of the year was a dark burgundy, purple-red hue. “I went to my hairdresser and told him that’s exactly what I wanted.”
Krebs’ purple hair is a remembrance of her survival. She has persevered through all of life’s trials and believes she has found the life she was supposed to live. Krebs stated she discovered a partner in Pebbles during a period of depression. She met Jones, whom she refers to as her “home,” as well as a whole other life waiting to be discovered on the road, as a result of her divorce.
