husband/wife teams, 1 in truck, 1 at home

**gravdigr** · 06.26.2012

OK in my continuing education series of threads I have a bit of a different question.

My GF (we will be getting married eventually, that's a long story) wants to be involved in what I do. Her current job taking care of her multi-handicapped child will only last until he gets into a good group home, then her payments from his settlement will go away (another long story). Anyway her chances of becoming a teammate driver are slim as she can barely back our toyota rav 4, but she likes the idea of dealing with brokers/shippers negotiating rates and planning my loads. I have impressed on her what all is involved in this just from the drivers perspective but she is determined to learn and I told her there is stuff I'm sure she will need to know that I don't know yet.

So anyway I'm curious to hear from those significant others who sit at home and run the show. Specially those that were never drivers nor had any background in the shipping industry. How did you learn what you know, what didn't you know that you had to learn? Is it rewarding? What all do you do? I want to know what she needs to know so I can start educating her. She was going to go back to school before we thought of this so attending classes ,if any exist, is an option.

We would be easing into this over a period of years. I am starting out leased to a carrier that lets me plan my loads from them or from any broker/shipper I want using their agents, loadboard as well. So we can go into this gently a step at a time with little risk. I am actually learning as well so we will learn together. I am also looking into attending seminars geared towards this kind of thing. I have no problem sinking money into education as I consider it an investment in the future. I have a business background so I have something to build on, but shipping is different than running cemeteries and managing a monument company so I have a lot more to learn.

Thanks again everyone

**DragonTamerBrat** · 06.26.2012

Well, we're doing the trucking thing in stages. He's spent almost a full year as a company driver, and is now L/P at ACT. Since day 1, I've always plotted routes (purely an academic endeavor as a company guy). I'm learning how to find the best overall fuel prices, and plot his fuel route. It's an interesting endeavor, and I get to keep the books. I'm the one that has always "bird's eye viewed" the shipper/rcver to get him there. And get him turned around when he gets lost. He's got an MRCA and a cell phone. We're working on the laptop/wifi.

Basically, he drives and I do all the logistics. We've got a few years before we're ready to go on our own or w/ someone like Landstar. But we are learning as we go. We're just starting one step behind you, in that ACT give him a choice of up to 3 loads.

Reading here. Reading between the lines, and keeping my mouth shut and fingers off the keyboard, unless it was to ask a question. Asking questions of JCW when I couldn't figure something out. If that didn't work, I asked a select few that I deem as mentors on this board.

**quitter** · 06.26.2012

I have heard of teams where one of the members does all the backing, so maybe if you let her drive forward she'd be OK. Also, FWIW in my CDL driving class there were 7 men and 3 women, and the 3 women I'd say were by far the best at the backing skills --- so I would not write her off yet, of course unless she is like my wife then you can forget about having her go forward or backward. One thing my CDL class taught me is the sterotype I had of women truck drivers was way wrong... , but I could slide the tandems better than any of them so I will cling to that stereotype until proven wrong

**DragonTamerBrat** · 06.26.2012

Originally Posted by quitter

I have heard of teams where one of the members does all the backing, so maybe if you let her drive forward she'd be OK. Also, FWIW in my CDL driving class there were 7 men and 3 women, and the 3 women I'd say were by far the best at the backing skills --- so I would not write her off yet, of course unless she is like my wife then you can forget about having her go forward or backward. One thing my CDL class taught me is the sterotype I had of women truck drivers was way wrong... , but I could slide the tandems better than any of them so I will cling to that stereotype until proven wrong

I can drive forward easy. I can't back the pick-up/stock trailer for excrement. I've tried. JCW says I need more practice. Then I ask him how many times he intends to get lost in San Antonio or DC. He shuts up, and backs the trailer into the pasture.

**gravdigr** · 06.26.2012

Can't pass the cdl range test if you can't back

**DragonTamerBrat** · 06.26.2012

Originally Posted by gravdigr

Can't pass the cdl range test if you can't back

Which is why I have absolutely NO plans to even think about driving one of those things.

**jess-juju** · 06.26.2012

I book all JJ's load and deal with the Brokers and have done for the last 5 or 6 weeks ....But I travel with him full time so it would be a little different then your Situation.

We are Leased to BBB's Company and I practiced with BBB's wife and another driver, so I would know what to NOT say to a broker

The first call I made I was so nervous I would have loved to have had a recording of it. It does get easier, you may have to make 10 calls before you get a rate you are happy with, So being patient is good.

A lot of Brokers require you to call them when you get loaded and all that I have dealt with require you to call when you are unloaded so you would have to call them or call your other half and have her call them.

It works well for JJ and I but as I said earlier I travel with him full time, he drives, figures out the routing and fuel stops and I do the rest.

Its very rewarding to Squeeze an extra couple hundred from a tight wad broker

When the rate was pretty decent to start with.

**HDFatboy** · 06.28.2012

All I can say, as a 1 man operation it sure would be nice if my wife could run the office at home!

**Pedigreed Bulldog** · 07.01.2012

Yup. One person can only do so much. Don't see any reason why the wife at home shouldn't be able to make a few phone calls and do the leg work involved in securing rate confirmations, faxing necessary documents back and forth, filing the paperwork, managing the books, etc...stuff that you can't really do while you're driving. Keeping on top of the "office" stuff while you're on the road also would free up your home time so that you can spend it with her instead of you having to take care of all of the book keeping and paperwork filing before you can relax and spend any of your limited home time with her.

**bubbanbrenda** · 07.02.2012

My wife does all my "book keeping" in her spare time,(she has a full time job).If you want to make it easier on her you have to be willing to do your part.All we do is I take an 11x14 manilla envelope the 1st of every month, and put every (and I mean every) reciept in it(including settlement sheets and logs) I get.At the end of the month I trade it for an new empty one.Then in the evenings while we are talking on the phone she goes thru the envelope organizing everything (catagorizing,and puting things in chronilogical order).She writes the totals on the front of the envelope both catagory and monthly.When she gets behind a month or two (and she will every now and then) I sit down and help her get caught up.At the end of the year we (she) has the total income and expenses for ea month,totals everything up on 1 piece of paper and off to the tax man we go.

Originally Posted by gravdigr

OK in my continuing education series of threads I have a bit of a different question.

My GF (we will be getting married eventually, that's a long story) wants to be involved in what I do. Her current job taking care of her multi-handicapped child will only last until he gets into a good group home, then her payments from his settlement will go away (another long story). Anyway her chances of becoming a teammate driver are slim as she can barely back our toyota rav 4, but she likes the idea of dealing with brokers/shippers negotiating rates and planning my loads. I have impressed on her what all is involved in this just from the drivers perspective but she is determined to learn and I told her there is stuff I'm sure she will need to know that I don't know yet.

So anyway I'm curious to hear from those significant others who sit at home and run the show. Specially those that were never drivers nor had any background in the shipping industry. How did you learn what you know, what didn't you know that you had to learn? Is it rewarding? What all do you do? I want to know what she needs to know so I can start educating her. She was going to go back to school before we thought of this so attending classes ,if any exist, is an option.

We would be easing into this over a period of years. I am starting out leased to a carrier that lets me plan my loads from them or from any broker/shipper I want using their agents, loadboard as well. So we can go into this gently a step at a time with little risk. I am actually learning as well so we will learn together. I am also looking into attending seminars geared towards this kind of thing. I have no problem sinking money into education as I consider it an investment in the future. I have a business background so I have something to build on, but shipping is different than running cemeteries and managing a monument company so I have a lot more to learn.

Thanks again everyone