I have thought about team driving. I know the downsides but I would not team unless I know the person (someone I know before I started driving).

I am curious how the pay works though. Lets say XYZ company pays solo drivers 35 cents a mile, and pays team 45 cents a mile.

Driving solo I know 35 cents a mile is obvious.

Driving team, do I get paid for the total miles driven on the truck or just the miles I personally drive?

Anyone care to untangle my mind and help me sort this out?

Thanks

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Kevin

You would split the pay that is how most companies do it say solo .30 and teams would be .60 you would spit the .60

I would love to make that much a mile teaming....60cents, wow

All kidding aside, you get half of the advertised team pay, paid on all miles, at most companies. There may be some that truly pay you only the miles you drive, but all the places I have been work like I said.

So, figure 6000 miles at 45 cents a mile, for a total of 2700 bucks, you would make 1350 that week.

Mind you, not all companies pay that good, you may not always get really good miles. In the beginning a lot of places kind of feel you out before the run you all that hard.

Teaming is difficult, not everyone can do it. You may think you get along just great with someone, but being together 24/7 may change things considerably.

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For Anthony 12-21-1973 to 9-29-2006
Baby, I was always amazed by you. Till we meet again. I love you always and forever.

Unless your related to your co-pilot I would not team up. reason being you will be splitting the pay. If the other driver is senior he may get 1 to 2 cents higher than you regardless of how many miles you actually drove.
This can cause bad feelings if 1 or the other does not hold up their end of the job.

A solo making .30 cpm and turns 3000 paid miles in a week will make 900.00 in gross pay. A team being paid .40 cpm split will have to drive 4500 miles to make the same amount of money but will be trying to sleep while the truck is moving rather than sitting still. The quality of rest and the job of driving as a solo is more preferrable in that instance. Now if you team up with your wife you do not need to split the money as it all goes to the same family.

The benefit of running team is longer runs in general. This is by far the easiest of driving jobs. Much less wasted time at customers and fewer dispatches in general to make more money.

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Knowledge is Power

Team driving can be a good thing. Especially for couples.

Most the guys have done the math. I'm going to shoot you some more.

Many companies team new drivers now, for their first few months. THESE teams make little money. And are about saving the company money. Driver pay is secondary...if not last.

An example. CRST paying new "student/solo" teams .22 a mile...split.

You would have to run 9000 miles a week, to make $990. There isn't a company in the US that will give ANY team that many miles. Expect 4500-6000 miles, at best.

The way freight is going at the moment, you'll be lucky to get 4-5000 miles a week.

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Team Players.....
It's hard for me to play professional team sports. On a minor league salary.

Thanks for all the info. Think I'm gonna stick to my own truck. Seems like I will make about the same either way, and I would rather have my own space lol.

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Kevin

Saw that you made up your mind, but I just want to give you a few more thoughts on the subject and a consideration you can toss around when your ready.

Teaming can be fine if your married. Even then both of you had better get along real well.
24/7 in a small cramped space for weeks on end makes even the smallest of annoyances big deals. Now take that and place it to a friend who you only see in the evenings and on weekends. Hehehe, talk about enemies real fast.

Now if you want to make money for all the miles the truck moves and team only once in while for a short period of time. Try training, if your company has such a set up.

Get your pay and double the miles you currently run. Plus a little bonus for having a stranger in your truck for around 6 weeks or so. The down side of course is that you don't this person. They can have some real bad habbits (such as not showering). They can't drive their way out of a one way tunnel. You don't sleep much while they are on the truck. And finally they may tear up your truck (or throw the QComm through the window).

On the plus side you will occasionally get someone who can drive and just breaks up the monotany for you. All the while you get paid all the miles the truck moves and maybe a small stipend every week the trainee is on the truck.

.36 a mile for 2800 miles solo = $1008 week
.36 a mile for 5600 miles training = $2016 week plus $whatever for training.

Food for thought. Most companies will not force trainers to train if they just to solo for a while. Just make sure you know how to pass on the proper information to turn out quality drivers. Don't train simply for the money, we have Swift and C.R. England to handle that for the industry already.

I like the trainer example but I would be worried that I might go to bed one night only to wake up from a coma 10 years later....

Its worth considering though.

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Kevin

I wouldn't do it solo, I mostly went along now cause I like being with my husband rather then sitting at home alone. And if I am here I might as well be useful right? I couldn't see riding without driving ever, that could get boring. And we make more teaming. Then again there are days I just want to ride <.<

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I am a Camaro Girl because IROC!

You have unlimited chances to go too slow, but only one to go too fast.

It has happened. To trainer and student alike. Students aren't the only ones that make mistakes.

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Team Players.....
It's hard for me to play professional team sports. On a minor league salary.