Owner operator husband training wife

Years ago, Schneider would have partners go on road with separate trainers for a couple weeks then let them go out together as a team. Don't know now. Things change.

 

You can try FFE. I know some drivers that have trained their spouses. They also have a school too.

 

I've been together with my girlfriend for 20 years. She started driving with me about 3-4 years ago. We started with a company, then within a year bought our own truck and operated under our authority. Here are some of the issues you might run into.

First is insurance. Until she had her license for a year, our insurance was running about $30,000 for the first year with clean driving records. If you try to lease your truck under someone, it is going to be cost prohibitive for them to let you drive unless they are self insured.

If you drive with your partner, there will be probably be issues. It's one thing to sit in the back and watch, but things change when you get behind the wheel. You'll probably have every move scrutinized. There will need to be lots of patience, especially when it comes to backing and turning. One of you might not be able to sleep well while the truck is moving. You might interpret constructive criticism as nagging, and he might think you're not taking things seriously if you keep running over curbs or making the same mistakes repeatedly. You both should have a talk about this before you even turn the key.

I would suggest that you work solo for a company for the first year while he continues running his truck. Then you can learn on someone else's dime while you both make money. Another thing would be for him to park or sell the truck and both of you team for a company. This way you can learn on someone's dime and still get to be together making money. The only way I see to get around having one year experience without paying crazy insurance rates, is to lease under a mega carrier. But then you're going to get paid the bottom of the barrel rates and run the truck into the ground for peanuts, which defeats the whole point.

 

Did you contact any companies today? What did they say?

 

He has 10 years on the road and you are going to school?

Take gdog's suggestion and have him get his own authority, then he can train you right.

 

And,,,therein lies the problem. Years ago, trucking was a lucrative job. No training was needed, one of the few jobs where, right out of HS, with no special training, you could make a decent living. It was something many of us just fell into, because we were motorheads to begin with. Nothing I'd certainly ever pay to be taught. Be like going to fine culinary school to flip burgers at McDonalds. You just hit the nail on the head, today, for whatever reason, people have no other options, and driving a truck suddenly is a viable option for people who never thought about trucking before. Not so stupid now, eh? Not in your case, but it's why we have unqualified people driving 80K pound rigs. They have no business in a truck and we find out the hard way,,,then more regulations.

 

Here in lies another issue and I quote you "So I would never put anyone in harm's way. " Just remember that decision isn't always yours to make. People do things that puts them in harms way and YOU have ZERO control over that. I've seen it happen, have had it happen to me as well time after time in the 40 yrs I've been out here running as a solo female O/O. I don't discourage anyone from trying to better themselves but this is not a job that a few You tube videos is going to prepare you for by any stretch of the imagination.
I wish you good luck and prayers.

 

Thats very good you want to be safe.
Go to Youtube and watch these videos below on the "other side" of trucking.

Trucking on Cabbage Hill (deadman's Pass) or Devil's Pass
Winter Trucking on snoqualmie pass, The Grapevine, LoLo Pass, Monarch Pass

These are just a few and there are many more. The reason we have all these regulations is because people treat it like a vacation. They think well I can make $1500 per week and they forget about safety. Don't be like those people going into this career path.