Just curious about teams...

Marriage not required. In that tight a space for the endless hours you are stuck in the truck you need to have good open communication.

I see it work with close family (couples, parents & kids, siblings, cousins that are like siblings....) and even just 2 folks that actually get along.

See crzyjarmans post below. It can be a challenge.

You can hardly get out of each others space. There will most likely be a problem if either person has a hard time sleeping with the truck moving. Fatigued or sleep deprived people are not the best to be around. Even just what gets played on the stereo can grind a team to a melting point.

I just find it exceedingly rare to come across 2 people that can get along in that space for the the amount of time they are stuck together; unless they are family.

They are out there but a very rare pair.

 

Teaming with a spouse, wife, etc. is the only way to go, if you like your other half earning, helping, and sharing the responsibilities of driving. Plus you can have fun doing it and it's much better then trying to carry on the "Long Distance" relationship over the phone or electronic device.
I'd suggest getting a motel room when you have the time just to get away from the truck confinement. A little sight seeing and shopping ads to break up the monotony also.
Just because you run team doesn't means you have to go nuts trying to drive 24/7. The extra H.O.S. available helps out when needed.

 

Anyone that has driven for 17 months, as a team and not murder his/her team mate and stayed sane WHILE not having any incidents accidents would be in my book- looked upon as far superior to the average solo OTR driver.
I drove teams for about 3 months and while I loved the mileage we were getting, my team member almost got both of us arrested under felony charges (he was a coke-head, and I was not aware of his chemical dependency) while simultaneously destroying his career and nearly, mine as well.

 

I agree, I wouldn't trust another driver with my life. I seen a couple of crazy drivers that flip over while their team driver was asleep. That must be the worst feeling.

 

There's only one other guy that I know that I'd team with (and did so for a week). I'll agree that solo is probably the way to go if you can't drive with your wife, close friend or relative that's compatible.

I've seen a few male teams that have been together for years, and oddly enough, they adopt a husband/wife kind of arrangement, or a dominant/submissive nature. They don't realize it, but after you study them a little while, it's quite obvious. One will tend to make the decisions, does the manual labor - the other is sharper with the paperwork, cleaning etc. I've seen older/younger male teams where the younger 'takes care' of the older like a father/son kind of arrangement. The younger one makes sure the older one takes his medications, gets his sleep, watches his diet etc.

What scares the hell out of me is the CRST/England etc. arrangements that throw together trainers and trainees that have almost no experience to team.

It's interesting to see what happens when two humans are confined to such a small space and pressures.

 

Similar to a prison inmate hierarchy.

 

That's a terrible thought !

 

I remember a guy saying this same exact thing, I wouldn't team if I had to! I just won't hand my life over to someone else to put me in a ditch, and then explain to my family why he put us in the ditch. I have a very strong dislike to teaming!

The money isn't that GREAT! and the fact that if you find someone compatible then you are going to have a rough time. I am not a sleeper in a moving vehicle, I want to see how I died! I don't want to have to look at a report! Of someones idea of how I died. I hope this helps.