I know a few guys that run teams and they split the daylight hours. So if the sun is coming up at 6 and going down at 8 they would switch halfway through the day that way both had day and night driving and sleeping.
Also I think resets are easier because in theory the truck could be moving for 11 hours of your reset.
Team Driving and hours of service
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by lakerized805, Apr 6, 2014.
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I think it is best to split the day 12/12 in order to keep your biorhythm equilibrium. No matter whether you have a lot of wasted time and few miles on your shift, stick to the schedule. At times one partner or the other will have used more of their 70, but stick with that 12/12 if you don't want to be constantly running against "jet lag". Don't be a hero driver on the team, trying to use your 14 to the maximum to get your total 11 hours. Be equal with the 12/12 as much as possible.
Regarding the 30 minute break, I've driven team before and after that rule. One thing to remember about team driving is that you are often on long multi day runs, with rare opportunities to stop and shower. I use the 30 minute break to shower. Before my shift I have my shower kit on the passenger seat, ready to go. I've consistently been able to shower and shave and be back to the truck with plenty of time for a smoke before my 30 is up. Another use for the 30 is a quick stop at a Walmart to restock the cooler.
By far the most aggravating aspect of the new HOS is the 34 hour reset, requiring two consecutive 1 to 5 AND you can't take another reset within 168 hours of the last one. I'm hoping congress acts on this one. -
Can someone please explain how a team does their hours day by day with the 34 hour restart? Is there a team on here that can give me their routine day by day over a week period? Also how does driving during the day compare to at night with the responsibilities. We are thinking of splitting ours 7a-7p and 7p-7a. What is it like for the day shift person vs the night shift person? Is one more difficult than the other?
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Loading/unloading varies from customer to customer, but Mike and I seem to have a 60/40 split (rough guesstimate), with a bit more day time stops than night.
If you go the 12 hour window route, I wouldn't pass judgment on the daytime driver simply because they're not driving as many miles because the night shifter has the opportunity to really shine in that department. If the night shifter isn't turning the miles, it's time to look into ways to improve performance.Lepton1 and zackery2011 Thank this. -
Also does the 12 hour window seem to work best? My CDL school instructor was saying something about how we should do 3-3 then 8-8. That it would be a way to "bypass" the 30minute required breaks. -
Mike & I are with John Christner Trucking. Under their new lease program, I wouldn't recommend teams come here unless you want to own a truck quicker than other lease opportunities, because 1/3 of your settlement will go to your truck (practically speaking, not on paper).
JCT is primarily a solo driver operation, so it can be a challenge to keep things rolling smoothly as a team. That said, the people are quite nice and work hard to keep us happy.
As far as ease of driving, I've been a night owl since my teens (quite a difficult time in high school!), so I naturally opted to do the night driving when Mike & I teamed up. He was thrilled with that because he loves daytime driving. It's really up to what the driver is most comfortable doing.Lepton1 Thanks this. -
I always did 10/10. My body clock is tuned to that. My girl doesn't do well at night so we will be closer to 12/12 now that she is on board.
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zackery2011 and Stile Thank this.
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