Questions about team driving

No, dear. It's not when you're a high demand team. That truck is rolling 22hrs a day. You get 30 min a day of "me" time in your mandated DOT break.

Miles=money. 3 hrs of one driver sitting still would cost us $140 in pay.

I've got 9 years (this month) out here teaming. Hubby and I are creeping up on 3 million miles together. We are working on finishing up our seventh round trip to the Moon by semi.

 

I understand why you thought this now.....

Pretrip/posttrip, DOT mandated break will be at least an hour...

Most solo drivers are turning their keys at 10 hours period. Your work clock rotates based on freight need.

So if I work 9am-9pm today... tomorrow, I can start driving at 7am. If my load needs to be delivered before 1 and I need 5 hours to get there. I am going to leave at 7 just in case I need that extra hour for traffic. I'm not going to wait until 9am to start because I only work 9-9...

I hope this is clear enough.

 

If you really want to see something cute, go into a grocery distribution where there is a great deal of manual labor moving food. Watch pretty woman sit on a pile of pallets telling stories with 10 lonely drivers taking turns unloading HER trailer. She is gone down the road empty in about a hour. =)[/QUOTE]



I agree there are women like that, and me personally I can't stand them because they give all of us that reputation. I worked picking up trash for a year and a half getting in and out 250 times a day , my last job I offered to help unload several times but my boss wouldn't let me and when he dropped me at the Airport he took my bags and would not let me carry them. I appreciate help I get but I don't expect it just because I'm a woman, I do however despise men who leave their wife and kids to fend for themselves because I would not have to be doing this if I had not been left with my kids. I never receive a dime from their father and the only help I has was from my sister and father who have both passed away. I'm not soar with all men because my dad was a good man, and I'm not downing other women like this because they may have been through a lot to make them feel entitled. No man should be expected do be everything to a woman so if I'm out here ( even if not by choice ) I should do my job to the full.

 

Having two uncles and a father that were drivers, I have seen how much they differ and how each one made just as much as the other. One of my uncles drove locally for Pilgrims Pride and off weekends, the other uncle drove OTR for Pilgrims and came home every three to four weeks but was called back all the time and my father drove a Kill Truck in the oilfield but with good companies majority of the time with every other weekend off and slept in his on bed. I have to say, in trucking , it is different strokes for different folks and not one is right or wrong on how they run.

 

So you going to get in trucking and team up with a woman and make some big bucks and have a great relationship (whatever that may be) with your team mate?

Think again. Not saying it cannot happen, but its not likely. Women make up 4-6% of the industry depending on who you believe. Almost half of that 4-6% is married women who team with their husband.

Half of the remaining are lesbians that want to team with each other and do not want a man in sight. Not saying there is anything wrong with that, just thats how it is.

The very small remaining percentage left over have great solo local jobs or are going to have solo local jobs with no desire to team up whatsoever.

So put away that BS dream of teaming with a woman. If your going to team your going to get a man and chances are if you were the best of friends before teaming, you will hate each other's guts in a matter of weeks. Thats the way teaming is and why their is a premium on teams. Married couples do it better and even that is not without problems.

That premium pay is there, but except in a few rare cases, it does not pay off. You got to land a dedicated team route that can maximize your hours or else you will find yourself doing better as a solo driver.

And as a solo driver you are not going to get $.75cpm more like $.25cpm. Most megas are starting out in the 30cpm. Which if you apply yourself and do the correct math is about minimum wage.

 

Many people have misconceptions about teaming. I just try to set them straight. There are a ton of different driving jobs - teaming included- and usually a good fit can be found for a new driver as long as he or she knows what that type of driving really entails. Realistic expectations go a long way to help a new driver be mentally and physically prepared for their new job. And pick the right one for them.

 

You're getting a bit ahead of yourself. Give yourself a couple years driving before you consider buying a truck. Know what to expect. Figure out if you even like trucking before you commit $100k plus of your future earnings on a truck you might not even want in a year or so.

Use someone else's equipment to figure that out. In those couple of years educate yourself. Run numbers on your company truck as you learn the ropes. How much for fuel, tolls, insurance, plates, HUT, IFTA, employment taxes, maintenance, etc.

6mpg for 2000mi a week for 50 weeks @$2.60/gal)= $34,000 just in fuel.

150k sounds like a lot right now. After expenses, he's probably clearing less than most company drivers. Especially of he's a lease operator.

Set yourself up for success. Learn what you're up against. How the industry works. Whether you even like it enough to do it long term. Then make a well informed decision knowing the pros and cons and what they actually mean.