Team driving,anything good?

hope this helps,
Demmy

 

Team driving puts you in a position to turn more miles and normally will be assigned to longer trips than a solo would.

If you are not related to your partner then the money earned will be split in half in most cases. Of course it all depends on how much money per mile a team is paid as opposed to a solo. Solo drivers can routinely drive 3000+ miles per week and make anywhere from .30 cpm to .50 cpm (or higher depending on the company). Teams will split anywhere from .40 cpm to .54 cpm (there are some that pay more but they are rare).
Lets assume a solo is turning 3000 miles at .40 cpm. That equates to $1200.00 gross. Now lets say a Team is splitting .40 cpm and they drove 6000 miles in that week. That equates to $2400.00 to the truck and again $1200.00 per person. The difference is the team will be running around 20 hours per day while the solo will drive 11 hours and be able to sleep while the truck is parked. More of a quality of life choice as opposed to a financial benefit in the above scenario.

Solo driving will be less stressful and more restful as compared to running team. I have done both and I have to say, trying to sleep in a moving truck is NOT restful nor peaceful. You must trust in your partner and be able to tolerate their habits. Whether it is smoking in the truck, what type of music to listen to, what types of food to eat, when to shower, etc.

As for who gets the truck to go home; it depends on the company policy. Many companies will expect the truck to be parked at the company terminal or drop yard. Otherwise the senior driver would choose. Ideally the team mates will live in the same area so they can both go home at the same time.

Imo, unless your married to your partner and all the money goes into 1 household then it's better to be a solo operator. Teaming as a newbie is fine during training but otherwise solo running will be less aggravating over all.

 

1) I've said it before and I will say it again UNLESS you meet the following criteria it is NOT for you:

• You can easily sleep in a moving truck
• You can get along with the other person 24/7 for the next 2-3 weeks stuck in a 12 cubic foot box.
• You trust the other person.
• They trust you
• You share each others values on music, driving skills, and when and where to take showers/eat.

I will run through my example scenerio's again.

You are a solo driver. You ran 2800 miles last week. Your payrate is .32 cents a mile. You brought home: 896.00 before taxes. This without bonuses perdiem etc.

You got a 10 hour break every night because you run legal. You got a chance to shower everyday if you stopped at a truck stop, a chance to eat a non rushed meal while the truck was stopped, and were ontime to your loads easily, stopping whenever you needed to take a restroom break.

You are a team driver, lets say you team with your brother whom you get along with most of the time. You are paid .38 cents a mile split. You ran 5200 miles last week. You made 988.00 before taxes.

You had to run nearly 24/7, your ability to stop and eat was mostly limited to fast food, or snacks in the truck. Your loads were 70% JIT Time Transit loads, with a 50 mph transit time schedule, meaning that if you hit traffic or broke down, or stopped too much to pee or hell for fuel, you were probably either BARELY on time or late. Your ability to stop long enough to get a shower is based entirely on if your dispatcher honors that push off of availability you requested.

All this for 100.00 extra a month? Now this is assuming you can sleep when the truck is moving and thats not easy and even if you CAN there are some roads (cougharkansascough) where the roughness of the road can be so bad you cannot sleep.

So in the end, if you REALLY enjoy the person's company which with you are teaming it can be a little rewarding, but if I had to team with ANYONE else but my husband I'd have quit a LONG LONG time ago.