Just graduated, now straight to team mode. What is the best way for us to maximize our HOS?

lol. I read your posts and see a guy with a ton of stories to tell.

 

You are asking a multiple choice question.

If you are asking how to run as hard as possible all the time, that is pretty obvious.
Run as hard as possible during each shift and then turn it over to the other driver to do the same.

If you are asking how to manage your hours to get a good average while staying as safe as possible, I would say to run 12/12 hour shifts while not eating up your hours enough to need a 34.

 

When I ran team me and my co driver agreed to a schedule. We would run 3am to 3pm and then 3pm to 3am. It worked out pretty good. We ran east coast to west coast and back again. On the return trip we would switch shifts. We were on a dedicated route so we always had a good idea where we would switch out. When we left the yard we always had a fresh 70 or at least one of us did. We would run 650 miles per shift give or take a few miles depending on weather , road conditions , traffic, or other factors. When driving I normally stopped three times. My 30 and then two bathroom/stretch the arms and legs break. I usually did the bathroom breaks at rest areas and was in and out in ten minutes or less. The truck never stopped for long. Once we got to California we would drop our trailer grab an empty and then head to Pilot for a shower and hot meal. It usually took about two hours to get a new load assignment. We would then head to the shipper and start the process all over again. We always had plenty of hours to get back east. We only did two resets while out and ran re cap once or twice. Weather related and a re power in Oklahoma City.

I found that a good trip plan helped maximize my clock. At first I did not want to team and bucked a little. But once I found a co driver I got along with and could trust it wasn't to bad. We worked good together and where late for only one delivery. It was weather related so it could not be avoided. So really the best way to manage your clock is to route plan , come up with a good schedule you both can agree to , minimize the driver switch out time , and keep the truck moving. I am sure you have heard the horror stories about team driving and I actually endured a couple until I found a co driver that was trustworthy and safe. Have a good time out there and drive careful.