team Driving

I started my driving career by going to the DMV and getting the CDL book. I studied up and took the written part of the test and received the Class A permit. I then applied for a job. Back then they would put you in a team truck for a couple months. Then I came back and took the pre-trip/driving section and passed. They then gave me my own truck.

First off, running teams is difficult. Its like being married. No matter how well you get along with your co-driver, you will have things in which you disagree on. I ran team for a spell last year with another driver. I'm one of those guys that only pulls over to piss every 300-400 miles. So, this last time I ran, I would click my 11 hours driving out within 12 hours. My co-driver ran the same way I did. So guess what...?

The only time I saw my co-driver was when one of us stopped the truck.

We were blowing tremendous miles. Money was great. Canada is huge and the cities are spaced so far apart and so 2 drivers can make some bucks.

But some of these companies are using teams to run 300-500 mile runs. That sux! If you cant run over 5000 miles a week, you shouldnt be in a team.

 

I had to do it for my first job and I'll never do that again. There's just too many problems that come up if you do not know the person. If you decide to go that way get with the driver BEFORE you go on the road and go over your likes and dislikes. If you have to write them down then so be it. Respect his or her wishes just like you want them to respect yours.

 

you will be with that person 24/7, yes sometimes the only time you see them is to switch, but mainly during the dead time you must get along, I would say 6000 is good team driving min.

 

6000 is better. I had a buddy that drove team for US Express. They were covering 2000-2500 miles a week. I couldnt do it. I wouldnt do it.

 

My first job was a team job. my biggest problem was crawling in the bunk wondering if i can safely go to sleep and trust another drivers decisions and wether they can stay awake.

 

I drove team at Tri-State Motor Transit during 1968-69. I quit because of problems sleeping in a moving truck, and being away from home for weeks at a time. For seven months, I teamed with an older driver whom I consider to be one of my mentors. We had similar moral standards and work ethics. I lost contact with him after I quit the company. Apparently, he tried to locate me years later, but forgot how to spell my last name. That seems strange given that he was writing my name on his logs and pay sheet every day for seven months.

Last week, I received email from his widow. She had found my photos on another web site. My co-driver died in 1999. His widow writes that their son was going to contact me because he remembers the Thanksgiving I had dinner at their house. Their son recalls that his dad enjoyed the time he spent driving with me. The widow just wanted to tell me that their family remembers me, I was the driver her husband really enjoyed working with, and they enjoyed meeting me. In subsequent emails, we brought each other up to date on what happened to all of us since 1969.

Break out the violins. I submit this story as proof that co-drivers can actually get along.

 

I teamed three times in the first 1.5 years I was on the road. First two were an absolutely, earth shatteringly, I-could-write-books-about-this, mindbendingly HORRID experience....and the 2nd guy was someone I actually CHOSE to team with, thinking we'd get along. (First guy was a "required" teammate; I was a newbie). 3rd time was OK since it was a friend of mine I'd known for 2 years. We got along well and made good miles but I STILL found more "pros" to being solo....money ain't everything.

I would have never teamed again if I hadn't met my husband. Even then, I was tenative about making the leap into his truck. He was a "loner" too and he also had his reservations. It's just as hard for a married couple to be in a truck together....possibly even more so since you're more "personally" invested with one another. Unless you get along VERY well and have complimentary personalities, and naturally handle conflicts in a constructive manner. Thankfully, husband & I fall into that category. 3 years of teaming and we've never had a single fight. And now that I'm off the road we can hardly stand to be apart.

But just consider that quite a few husbands & wives have been completely unable to team with each other....and that should tell you how difficult it CAN be to find a "stranger" who you will be compatible with 24/7, living in a 9x9 "cell". Truck drivers encounter regular situations that can bring out the "worst" in anyone- from problems with dispatch to bad weather to being fatigued & hungry & not getting a shower. When you're stressed and your constant companion is someone who "clashes" with you for whatever reason, it will only make things miserable. And believe me, after a while...the littlest thing can annoy you, from their truck-housekeeping skills to the way they simply BREATHE. Even in the best mileage situations....you will still encounter breakdowns, layovers & periods where you're waiting for a load.

You will have to be able to live with this person; so choose wisely. You will have to sleep while this person drives, so make sure it's someone you trust with your life. And take an honest look at yourself, your tolerance level, your personality type. Are you a Type A person who likes to be in control? Some folks are laid-back and can put up with just about anyone. Other people are more difficult to live with and as such it can be difficult to find someone to get along with.

Basically the main "benefit" to teaming is the money. Plain and simple....how much it motivates you will determine how much you're willing to put up with if you team. There's also the convenience of having someone to help you navigate, slide tandems and do other little things that are easier with two people (but entirely manageable with one). I guess I don't really consider "companionship" to be a benefit to teaming (except in the case of my husband LOL)....back when I was single, having a DOG was a much more logical solution to being "lonely" on the road.

 

Man this is so true. I've teamed a couple of times, for short periods of time.

The first guy I teamed with was OK. We hit it off just fine, and until he got fired for a hit and run, (that I slept through,) I had confidence in his driving. The guy they replaced him with was a total idiot, dufus, jackarse, whatever. I lasted four weeks with him, and then moved on to a better job.

I am a loner. I don't need a babysitter, and I #### sure don't need to BE a babysitter.