OTR... where to begin?

I posted a want ad in the Teams section looking for a co-driver.
Honestly I don’t know where to begin.
I’m 47 years old. Started driving 24 years ago. I drove team 4.5 years flatbed then went local driving for misc companies mostly heavy haul stuff over the years.
Just returned from Alaska... I’m looking to go back OTR in a team position but I have no idea where to begin. Things have changed a lot since my OTR Days.
As a single female and experienced driver I have no idea where to find a good company or a compatible team partner.
I’m going back to Team driving mostly for the paycheck. I raised my daughter and have no home ties to keep me home.
How does an experienced driver (female) go about choosing a good company and finding a compatible partner to drive with?
I have all endorsements and can drive into Canada.
I’ve pulled just about everything but refer.
Any suggestions?
I’m located up near Spokane, Washington.
With the high demands of drivers these days I didn’t think this would be so hard to sort out. Indeed it is.

 

What with the Elog and everything, you might want to find you a life partner to team with, gonna be in the truck a lot! lol Seriously though, good luck. Theres probably still some good team runs out there somewhere. A team run running terminal to terminal would be the best way to make some money.

 

Welcome to the Forums. I'm not sure whether @Rocks company runs Team much but I'm sure that it's a very good company and you should ask Rocks about it. Both of you have some things in common. @NightWind might have some good info for you as well. Both of these ladies are long time Drivers as well.

 

@jungledrums might have some useful information too.

 

https://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/forums/ladies-room.280/
Check out this thread....some of these gals might be able to help you.

 

Two companies in Washington run teams and one runs to Alaska. Maybe they both run to Alaska, not sure.
Brown Line
Lynden Transport - owns Brown Line.
Both show the same address: 3814 Old Highway 99 S Rd, Mount Vernon, WA 98273

 

Freight lanes for Lynden Transport:
Main Hiring Locations:

• Alaska
• Pacific Northwest
• Texas
• Western Canada

View our brochure to lear

 

I don't have any suggestions as far as finding a good team partner but I can suggest that you try to drive for an LTL company like Old Dominion or Estes because it's all drop and hook, with excellent pay and benefits.

Also, there are some good dedicated FedEx Ground runs, if you can find a good contractor to drive for.

One reefer outfit we drove for that accommodated Washington residents was Quest Global, out of Cartersville, G.A. They had loads going to WA to pick up apples.

 

I'd stack soup cans at Walmart before I teamed with anyone. I agree, with your experience, do a line haul by the hour. Maybe even UPS for the holidays. In my 35 years, OTR never worked for me and teams were clearly out of the question. Why would you want to do that? There's more to life than staring at your floor mat in some forsaken Nebraska truck stop, and it's Christmas Eve. Or, "can't unload( or load) you 'till Monday", and it's Friday.( and dispatch went home and you're supposed to be somewhere else Monday) or wondering where your co-driver is. That's the real world of OTR. Up to you.

 

First of all, welcome to the forum Ms.. @LadyH1971 ....
Thank you for mentioning me here Mr. @MagnumaMoose and for the kind words...
Yeah, my company is awesome IMHO. But we run solos only. I know there are many companies in the west cost but I am not very familiar with them. I did team on the first 6 months in my former company (which I don't refer to anybody... one of the reasons is that they don't pay much) and I will NEVER team again... I would quit trucking if I had to team again....

When searching companies, it's very important to check the company safety score. That will give you a snapshot of the company, how many vehicles, what they haul, how many violations a year and what kind of violations, etc, etc. That will show you how the company scores with DOT. Go to FMCSA website and enter the company DOT number or company name to get the info. SAFER Web

When I was searching companies, I visited the ones I were more interested to see their equipment, talk to everybody, in all departments. Had a list of almost 80 questions. Have been trucking for over 10 years and so far 2 companies and very good experiences.
I wish you all the best in your search. Take your time, (if possible) to learn as much as possible BEFORE you commit. This is my humble opinion. This website can be very valuable, with TONS of info. Good luck!