Re-Thinking Team Driving

I think I would have a hard time teaming most of the time I can not even get along with myself!

 

US Express and Old Dominion have excellent reputations for teams.

Covenant - good for teams(this isn't trainer/trainee) it's full time teams and must have hazmat endorsement.

Schneider hires teams from new CDL graduates.
Indian River Transport
DeBoer Transportation
Southern Refrigerated Transport
Pride Transport
Super Service
Con-way Truckload
Celadon
FedEx Freight
Shaffer Trucking

Submit lots of applications so you can sort through the job offers. Submit applications the first day of CDL school.

 

From personal experience teaming is unpredictable. My first co-driver...long story,didn't end too well. He was a control freak and thought he was above me.

On my second co-driver now. At first was kind of rough but now we're starting to synchronize a lot better. I still have my pet peeves though but overall we both respect each other. We are now both making very good money for students with no experience. Expecting 6000 miles this week at .041cents a mile. That's $1200 coming next week. I've even made $1400 a couple times. I have $10,000 in the bank that I managed to save in just 6months...only because I'm single, no kids, no rent, early 20's, only have phone/health insurance/food to pay for.

I could of never made that kind of money going first year solo @ .30cents a mile. That's the biggest hurdle however is finding the right codriver. Eventually I would love to go solo, I'll have a year experience by then too.

 

Why do you think that you can sleep in a moving truck without going through training team first?

If a prison cell had the same cubic area as a double sleeper truck, it would be considered inhumane except that in the prison cell you may get more time out of the cell than you will get out of the truck.

 

That is a dramatic statement to compare team driving as inhumane. I get out of the truck a lot just to stretch, fuel up, or whenever I feel like it. When your running team you have time to do more things

 

The only way I'd team is if my teammate was a hot blonde who liked to ####! Even then it would get old after a while and I'd have to toss her out. A truck is too small for two people to occupy.

 

As everyone already knows, truck driving is a seriously stressful job requiring that one be fully alert at all times, meeting deadlines without breaking the law or getting into any accidents whatsoever.

The last thing many people need is a team driver that could potentially make life an absolute living hell for them.

This is also especially true if your personality is that of someone who is easily dominated by another person and you CANNOT get out from under someone's control or dominance, (in other words, you have trouble standing up for yourself and have trouble NOT letting someone ride roughshod over you). SADLY & UNFORTUNATELY, many people fall into this category.

 

I team drove for two months after my training with my very first company. My trainer actually quit training and we paired up and stated team driving. We both lived in the same area and this position allowed us to have our weekends off. We made 24 hour turns back and forth from Nashville,TN to El paso, TX .....we started out very early Monday morning and were done on Fridays mid-day. Friday's when I got home I would catch up on my sleep and Saturday/Sunday were all mine at home. Unfortunately the company went broke just as we were getting into our routine. It was very hard to get used to sleeping with the truck moving. I would get some Bose noise cancelling headphones and invest in a sleep dog mattress (Memory Foam) for your bottom bunk. Also maintain your own bedding (you will both share the bottom bunk while the truck is in motion) make an agreement you will both wash sheets and bedding weekly (you will each have you own set and store them on the top bunk). Most good paying team jobs will leave little room for anything but driving and eating, so weight gain can be an issue ( I gained 20 lbs quickly). With the new 1/2 hour break rule, you should be able to take a quick shower during the slow times at the truck stop and that will be important to maintain your sanity.......the environment is tight and things can get smelly fast!!!
Good Luck!