Team Driving---- What's the Scoop?

Team driving is something that is becoming more and more popular with companies but not necessarily popular with drivers. It has arisen from "Just in time inventory" needs. Trucks are the nations rolling warehouses. Let's say you have a plant in Dallas, Texas that manufactures seat belts that are used by a company in Lansing, Michigan. (This is just an example not based on a real company.) Building a warehouse will cost the company a large amount of money. Plus they have to pay for the product as it ships. Waiting until the last moment will save them space in their warehouses and paying for it at the last moment saves them interest on their money. They want the product to arrive just in time to be used. So, two drivers can "expedite" the shipment. No need for a 10 hour break where the freight is just sitting there. One driver sleeps while the second driver drives.

In theory it is a perfect solution. A truck parked in a truck stop is not making any money. Keep them rolling. Make more money. More efficient.

Because the receiver is saving money by not having to build a warehouse, they are willing to pay more for the shipping. The truck company can afford to charge more. Putting two people in the truck does not change things for the trucking company as they pay by the mile. So it is a hire profit center then paying a solo operation. It is a win win for the trucking company and the receiver. The shipper is largely not effected.

Now the driver is effected. Two drivers have to split the mileage pay to the truck. Before the company was making $2.30 a mile for the run. Now the company is charging $2.50. (I do not know the actual figures). The company has a truck that makes money 24 hours a day and can use less trucks to make the same of more money. So their incomes go up and their cost go down which equals higher profits. The drivers living space goes down because they are now sharing the space with another person. Less space, less comfort. Most of the trucks have two bunks but you can only sleep on the bottom bunk because sleeping on top during a crash is so very dangerous.

When I was young, we as children slept in the car in places like the panel behind the rear seat under the back window. We slept soundly because daddy was driving and we felt safe. Well, daddy ain't driving the truck. You are forced to trust someone with your life. And he isn't being paid anymore then you are.

You have to pee in a bottle and do so while driving. Gross. But not as gross as knowing that he is peeing behind you. You wake up every time he hits a bump. He listens to rap "music".
He likes to crank it up to stay awake. He does that thing with his teeth when he drives. He is the worst husband you have ever had and I know you are not gay but this SOB is married to you by the company. It will ruin a friendship.

Those of us who have spent time in prison are better prepare to do it. We have been force to share a space that Michael Jackson thought was a little bathroom, for years. If you are looking forward to spending time in a prison cell, then teaming is for you.

Now lets look at pay. Teams make more money because they get more miles. A good team company will pay more per mile and you split that. But you split miles awake and asleep. I teamed on a run from Kansas City, Kansas to Houston, Texas. The run took 11.5 hours to run one way. We were on Qualcom and we would drive the entire way with one driver. We would pull over and change the number in the qualcom and drive under the other drivers name. No big deal until you had something go wrong. Nothing ever did. There were times when one driver had a family emergency and I would drive both ways by myself. It was foolish and illegal but we only did it a couple of times and never got caught. We knew the route and new all the folks at the scales. But you really have to trust.

So you make more money teaming. Why don't we all do it? Because it isn't worth the extra money. CRST is a company that forces you to team. They also force you into a lease. CRST is not only having sex with you but they are using all holes. JMHO.

The only way I would team would be with someone I totally trusted. A spouse or if you are from Arkansas, a sister. Then I would want long runs and I would want a sleeper from a company like ICT. I have met couples on the road who are totally happy doing so.

I hope this helps as I have been typing for a half hour.

 

All I can tell you is what it is like trucking with your man. Awful. It is hard to be graceful when it is the middle of summer and you are wiping your butt with a wet wipe in the back. And then because they are your romantic partner you feel more free to do annoying things, like tell them how to drive. His brother has a partner (non-romantic and a guy) and he can't do it anymore. They get on each other's nerves with little things, like complaining about the others choice in music or eating too much.

 

Not sure there are any benefits to a driver accept someone to talk to. The truck Keeps rolling that helps the company not the driver. Just figure if I get paid 50 cpm with a partner split 25 each why not get 35 cpm and be able to stop at the end of the day/night. stop and take breaks when you want relax in the sleeper without worry about someone else brake checking or worst ending up in a ditch. Dealing with someone day in and day out that your not married is more than I would want. waking up with some big guy spooning me doesn't sound fun.

 

The 50 cent split is for all miles whether driving or not. So you make 50 cpm while driving and nothing while sleeping or you make 25 cpm while driving and 25 cpm while sleeping. Either way teams make more per mile then do solos. They also get more miles. So team drivers make more, they just wear out quicker.

 

Have to totally disagree with you here Patty.

It seems some here also are confused by the pay structure.

I team with wifey. Rate is .6633 cpm for every mile the truck does, regardless of driver. So -

We drive 6000 miles in 5 days. 600 each every 24 hours - with me so far?

Looking at it split? .6633 cpm times 6000 miles divided by 2 people. $3979.80 ÷ 2 = $1989.90 EACH.

Looking at it each ( how selfish, we're married) -

I drive 3000 miles at .6633cpm, and receive $1989.90 , and so does she.

Same math - right?

So - show me a solo company position that pays the same and I'm all aboard.

Our solos are paid .56 cpm - 3000 miles × .56cpm = $1680 - so for the added $310 we EACH make as a team, its hardly worth it. Aside from the fact we're together all the time, are safe drivers, trust and love each other, the cash comes to the same household, and its a vehicle to get us somewhere else in life.

So - to answer the question, hubbie and wife - yes. Stranger - no. Family - maybe. Anything less than 60 cpm - NO. Also - live unload - NO. Drop and hook only - why set up a team operation only to waste their time loading and unloading.

Its hard on body and mind, rest is minimal - think it over real hard.

I don't know another way for high school drop outs to make $200,000 to a household as a married couple - so here we are.

My 18 cents. Sorry Patty, have to dispel the myths out here.

 

Teaming with a wife is a better plan then teaming with someone you do not have a joint dream with. Every mile spent with someone you love and with whom you are working on a future with is different then simply earning a paycheck. Shared sacrifices are what makes a marriage strong. Plus having two paychecks is a great benefit.

Still, I think getting a larger sleeper would be the way to do. I see husband and wife teams with those 120 inch ICT sleepers. Like having your house with you. I even think that it wouldn't be all that bad to home school a child for awhile in the back. I have a 29 year old step daughter that I wouldn't mind putting into a truck with a nice couple if you would like to adopt.

 

I think you are on the right track. I think I will try it with my wife and girlfriend and her daughter that should get us close to a half a million a year!

 

These teaming discussions are almost mesmerizing to me. I just can't believe people do it, with the exception of a spouse, like blairandgretchen. I'm not at all criticising, much respect to those that make it work.

Wooly, did you get my pm?

 

Since getting back into trucking recently I've had two team driving situations:

A - with my brother when I first started out last year. He's an O/O and at that time leased on with a company that specialized in moving freight from LA to mostly the Midwest and sometimes the East Coast and back. All this was live load or unload. That is the important thing. If it is live load or unload, with appointments, then as a team you are screwed. When solo he averaged about 10K miles per month, as a team we averaged 16K miles per month. He was making less having me on the truck than when he was solo.

B - with Swift I ran a dedicated team gig for the last five months. Coast to coast from LA to as far north as Boston to as far south as Miami. Average was 5800 miles per week with a 34 hour reset every week in LA, Las Vegas, or Phoenix. All this was mostly drop and hook.

As long as you are with a company that does a mostly or all drop and hook then teams can make more money. My paycheck with Swift increased by about 15-20% doing the team gig.

For time management split the day into 12 hour shifts. Drive as much as you can within 12 hours (not 14 hours) and stay on the same sleep schedule. I was the "vampire", running nights. This meant I had to stay up all night when we were taking 34's.

Keep the personality conflicts to a minimum. When I'm in the driver's seat I control the "work area". When I'm in the sleeper berth I'm totally off duty and don't expect to be woken up to help get my partner out of a jam. You got in it, then you get out of it. Be flexible, don't pass gas, and lay off the garlic.

Regarding how to manage showers or Walmart shopping, learn how to get those done on your 30 minute break. The rest of the time the truck is rolling. Laundry is for resets.

 

Well stated post. I would add that "JIT" translates to "Just In Trouble" for companies that try to manage this system. I speak from experience from the production management side of things during my "interim career" from the first time I drove back in '77. Trying to keep a million dollar production line going, counting on a minor part being delivered on time when the weather goes haywire,... well... let's just say it ain't happening 24/7/365.