Team Driving, would like some more info

I tried it once,she found out she didn't like cattle or dirt much.Long story short she got a bus ticket I got stuck with the run finished the run went to motel slept never again

 

Most of my driving career has been team driving with my brother, off and on starting back in '77... recently getting back into the game at his invitation as he'd just purchased a truck and had a lease to an outfit that did all live loads. We did a cost analysis and team driving seemed like a smart thing to do, to spread fixed costs over double the miles...

... except it is impossible to double the miles team driving. We did 160% more miles per month than he did solo. The reason is that if you are solo you have 14 hours to work with to get your 11 hours done. If you are team then you have an average of 12 hours to get your 11 hours driving done. Therefore it is a very rare day for one driver to actually drive all 11 hours. Add to that the live load situation he had, we simply couldn't make enough miles for him to make more money than if he was driving solo. That's why we decided to part ways and I took a job with a mega carrier, did the training with team driving, and now I'm solo for the first time in my career and I love it.

If you really want to make a go of team driving then you have to be with a company that is almost 100% drop and hook.

You have to be prepared to sleep in a sometimes violently moving truck. Roads are rough. You always sleep in the bottom bunk when the truck is in motion, the top bunk is waaaayyyy too active.

My brother and I stocked food in the truck, so our normal routine was getting coffee when it was time for our shift, have light snacks during the shift (never eat a big meal before or during a shift... it will make you sleepy), then after our shifts we would eat a meal in the berth while the truck is in motion. We had fuel stops down to a pit stop science, fueling and getting back on the road in a hurry, no wasted time buying meals. Once we delivered a load we would shower, sometimes going for 2-4 days taking "baby wipe baths" in the berth before or after our shifts. Sometimes we would be well ahead of schedule and would stop for real sleep in a motionless truck and get a shower, or stop and shop at Walmart.

You have to trust your partner's driving and their work ethic. Best to have a partner with good hygiene and someone that helps keep the truck squared away. It's also best if you are both from the same hometown, as home time becomes much easier to arrange.

All in all, I think team driving is much too rough. Hard to sleep, sometimes it takes 2-3 days into a trip before I got tired enough to get a good 4-5 hours straight sleep.

 

Teams work good for husband/wife teams because all the money goes to one household so its good money otherwise its about same money as solo but with a lot less sleep. You better really be close to your team mate to live in a 8x12 space for weaks on end. You really get on each others nerves after a while. Its a lot harder life than running solo. Good luck.

 

Just my two cents but I feel there is much more money in teaming than solo. Every mile that truck is moving your making money. I may be with a good company and just don't know it but we run 5500 to 6500 a week with no problem and we live load out bound and drop and hook inbound. tried to run 7200 one week but ran out of hours got in a day late but still got paid for the week. this equates to between 1200 and 1800 a week and that is a livable income for me. Granted its non stop but we are out here to make money not sight see. As far as nerves between drivers although you are both in a small area 90 percent of the time your gonna be seperated by a curtain. You don't have to talk to your partner just let him do his job and then do yours. If the two of you can come to an agreement as far as cleaning up after yourself and doing your daily driving it shouldn't be a problem. I personally don't care what my team mate does as long as he drives his ### off. Although some do I don't have trouble sleeping in a moving truck. As far as personal hygene with the new 30 minute breaks going a couple days with out a shower is a thing of the past.

 

My wife and I team at US Xpress. We got our first week 7,500 miles then it went downhill from there. We do about 4,500 or less miles a week. After talking to several other teams at USX...there is many in the same boat.

You can do 5,000 to 8,000 but you need to skip showering, brushing your teeth, eating fast food, etc. The problem is that USX has too many teams & not enough team loads. To be make a lot of money you need do a lot of smaller loads.

Other issue teaming is that your loads will never be 98% drop & hook like they tell you. Hours can be wasted waiting to be loaded and/or unloaded.

The company will fight you on your 34 reset because one of you will always have hours.

My suggestion....team till you feel comfortable being on your own.

 

Problem with every company is you work with them but they don't work with you.They look for loads to their benefit not the solos or teams.They don't care how many miles you receive.Then when you don't have the hrs to get that load delivered on time due to sitting burning up your hrs they get all bent out of shape.I quit working with companies that don't believe in consistant miles..Teaming is more for folks that don't wanna run too hard,don't mind not making a lot of money,don't mind working for 20 some cents a mile.Why is it companies can't pay drivers the same as solos?Well solo pay is an insult to the drivers intelligence but at least better team pay with any company would prove that company actually values their drivers.

 

No one has mentioned that when split driving regulations require a minimum of 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper. With the new rules requiring a 30 minute break off duty after 8 hours on duty drivers won't have to eat and run quite so much.
Both team members could work this 30 minute break into the off duty time allowed immediately before or after sleeper berth. Drivers are allowed up to 2 hours off duty in the passenger seat but this could be combined with an hour and a half off duty then 30 minutes eating.

 

So from what I'm understanding is, it is best to become a team driver, if you already have a person you are willing to team with

 

what is the average miles a weekday hazmat team should get. I am a husband and wife team lucky to get 4k in a week. we average 3k