Teaming w/ trainer

home time will be done at one another's home when in the area, so for instance, the trainers will be bunking in your home...and your son in his when he is in Oregano...

piss poor set up if you were to ask me...you'd want BOTH people from the same city (ideal) or at least a city NEARBY each other.

i wouldn't do this, screw the trainer, let him suffer for wanting to be a trainer in the first place. sounds to me he wants a snuggle buddy first, team driver second. other wise, why didn't the trainer ask someone from HIS area...???

 

I guess it depends on how much he wants to be home. If he and his trainer get along it might be a good opportunity for him. He should talk out all the details with his trainer and see what he thinks before he makes his decision. On the other hand if he doesn't like his trainer then the answer is easy.

 

If your son is concerned about ever coming home then I would not recommend it. Yes he can make good money as a team but most teams live near each other. Teams also tend to stay out longer than single drivers. Unless they worked it out to where your son takes his time off at the trainers house and then the next time the took home time the trainer came to your son's house. So that would put him coming home every 16 weeks or so. Then there is the issue of them never having a break from each other. Unless they are a couple this can really wear you thin. Hell when my wife and I team drove when we came home we would go our own separate ways and try to avoid each other as much as possible! So personally I wouldn't do it but to each is to own.

 

I was on my trainer's truck from mid April 2010 to beginning of June 2010. He lobbied me for months to join him throughout that summer as a team driver. I was a company driver working all over wherever the company sent me, he was still a trainer but was having trouble with students who were not good at the job. I finally saw him one day around November in Memphis at a shipper we both happened to be at and he reiterated his desire to be running teams with me.We finally hooked up in late January as a full on team. He filled my head with the promise of $1000 dollar paydays. First payday came around and he says 'no money'. Second payday he gives me half a paycheck and says IOU. Third payday, I unloaded all my stuff off his truck and took his check directly to the bank and cashed it outright right away. Sixth week now, still waiting for fourth week's payday.

I never signed anything stating what my pay would be, we just agreed he's pay me $0.22 for all the miles to the truck every day. He never came close, when you factor 1st and 4th week no pay, I made about $0.08 a mile.

He never wanted me there to be a teammate, he wanted me to take over the lease on his truck which was showing early signs of massive engine trouble. But it gets better, he proposed that since he was 'helping' me get into a lease truck which I could not do on my own, I should cheerfully agree to give him 10% of the profits of the truck after I leased it.

I came on these forums asking for advice, just like you did and was given some very sage advice indeed. I called my company and they said of course I could sign a lease all on my own if I so chose to do so. I did....

Long story short, try to get something in writing confirming how much 2nd seat will be paid per mile. In my case I have absolutely no recourse because there is no proof.

 

Couldn't get me to drive team if I was dead broke and starving to death.

I'd push a broom before I ever had a co-driver again. Most times they dont last too long, IMO.

 

if the driver-trainer, right now, at this very minute, owns, or leases the truck, HE WILL PAY the driver...

however...if the driver-trainer is an "ordinary company driver, that trains also", then BOTH WILL BE PAID the fair wages, benefits, etc,etc..FROM THE COMPANY......

when one owns (out right) or leases, he (or she) DOES NOT have to pay taxes for the person he hires, or any benefits...your son, in this case, would HAVE TO set aside money EACH paycheck in a bank account to PAY his taxes at the end of the year.......then quarterly after that, if he chooses....

clearly, a very LOSING DEAL for your son.....

he will ONLY GET PAID for the miles he runs..if they sit and wait for a load, you son gets ZERO dollars for that.....how many ZERO dollar days can he live on, knowing he STILL HAS TO PAY his taxes when they are due...??? money management will be priority number 1 in your sons vocabulary from now on.....

forget about teaming up with anyone, unless its a close by living person where the truck can be parked, and they BOTH go to their respective homes for time off...otherwise, one guy living on the west coast, your son living on the east coast.....frankly, your son will be quitting after about 1 month.....and probably not get any money from it......

and he just ain't gonna get ANY written agreement either.....especially if the guy owns'leases the truck....that's a fallacy i'd like to see with fireworks going off....

 

Sounds like a thief to me. I would go to the company and ask to see the pay that was given to the truck. Is he O/O or L/O? Still the compnay should have had you assigned to that truck for your pay to go in to your account.

 

I did see the pay to the truck on the qualcomm settlement message. 1st week his settlement was just $26. He had been in the hole with the payments and fuel and such. The second and third weeks settlements were in the $1400 range after fuel and truck payment and fees were all paid. Mind you, we were going about 1000 miles a day, those settlements were really low. I suspect he was taking out maximum cash advances because he always bought stacks of $20 lotto scratchers every time we stopped at a truck stop.

Teaming is tough, but some people do quite well at it. I would tell your son to apply lots of CYA. You love your son, tell him to keep you in the loop, tell him not to pack too much stuff he cares about, if something goes wrong he can bail at any time and call you and make arrangements to get home and start over.