This question is for the Husband/Wife teams out there.

Hey Sam- I'll try 2 help u out- but this might end up like a book. LOL. Well here I go.....keep in mind- every team does it different- only thing that makes it right will be what's right for y'all. 1st of all- we love it! RIGHT?!? #We both love being at home-outside- #Lake in East TX- but we have learned to make some serious bank out here- even as company drivers- so we plan on 8-10 more years and then retire comfy. Very!! Took almost two Yrs to pay off credit cards etc so from here on it's save, save, save! And that's the reason we r doing this. REALLY#
We get along great in the truck- actually better than at home- but u really have no choice- u can't really fight and one of u jump out and hoof it down 90 now can u? #I will tell u that there r times when that velcro curtin gets shut hard. Haha. Bout as easy to slam a curtain as it is to slam a cell phone. We honestly feel we have each others back. #Always. No matter who's shift it is-I'll explain that in a sec- sense I feel like we're still nubies- 4 Yrs later- if we come into one of those big scary cities- we'll wake the other up to assist. Even if it's just moral support. Philly is MUCH easier when u can talk it thru with some one else. Chaining for Donner or Lovelands pass is pretty much a team sport too. U r wondering "Wake em up". U aren't exactly gona get Ur 8 hrs of REM anyway- so yeah- wake em up- the gps or CB squakin prob already did anyway. We also plan the route together. Our old company had us going back and forth to alot of the same places- so that got easy- but we start a new co next week so we're lookin at another big learning curve.#
Hubby got his CDL at the same time I did so he didn't have set ways of doing things. I think that helped ALOT. We r still learning together.#
Shifts-- he drives days- I drive nights- ALWAYS-kinda-lol. I worked nights in my previous life so it ended up like that. I say nights are the BEST. #Everyones sooo much more relaxed and nicer in the dark.#
Typical day would be him driving from around 7-8am to 6-7 pm. Me 8am to 8p. BUT. if we've been "bustin tail" and I'm actually sleeping- he'll keep driving if he's got the hrs and let me sleep till 10 or whenever. We used to run on paper logs and our company wanted legal logs that matched fuel. Peorid. I'm not saying we lied- I'm saying nobody check the QC to compare logs.#
Running hard or hardley running. WE WILL NOT DRIVE IF EITHER OF US FEELS WIGGY! #Another thing about waking up for him anyway way is ,SUPRISE . I'm not the best backer. I will try- and some times succeed. But rather often if the load delivers at night- he gets up - backs up- even deals with the dock and BOL etc. Yes- he's a great guy and I'm lucky. But I will also drive 600 miles straight with maybe 2 QUICK potty breaks to get us on time or early.#
A Reg day with med hard running- Around 7-8am #I #park where we can fuel. He starts waking up. I go in. Fill thermos - buy ice- get some breakfast to go. We hang out together maybe 30 mins to hr while he eats. Then I fuel- if I've got time on clock while he goes in for shower or quick clean up. He comes back to truck- not in the fuel isle- ha- and off we go. Night change pretty similar.#
Easy day starts out the same but I like to pull over around 3 am or so and sleep with him- yes,4yrs later and we can still fit in bottom bunk together. Then day starts again # But that's where Ur sleep gets messed up cuz I tend to stay awake with him a good part of the day. If I have to drive hard that night- It just kinda sux for me- but that's when he'll drive late.#
Hard runs are pretty much balls out. U wake the sleeping one up before you pull into fuel. They've gota go in. Get whatever they want for the next 10 hrs and when fueling is done- switch drivers in fuel lane- pull up first though-ha- #and go. Hopefully next run will get you a shower and a decent meal. Of all 3 types we do each type pretty equally. Hard. Medium. Easy.#
It'll take time but work out a schedule
Then be flexible enough to change ur schedule
Always have each others back - you've got their life in your hands- get their back too
Don't take your self to seriously - that vinyl curtain is thin and doesn't lock.#
It was a book- and only half of the whole story.#
Good luck and ask anything else. If we haven't done it, we've seen or heard about it

 

KatK...Hey there! Did I read that right that y'all are based in east Texas? We are as well and are lookin into team driving in a year or so. My hubby will be retiring after 30 years at a paper mill and I have been a RN in L&D for 18 years. We are both looking to do something different for 5 to 10 years before full retirement kicks in. Would love to hear more from you about getting started in husband / wife team driving. Send me a PM if you would be willing to talk to us and possibly be a mentor for us as we go through this transition. Thanks for all the informative posts so far!

 

I'd like to be in on that PM too, especially if it's more about the ' life of teams' since my wife and I are researching the team career change ourselves.

Either Thanks again Kat for your posting.

 

Cy Ran.... Be happy to share any info we get! Maybe we should start a sharing thread!

 

Sounds good to me, Thread, email, or what works best for KatK. We (my wife and I) would like to learn as much as we can, as we have time to learn.

Now to get KatK to go along, of course I bet she is already busy. Maybe we can talk her into making a group email and just sending us a "what happened that day" e-mails on days she has some free time?

　
Has anyone read "Two Million Miles, a couple goes trucking"? I'm currently reading another trucking book and have a few others in my 'list', plus I would rather buy it on an ebook which is not available, nor is it in my local library.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/x1481610574/Husband-wife-trucking-team-tell-road-stories

 

that is so true my wife and i have been doing this for over 8 years

 

Hey y'all. It's my last day home packing before going back on the road. I have been sitting here comfortably at home and now have to PACK. I tend to "overpack" but am determined not to this time. . I will be glad to start a thread about couples etc BUT Neal (hubby) said until all my bags are ready for the car - he doesn't wana see me playing on my phone. PLEASE don't think he's one of "those". He is the sweetest, caring, kind guys out there. He just knows me and my procrastination tendencies. Bet I at least check my twitter timeline twice before lunch. Heehee. If someone else wants to start one(thread)- feel free. Otherwise Sunday when we get to the hotel or Monday when we start orientation I'll make a go of it. Just a little p.s. We drove for about 3 1/2 Yrs when Neal wanted to drive locally. We are now going back OTR and if it goes they way we hope- for 8 or so more Yrs. (after I said orientation-didn't know if I mentioned we were changing companies. We realky liked our last one - hope this goes the same(. Now I've really got get to work. See y'all in a day or two. TTFN -Kat