Team Driving Jobs

Team driving jobs has advantages and disadvantages. Team truck driver pay can be more than solo.  At the end of the day, how much a team trucking couple can make depends on several factors which will be described below.  But first.....

The Pro's and Cons's of Team Driving

How Team Driving Works

Generally speaking if you drive as part of a team, you will share the truck with a companion the entire time you are over the road. Ideally you would have long runs across the country. Coast to coast would be preferred by most teams.

The reason for running teams is so that the truck can keep moving.  Companies want to haul more freight and drivers want to make more money. 

Running short miles with a team operation would be defeating the purpose of having a team on the truck.

When a company has more teams than team freight, or it has a lot of time critical loads that solo drivers can reliably run, it might go to a team.  This is good for the company but bad for the team.

So bad management of a company or team division is bad for the team.

Most trucking companies  running teams will have everything working out like clockwork.  Plenty of miles and always moving.

The sad part is that there are some trucking companies with team drivers who simply do not get good miles. Therefor, they don't make as much money as they would if each were solo.

That's one harsh reality.

So really do some research about the team driving job that you're considering.

The Pro's and Con's of Team Trucking

With all things there are good and bad.  The best part is not all good, bad or ugly applies to all people.  By reading the info below you get insight that is powerful in helping you figure out if you're compatible and/or how to prepare for team driving.

It's general information that you can use to your advantage so that it may not even be a factor in choosing to run teams or not.  Or so that you can do it in the right way for you by asking the questions that are important.

Some Advantages of Team Driving

You may have been wondering, "If I am not choosing team driving for the money, what other reason would I do it?"

Some people don't like to be alone. They are highly social types. A team driving job is a way that a person who likes to always be around other people can also become a truck driver.

You will be close to someone ALLLLLLL of the time, lol.

Other advantages of team driving are . . .

• The bouncing while riding is soothing and relaxing to some
• Longer runs - Which matters to some, particularly if you have a hobby such as writing, reading, etc.
• Less down time - (Only at the right companies)
• Potential to make more money - (Only at the right company with the right team partner.
• Someone for companionship. Not sexual - human relation type

Disadvantages of Team Driving

• You loose half of your independence (must agree on hometime, when to stop, where to stop, etc)
  
• It's more of a task to coordinate home time
• You could end up with smoker
• You could end up with opposite sex and it cause problems at home for married couples.
  
• You sleep while the other person is driving (or try to,lol)
• If your co-driver is a slacker, he will jeopardize your job
• You have to tolerate the habits of another person
• You probably won't make as much money as you were told
• Your team driver might not be able to drive as much as you.  This mean he/she gets paid the same but you do more driving!
  

How much does team drivers make?

A common question that is hard to answer. If you have not figured out, many factors determine this. As a new driver running teams, probably with another new driver you should expect between a $120,000 to $190,000 split. That means $60,000 to $95,000 each.

With a year of experience, you could make $250,000 per year as a team split.  Depends on who you drive for and what you haul.

Summary

So these are some things that you should keep in mind when deciding if you really want to be a team driver. You have to agree on

• stopping for the bathroom
• eating
• breaks and showers
• cleaning the truck etc
• hometime

The closer you stay together the easier it is to deal with home time. The further you stay apart or the difference in your home time requirements, the more of a challenge it presents to dispatch.

For some companies this will cause more of an issue than others.

Some people find it hard to sleep when they are bouncing up and down. Especially if the other person can't drive a lick. LOL. A few people give it up. Others find themselves getting more at ease with time as with anything else. However, if the other person is not a safe driver, it will likely affect your ability to go to sleep. Get another team member.

Some companies let you switch easily. Others make it out to be next to impossible to do.

Some people are unable to drive if their turn is at night. This is what I experienced. Others are simply slackers and won't. In either case, you may end up driving more than your team member in order to make it to delivery or pick up on time.

So how does having a bad team driver jeopardize your career?

(UPDATE:  With elogs, you don't have to worry about this anymore)

Well not only does this mean you will end up doing the driving for part of his/her paycheck, it also means that you will end up driving beyond your legal allowed hours to drive OR you will just not make your appointments on time.

So you are risking your driving record if you have a team partner who can't pull his/her weight. Again, get another team partner if this happens to you so you won't be driving tired and risking your CDL.  

Even though you might not be asked to drive illegal, you still might drive more than the other driver. 

At some companies you can request a non smoker or smoker. Many companies are enforcing, or at least saying they enforce a no smoking policy. According to your own habits this may or may not affect you.

However, all of us have many habits and some pretty annoying to other people. If you are someone who is nit picky about everything and tend to dislike people for every little thing. Team driving is not for you.

You have to be someone that is easy to get along with. He/she will need to be also. (But you can't control that, you can only control you. Team partner with a bad attitude? Get another team member, lol)

Ask about dogs in the truck prior to getting a team, if you have a preference on that.

Of course if you only care about companionship, it make be better trucking with a dog, lol.

• Tips for New Drivers
• Becoming a Truck Driver
• CDL Training Options
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Trucker Slang and CB Talk
• Types of Truck Driving Jobs
• Choosing Trucking Company
  

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