(Pre CDL Newbie) Solo Or Team?

Hey there starting school in two weeks and am thinking about what would be best for me. I was thinking that team driving would be good because you have the support of a veteran driver. Advice please! Bloom

Welcome Bloom.

You will find out in training that running team is difficult. You are sharing a space smaller than most people's bathroom.

The only real benefit to running teams is that some companies pay their teams more. That only works though if you end up with the miles.

You will find out here that most drivers are willing to help out and offer advice. Quality of advice may be questionable though.

I considered teaming before I went to school but decided against it as mentioned above small size. You'll be with this person for weeks at a time. That's my opinion, plus having to sleep in a moving truck and trusting this person not to do anything that would put you guys or anyone else at risk. I just likes the idea of solo over team. But that's just me.

Thanks for the info. I think I just need to get in there and get the school started. I’m just stressing over not knowing enough and being solo. I’m sure school will help me make that decision. Thanks for the input!

Focus on the task in front of you. Pay attention, learn what is going on and deal with things as they come. You can't deliver a load before you pick it up.

Thanks for the info. I think I just need to get in there and get the school started. I’m just stressing over not knowing enough and being solo. I’m sure school will help me make that decision. Thanks for the input!

Mary have you seen these?

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

Those will help you get the best start in this industry. Also we highly recommend Paid CDL Training Programs. Get paid while you learn. Also, when a company invests all that time and money into training you, they go easier on you. For example, last week I was watching someone on their third attempt at upgrading. Because my company trained them they were willing to give this person more training if they failed to upgrade again. Has it been someone from a private school, they would be on a bus heading home if they failed.

Mary

After you go through training and you are out with a trainer for 6-8 weeks, and then you will see that team driving may not be for you. Remember everyone is different. But who knows, you may want to team after you are finished with training and you may not. This is a decision you and you alone will have to make. So, read the links that Big T showed you, it will give you many aspects of this industry.

Good luck and you will make the right choice for yourself. We can only give you some advice about the pros and cons of teaming.

If you've upgraded and are voluntarily teaming, it's not to get additional training and you'd be expected to be able to take care of your own work on your own shift period.

No way I'd ever willingly team with an inexperienced driver but, if I did, and they woke me up, I'd be more than a little angry for having my sleep interrupted.

Teaming (beyond a training period at companies who do that type of training) is not for the purpose of giving another driver a "crutch" to use.

Just something you need to realize.

I'm coming up on three years driving now and I always drove solo. I thought I would hate teaming so I never tried it until a couple months ago. What I do is a little different than typical teaming since we have to both deliver to customers during the day, but I've found I actually really like the companionship and I've learned to sleep in a moving truck just fine.

My advice is just go ahead and go to school and start training somewhere. After sharing a truck with a trainer for a month or two you should have a better idea if you want to try teaming or not.

I too considered teaming as my first option but decided against it as others have said, for multiple reasons:

1. cramped space for 2 people your stuck with for weeks at a time 2. your stuck with a total stranger you might end up disliking for weeks at a time 3. little privacy if any at all, while dealing with whats mentioned above 4. you have to be able to trust that the other person wont kill you or others while your asleep because they suck at driving or dont know what theyre doing. 5. you wont necessarily be with a veteran driver, Ive heard of newbies getting put with other newbies concerning team driving. 6. the best way to learn after training on anything in life, (imho) is to be thrown to the wolves to some extent, and learn how to do things on your own. 7. I dont understand this fully and what it all entails, but you will "always be moving" .