Team Driving Vs Solo Driving

Reading a lot of things seems to tell me team drivers get the LONG miles. Am I misunderstanding this? The reason I ask, and please correct me if I am wrong, it seems it would be smart for a rookie to "team up." I was thinking, once I get hired on and going to school to ask if when I am done to be on a team truck. My thought process.... I can learn from the other driver over my first year and get lots of miles. Does this make sense? Is it possible to get out of school and get on a team truck? Would it be better to do the solo driving first?

Thinking,

As far as team driving right out of school, the company I work for that is a requirement. And other companies are the same way. CRST is team driving. PAM is team.

There are several companies that have team driving.

Yes you can learn from the other driver. Unless, as they do here, they team rookies up together after their training period. So in actuality, you will both be learning together.

Yes, you can make more money and get more miles. Mostly due to the fact that you are paid your miles and your co-drivers miles both. You don't make as much per mile. You just make more miles.

As far as which is better. Only you can answer that.

I don't team. I WON'T team. For two basic reasons.

1. I can't sleep well in a moving truck. Towards the end of my training, we had to do two weeks team driving. I usually got the night driving. I mean he is the senior person on the truck so he gets his pick. I slept maybe 4 hours a night. Usually, I would sleep two hours, wake up, set up with him for a while then go take another 2 hour nap.

I was ready to die by the end of the two weeks.

And point number 2. You had better really like closeness. And really like the guy/gal you are teaming with. And don't care much for privacy. Because you don't have any. Well, very very little.

And as far as space. You don't have much as a solo driver and you have half that much as a team.

I love what I do. I am loving it more and more each day. But if tomorrow, every trucking company went to team driving, I would be out of a job.

I don't want to team. I hate to even think about team driving.

I WON'T team drive.

Keep it safe out here, the life you save might be your own. Joe S.

You have team driving about right. I love what I do. I love running hard and no down time between loads. The JIT fleet fits me perfectly. Of course if not for having my brother as a team driver I would be solo and back at JB Hunt again. Loved that job.

With Werner I could not recommend team driving for rookies. Sometimes its tough even for us and we have about 23 years of experience between us. It can be a tough gig but I am out here to turn miles and see the country and deliver loads all the while being a safe driver.

Oh BTW just found out we got a $500 dollar bonus for the extra miles we ran this month. Pretty cool to be paid to what amounts to two trips without having to do the trips.

Well for starters, any company that runs teams love to have all the teams they can get. So if you request running team you might actually get kissed by a stranger in the offices. They love their teams. So you can do it if you want.

The two replies above were perfect - one person hates it, one loves it, and that's par for the course. Most people hate running team for the reasons The Blue Angel mentioned. I was one of em....hated it. But Guyjax has a great partner that he gets along with and loves that kind of running so it suits him.

Indeed one nice thing about running team out of school is having someone there to help you figure things out. Some companies do indeed require this. I believe Prime is doing this now if I'm not mistaken. After you get out of training you run team with another new driver for a short time. So that is an advantage.

Once you get hired on with a company you'll be required to run team with a trainer for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. You'll know long before that time is up if you can stand the thought of running team or not.

But don't do it for the money. Even if you make more money running team it's not going to be enough to make it worth doing. If you like your space and privacy you'll gladly give up the potential for a little more money to run solo. But there's no reason to make less running solo. Solo and team drivers abide by the same logbook rules and team drivers get paid half of what solo drivers get paid per mile. So in the end a team driver in a truck that ran 6000 miles makes the same as a solo driver running 3000 miles (assuming the pay per mile is the same, which it's normally close). There's no reason you can't make about the same money running solo as you can team.

Thinking,

As far as team driving right out of school, the company I work for that is a requirement. And other companies are the same way. CRST is team driving. PAM is team.

There are several companies that have team driving.

Yes you can learn from the other driver. Unless, as they do here, they team rookies up together after their training period. So in actuality, you will both be learning together.

Yes, you can make more money and get more miles. Mostly due to the fact that you are paid your miles and your co-drivers miles both. You don't make as much per mile. You just make more miles.

As far as which is better. Only you can answer that.

I don't team. I WON'T team. For two basic reasons.

1. I can't sleep well in a moving truck. Towards the end of my training, we had to do two weeks team driving. I usually got the night driving. I mean he is the senior person on the truck so he gets his pick. I slept maybe 4 hours a night. Usually, I would sleep two hours, wake up, set up with him for a while then go take another 2 hour nap.

I was ready to die by the end of the two weeks.

And point number 2. You had better really like closeness. And really like the guy/gal you are teaming with. And don't care much for privacy. Because you don't have any. Well, very very little.

And as far as space. You don't have much as a solo driver and you have half that much as a team.

I love what I do. I am loving it more and more each day. But if tomorrow, every trucking company went to team driving, I would be out of a job.

I don't want to team. I hate to even think about team driving.

I WON'T team drive.

Keep it safe out here, the life you save might be your own. Joe S.

Awesome advice thanx!!! :)

Well for starters, any company that runs teams love to have all the teams they can get. So if you request running team you might actually get kissed by a stranger in the offices. They love their teams. So you can do it if you want.

The two replies above were perfect - one person hates it, one loves it, and that's par for the course. Most people hate running team for the reasons The Blue Angel mentioned. I was one of em....hated it. But Guyjax has a great partner that he gets along with and loves that kind of running so it suits him.

Indeed one nice thing about running team out of school is having someone there to help you figure things out. Some companies do indeed require this. I believe Prime is doing this now if I'm not mistaken. After you get out of training you run team with another new driver for a short time. So that is an advantage.

Once you get hired on with a company you'll be required to run team with a trainer for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. You'll know long before that time is up if you can stand the thought of running team or not.

But don't do it for the money. Even if you make more money running team it's not going to be enough to make it worth doing. If you like your space and privacy you'll gladly give up the potential for a little more money to run solo. But there's no reason to make less running solo. Solo and team drivers abide by the same logbook rules and team drivers get paid half of what solo drivers get paid per mile. So in the end a team driver in a truck that ran 6000 miles makes the same as a solo driver running 3000 miles (assuming the pay per mile is the same, which it's normally close). There's no reason you can't make about the same money running solo as you can team.

This is AWESOME ADVICE !!!!! learning alot from Bretts website. !!!

One thing I think I have seen mentioned here before (and I don't remember by who) that really resonated with me regarding team driving, was that you had better really trust the driving skills of the other person you are teamed with. I feel confident about me desiring to be a safe driver, but unless you are married or related to the other driver you may not know their true nature toward safe driving. I know Guyjax drives with his brother, and I have friends that are married who team drive, but I personally don't want to put my life in the hands of a stranger. Heck, it was hard enough for me ride with my ex in a 4 wheeler because I always thought he followed too close and drove too fast. Can you imagine that with a stranger?

Thinking,

As far as team driving right out of school, the company I work for that is a requirement. And other companies are the same way. CRST is team driving. PAM is team.

There are several companies that have team driving.

Yes you can learn from the other driver. Unless, as they do here, they team rookies up together after their training period. So in actuality, you will both be learning together.

Yes, you can make more money and get more miles. Mostly due to the fact that you are paid your miles and your co-drivers miles both. You don't make as much per mile. You just make more miles.

As far as which is better. Only you can answer that.

I don't team. I WON'T team. For two basic reasons.

1. I can't sleep well in a moving truck. Towards the end of my training, we had to do two weeks team driving. I usually got the night driving. I mean he is the senior person on the truck so he gets his pick. I slept maybe 4 hours a night. Usually, I would sleep two hours, wake up, set up with him for a while then go take another 2 hour nap.

I was ready to die by the end of the two weeks.

And point number 2. You had better really like closeness. And really like the guy/gal you are teaming with. And don't care much for privacy. Because you don't have any. Well, very very little.

And as far as space. You don't have much as a solo driver and you have half that much as a team.

I love what I do. I am loving it more and more each day. But if tomorrow, every trucking company went to team driving, I would be out of a job.

I don't want to team. I hate to even think about team driving.

I WON'T team drive.

Keep it safe out here, the life you save might be your own. Joe S.

best advice i have heard on this subject. thanx man!