High Mile Team Lanes For The Veterans

Hello, My name is Ken and my wife is Mary Ann. We really enjoying this site and appreciate all the great posts. Before we start a trucking we were taking care of elderly veterans in our home as part of the VA program. We have to stop doing that for awhile because of COVID and we got into trucking to make ends meet. Unfortunately, caring for veterans isn't very lucrative, but we enjoy it very much. Our goal is to save enough money in trucking so that we can afford to make our house into a very special place for elderly veterans, and so that we can afford to take care of them well into our etirement. Our question is this: Is there a way to capitalize on a fact that we are willing to stay on the road year round, and only go home perhaps twice a year?

We got our CDL's in November 2021 & we've been driving on our own since March 2022. We would like to find a lane in a company where we could get at least 6000 miles a week consistently. Any insight to help us find something like this will be appreciated. Finally, could you please give us some advice of what we might want to haul that is recession proof since we think we're in for a bad one. Thank you in advance for your time.

Hello, My name is Ken and my wife is Mary Ann. We really enjoying this site and appreciate all the great posts. Before we start a trucking we were taking care of elderly veterans in our home as part of the VA program. We have to stop doing that for awhile because of COVID and we got into trucking to make ends meet. Unfortunately, caring for veterans isn't very lucrative, but we enjoy it very much. Our goal is to save enough money in trucking so that we can afford to make our house into a very special place for elderly veterans, and so that we can afford to take care of them well into our etirement. Our question is this: Is there a way to capitalize on a fact that we are willing to stay on the road year round, and only go home perhaps twice a year?

We got our CDL's in November 2021 & we've been driving on our own since March 2022. We would like to find a lane in a company where we could get at least 6000 miles a week consistently. Any insight to help us find something like this will be appreciated. Finally, could you please give us some advice of what we might want to haul that is recession proof since we think we're in for a bad one. Thank you in advance for your time.

You would want a company that has diversified freight and a true national OTR footprint.

Two companies that fit this description pretty well are Prime and CFI. Both of these companies do very well in dispatching both solo and team drivers.

I will be honest here... You won't get 6000 miles a week average at Prime. That's the truth. Prime is reefer and those produce and meat loads waste time. However, high value loads and FedEx are fast moving and given more often to the best teams.

Can u get in the 5000s? Yeah if you are good and learn where you can drop loads early, swap out at yards to keep moving.

Primes Team pay split is now:

69cpm up to 3000 miles

95cpm between 3000 to 4000 miles

$1 per mile anything above 4000 miles.

In addition, bonus:

fuel bonus up to 8cpm

1cpm for on time delivery

1 cpm for safety

1cpm for "wellness' of not using sick leave.

Understand in that list above. You get paid only those miles in that pay range. So at 4200 miles you only get paid $1 per mile for the 200 miles above the 4000.

We do have flatbed teams that pay a little differently

Personally, solo or team, I would stay away from companies that haul only one product. Example, Falcon a few years ago did only auto parts. They closed up and 500 truckers were left stranded. My friend was one of them.

Thanks a ton!

You would want a company that has diversified freight and a true national OTR footprint.

Two companies that fit this description pretty well are Prime and CFI. Both of these companies do very well in dispatching both solo and team drivers.

There are many companies offering team operation.

Swift, Schneider, JB Hunt, Heartland Express, GP Transco, Werner, Shaffer, Pride, and an LTL called Old Dominion.

I suggest hitting every website of the above and others already mentioned. Considering you both have experience, your options are far greater.

Good luck.

Hello Ken! Welcome to our forum!

There are so many places that would welcome a married couple as team drivers. You should be able to pick and choose someplace that suits you well. Don't overlook dedicated accounts. There are places like Hobby Lobby that have their own fleets and they really love having married couples running team routes for them. The advantages of dedicated accounts are numerous. One obvious one is that you can always park at the customer if you need or want to. That fact alone gives you a lot of flexibility as far as trip planning and time management go.

I noticed you guys are still fairly new at this. You have been on your own now for less than a year. One thing you have to realize about truck driving is that the best routes or the best miles don't necessarily have a certain company that is handing them out like candy. This whole career is very competitive. You may not realize yet how much this dynamic affects your success out here. You have got to prove yourselves to your dispatcher if you want the royal treatment most road warriors think they deserve. That just means you have got to build a reputation for always being safe, hyper productive, always punctual, and easy to work with. Those are the four legs you have got to stand on. Make sure now while you are at your present company that you are accomplishing each of those things. They are the foundation that will keep you going strong as solid team drivers wherever you find yourselves.

I can only speak from my 22 months doing teams with CRST outta Calif. We consistantly ran 6000+ (up to 7400 twice) miles every week pretty much Their main headquarter/terminal is out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa......Not knowing where you're located, not in your bio lol.....As well as those already mentioned, shouldn't be too hard to find 1 that you'd get hired by.

I can only speak from my 22 months doing teams with CRST outta Calif. We consistantly ran 6000+ (up to 7400 twice) miles every week pretty much Their main headquarter/terminal is out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa......Not knowing where you're located, not in your bio lol.....As well as those already mentioned, shouldn't be too hard to find 1 that you'd get hired by.

I was thinking that first and foremost, also. Miss ya in the STATES, man! Our CRST Ambassador !!!!

Hello, My name is Ken and my wife is Mary Ann. We really enjoying this site and appreciate all the great posts. Before we start a trucking we were taking care of elderly veterans in our home as part of the VA program. We have to stop doing that for awhile because of COVID and we got into trucking to make ends meet. Unfortunately, caring for veterans isn't very lucrative, but we enjoy it very much. Our goal is to save enough money in trucking so that we can afford to make our house into a very special place for elderly veterans, and so that we can afford to take care of them well into our etirement. Our question is this: Is there a way to capitalize on a fact that we are willing to stay on the road year round, and only go home perhaps twice a year?

We got our CDL's in November 2021 & we've been driving on our own since March 2022. We would like to find a lane in a company where we could get at least 6000 miles a week consistently. Any insight to help us find something like this will be appreciated. Finally, could you please give us some advice of what we might want to haul that is recession proof since we think we're in for a bad one. Thank you in advance for your time.

Welcome to TT, Ken and Mary Ann ;

(I'm her name in reverse; AnneMarie!)

Sounds like looking around now is probably a sordid plan; I've got a few suggestions, as well.

First, being Hummer. We recently spoke to them, they're picky but awesome. Pay is high for solo, and moreso for teams:

Company Team Drivers, Starting at $2K/Year.

GP Transco also stands out to me/us; they love teams, and pay shows! GPTransco Team Drivers!

KL Harring is another great one; they're all (and maybe only!) about teams: KL Harring / Team Drivers.

We've heard a lot about US Xpress lately, in the team niche also: Top Team Pay, Sign On Bonus at USX!

Stop back; I'm sure others will throw in some more; hope that helps,

~ Anne & Tom ~

Thanks a million for taking the time to respond. We appreciate it very much!

You would want a company that has diversified freight and a true national OTR footprint.

Two companies that fit this description pretty well are Prime and CFI. Both of these companies do very well in dispatching both solo and team drivers.