Tag Teams

I mostly see flatbeds teaming on the road. I was wondering if some teams have a day cab + sleeper and then obviously overnight in the sleeper? Will teams like that leave the day cab behind and team drive depending on what's available?

Help me out. I don't understand your question. I've read it multiple times, and I still can't get what you're asking.

As a longtime flatbedder I can tell you there is very little team driving in flatbed work. That's part of what's confusing me.

I'm also wondering if the confusion maybe comes from terminology. Are you actually referring to T-calling a load? That's where one truck drops a loaded trailer at a designated drop spot and another comes to pick it up.

A lot of flatbed companies try to keep their drivers in a regional area. That way they can get them home on weekends. That often requires dropping a loaded trailer on the outskirts of that driver's region so another driver can pick it up and deliver it in their region.

That is not team driving. Team driving involves two drivers in the same sleeper cab truck. A team driven truck seldom stops for a ten hour or even a 34 hour break. One person drives while the other person sleeps. Teaming is typically used for time sensitive freight. Perishable freight like fruits and vegetables are sometimes delivered via teams as are loads that are going to shut down production lines if they aren't expedited.

The vast majority of loads are driven by solo drivers, but there is a solid niche of freight handled by team drivers.

I'm talking about groups of trucks that pick up and deliver to the same location... I just saw 2 flatbeds hauling drywall traveling together this morning. I also see groups of car haulers all the time.

Your question is a little tricky to answer. I've seen plenty of trucks traveling together, but that's not an indication they have the same destination.

Let's take your flatbed observation. It's certainly plausible that a construction site needs more than one load of drywall. Therefore it's loaded on more than one truck. I can't answer about car haulers. I have no knowledge about them, but I can see a dealer needing more than one truck load.

In my experience, most of the sheetrock I've delivered was on a pre-loaded trailer. In that scenario there could be several trucks leaving a drywall plant at the same time. They may seem to be traveling together when you see them, but part ways later.

The only times I have traveled with another truck from the shipper to the receiver was when I had a very high value load. Those loads were typically from gold or copper mines.

We were instructed to travel together for increased security. While stopped at a truck stop we'd do our best to park together or near each other. One driver would stay in the truck and keep watch while the other showered or went to eat. We would switch duties at our convenience.

Other than that, I've never traveled with another driver from shipper to receiver.

Does anyone else have any helpful information to add to this. I'm not sure if I am really answering the question.

I mostly see flatbeds teaming on the road. I was wondering if some teams have a day cab + sleeper and then obviously overnight in the sleeper? Will teams like that leave the day cab behind and team drive depending on what's available?

I'm not sure how common it is, but yes I have seen it. There are 2 guys that deliver our brand new trailers from the factory. One drives a old OD day cab the other a sleeper, if they can't make it home they crash in the sleeper. Also, when I was looking into RV delivery it was done there.

Help me out. I don't understand your question. I've read it multiple times, and I still can't get what you're asking.

He is asking if a " team" would drive both a daycab and a sleeper to the same location then sleep in the sleeper truck. Like I stated above I have seen that, but I don't think it is very common.