Starting Orientation/training With US Express

I have decided to start my career with USX. After reading the sage advice from pros, such as Old School and others, I am going to attack this with a positive attitude and professional work ethic. I am ready to pay my dues as a rookie, and learn the ropes. I have prepared myself to give USX a solid year of my best effort. Now I am trying to decide if I should try to team up with someone (hopefully compatible), or go solo. I have read TT blogs, and they tend to advise against teaming. Reading the literature for USX, the opportunities and pay seem to be greater for teams. Anyone want to weigh in on this? I appreciate any advice y'all have to offer. Cheers!

George, teaming is definitely a personal choice. I actually have a friend in Nacogdoches, Texas who expressed an interest in teaming with me. But, while he is my friend, he would drive me nuts in the truck 24/7. I think teaming is tough no matter how you cut it. There are some folks who just seem to enjoy, or maybe they even need, the comfort of having someone else in there with them - I'm not one of those. I enjoy my solitude, and I'm not afraid to make my own decisions and live with the consequences.

I've been a business person all my working life until I started trucking for a second career, and I cannot seem to pencil out how you can make much more money by teaming than you can as a good competent solo driver. The only way the money adds up to be more income for your household is if your spouse happens to be your team partner. That way all the pay is going into the same household. Of course people talk about how you can get these cross country loads in a team situation, but I have had my share of crossing this beautiful country as a solo operator, so I don't see that as an advantage. As a team driver you are sleeping while your partner is driving so you may not get to enjoy the scenery anyways. Plus if you are the one who takes the night shift you won't get to enjoy the sights either, that is unless you descend down into Albuquerque, New Mexico every now and then.

Thanks for the advice OS. I guess I'll be getting a taste of what teaming is like since I'll be spending some weeks with a trainer. But I will probably opt for solo after that training period, get my 1st year of experience, and then draw on that experience to make my decision for the future. We did have a recruiter from Covenant visit our school last week, and he told the students that Covenant is paying 52 cpm to each team member (not split). I was always under the assumption that when a trucking company said they pay teams 52 cpm it meant the team split that rate (i.e., 26 cpm per person). These guys made it sound like you would be paid 52 cpm even while sleeping in the sleeper berth. Anyway, I'll understand all of this better a year from now (or at least I hope so). Cheers!

You'll definitely make more money, about 30 percent more, but for me it isn't worth it....not even close to worth it. You lose the ability to really determine your own schedule, most of your off duty hours and what little sleep you can manage to get will be while moving, of course the obviously unfavorable nature of sharing cramped quarters with someone you're probably not in love with (to say the least) virtually 24/7...and that's if everything goes RIGHT. If it goes wrong you get a partner who steals from you. Or is so lazy he puts himself on duty before a stretch of ten hours spent idle at a truck stop, so he'll only have to work four hours the next day. Or so lazy he defecates in a bucket when you leave the sleeper berth rather than walk 100 yards to a toilet. Or perhaps all three and then some.

You'll definitely make more money, about 30 percent more, but for me it isn't worth it....not even close to worth it. You lose the ability to really determine your own schedule, most of your off duty hours and what little sleep you can manage to get will be while moving, of course the obviously unfavorable nature of sharing cramped quarters with someone you're probably not in love with (to say the least) virtually 24/7...and that's if everything goes RIGHT. If it goes wrong you get a partner who steals from you. Or is so lazy he puts himself on duty before a stretch of ten hours spent idle at a truck stop, so he'll only have to work four hours the next day. Or so lazy he defecates in a bucket when you leave the sleeper berth rather than walk 100 yards to a toilet. Or perhaps all three and then some.

Ouch! Just call me lonely George!