Question:
I've heard alot of the downside of team driving... Is there an upside? All comments welcome...

Answer:
When I first started drving, I ran TEAM for CRST.......I HATED IT!
I got enough team drving during my on-the-road training....being out with a trnr for 4-6wks was enough team drving for me.
Don't get me wrong, I had a pretty good co-drvr, as a matter of fact, HE was the one that taught me a LOT about shifting & BACKING.
For the most part we got along GREAT...I Just Like My PRIVACY!
I want to listen to what ever music I want, as LOUD as I want it.(sure, you're co-drvr will say that it's not too loud, but you know deep down that it really is & they are just trying to be nice.)
I didn't like his style of music & he always had the CB turned up wayyyy toooo loud.(for me to sleep)
He was the type that had to stop every 2-3hrs to eat or whatever.
I like to keep drving & make as FEW stops as possible.(in a 57-60mph trk, we couldn't afford to do a lot of UNNECCESSARY stopping.)
I like to p/u something to go & eat along the way or wait until we stop for fuel or stop for the day for a sit-down meal.
In our spare time, while on a layover, I like going to zoos, museums, libraries & he liked sitting at the restaurant counter swapping "trucker stories" & watching movies in the drvr's lounge.
We butted heads a few times when it came to logging certain things.
I must admit that it was nice having a co-drvr when I wasn't feeling very well & couldn't drv all of my shift.
It was also nice having a co-drvr while trying to find an address when it's pitch dark & super foggy out.
Although, I don't recall us ever having to unload a trlr, but if we did, it would have been nice to know that I would not have to do it alone.
Back then, CRST, did not have Solo drvrs, unless they were local/regoinal.
After 1yr I became a trainer for CRST....it was fun & I didn't mind that kind of team drving b/c I knew it was only for 4 wks at a time.
CRST, did allow me to run SOLO while I was waiting for a student, which was about 2wks & as far West they allowed me to go was Denver.(Amarillo or Omaha)
But I was allowed to run ALL of the EAST Coast as a SOLO drvr.

Answer:
Some people might say that you make more money running team, but it's been MY Exp, that I can make almost as much running solo as a team makes.(except, with a carrier like CRST, that would not allow solo drvrs to go past Denver.)
There were times when I drove for other carriers that I would p/u at the same place as a team & they would leave several hrs BEFORE ME......I always managed to get to the receiver BEFORE them.
They spent their time goofing off & I chose to get the load there ASAP.
Even when we were going to California, I would take a detour & go thru OKC, so I could go home for a bit & I STILL managed to get to the receiver before them.
So, just b/c a trk runs team, does Not mean that they will arrive on-time.
B/c I was always early or on-time....I would be given loads that were meant as TEAM LOADS.
When I pulled a reefer, there were a few brokers that would Ask for ME Personally, b/c they needed the load to be on-time.

Answer:
The upside is there are two of you to handle the bad stuff... this is of course presuming your partner doesn't mind sliding out of the bunk to give you a hand.
The biggest downside for me was the inability to sleep when the truck is moving without me at the wheel.

Answer:
I was also drove for CRST and I was a lead-driver(trainer) with them for the last year or so I was there.
As far as running team goes, it was ok.
If I was not a lead-driver for them I definately would NOT want to run team.
I never had any problems sleeping while someone else drove, I just really didn't like having to listen to someone talk all the time when I didn't want to hear it.
Training was different, because for the most part I was able to have some say so regarding certain things.
Like the other poster said, by the time I finished MY training session I did NOT want to TEAM with any one.
One of the main reasons I became a lead-driver for them was because I saw how some of the trainers treated their students and I did NOT want to be like them.
They were arrogant, and a lot of them just used their students for the logbook and would not allow the stundent to do anything or there would be some trainers that would NOT HELP their students do anything, they would have the student do it ALL from day one.
Personally, the only way I would run team again, would be with my spouse or to be a trainer so I could pass on some of my knowledge and help turn out SAFE drivers.

Answer:
Haha man you hit right on the head! My trainer couldn't pass a food place without stopping, and blasted that dam CB while I was trying to sleep, or the rap music. Geeez!

Answer:
I have to say choclit snda that sounds like one of the biggest crock pots full of crap I've heard in a while. Or you have a nack for finding some of the worst drivers on the road, probably the later of the two. I've known and still do know several team drivers. I wil say without a doubt that any solo no matter how illegal he/she wants to drive would not come close to keeping up with any one of them. Let alone after they went out of their way even slightly to visit family.
No doubt about it you ran into the worst team drivers on the road. While I was teaming there wasn't a solo driver that could even come close to our delivery times. We would stop every 3 to 4 hours for coffee or to use the John. That didn't matter because solos wouldn't come close.
Can you make more money teaming, YES. With out a doubt you can make more because you will do more miles at a better pay rate. Places like LanSpan are now advertising team driver pay at .47cpm. You can look at that rate as .47cpm for all the miles you drive or as .235 for all the miles the truck is paid for. Either way it is better than the majority of solos. If all you do as a team is 6k miles in a week thats 1400 dollars you have earned. 6000 miles is not hard as an experienced team. There were weeks we did 7k. But that is tough to do consistently and it deppends highly on the loads and the customers.
The down side and I would never do it again. You have to be able to tolerate another persons driving habbits, sleep schedules, eating habbits and cleanliness to name a few. I've had team drivers put an electric skillet on the floor and start frying potatoes, steaks and what ever else. I could see the grease going every where. Some drivers stop more and some never want to stop and frown when you do. I've had co-drivers take a crap in the back while I was driving. I lost one to a lot lizzard and drugs in Dallas near the Pilot with 1700 miles to go to finish the runs. I wont say if I made it on time but I am almost never late for appointments. I just found that seeing the same face every day and smelling their farts, watching them eat, listening while their on the phone (without trying or wanting to you will hear what they are saying.) and most every thing else about teaming and having some one with you all the time sucked. I also like my privacy and doing things my way.
It took me 4 days my first trip out to actually fall asleep. I had the same problem when I had a trainer except he would make time to stop the truck and sleep because he knew I wouldn't otherwise. I was awake almost every second of that time. Some seconds i dont remember. To the point my co-driver talked with me about it. I took some home remedies for sleep including one bottle of Bud and fell asleep for 6 hours. When I woke up I was still tired, drove my 8 and was right back to sleep in a couple minutes. From that point on the truck had to be moving and I slept very soundly. Not sure if I would have that problem now or not.
Now if I was teaming with a female I was fond of it would make all the difference in the world. Not that there wouldn't be any problems because there always is. Specially with females. But I do believe it would be more enjoyable and easier going.

Answer:
It takes 2 Very Tolerant people to be able to Team Together.