Question:
Hi,
Will someone please answer these rookie questions.
How are teams set up? It really sounds like a losing proposition to me. Please address these points about teams.
Sleeping-
who sleeps when? Day time sleeping sounds like a bummer to me. What about all the routine stops during the day? The Qualcom traffic and etc.
How much of a sleeper birth period should you get?
In other words how much sleep does a team member get?
How much consideration should your co-driver give the one sleeping. Please address (1)CB usage, and (2)am/fm or tape player usage, (3) stops (4) Should a co-driver ever enter your closed sleeper birth, (5) driving behavior, i.e. aggressive driving that bounces you around in the bunk, and etc.(6) any other things that you can think to add.
Do teams ever stop to sleep? My experience as a newbie is that sleeping in the rolling truck is not a quality sleep. I wake up alot. Please address the fact that I noticed that most trucks pull of the road in the Early AM. In my limited experience driving in the wee hours of the morning there were very few trucks on the road and a ton of trucks in the truck stops and rest areas.
Who makes the decisions in a team?
Looks like to me that it would get old real fast living close quarters with a co-driver night and day for weeks at at time with them telling you when to eat, sleep, and drive.
Do teams make more money than solos?
Why do drivers team up? I just don't see it, except for husband wives or you could get a super model to be your partner.
Why do carriers promote teams so much?
Thanks in advance for all your help.
MouseMan

Answer:
Originally posted by mouseman:
Sleeping-
who sleeps when?
One driver sleepes while the other drives. After awhile, you switch.
Day time sleeping sounds like a bummer to me.
Get used to it, because not only team drivers have to do it. As a driver, you sleep when you can. because you aren't sure when you'll next have the chance.
If you don't like sleeping at odd hours, stay out of trucking.
What about all the routine stops during the day? The Qualcom traffic and etc.
What about them? They are mostly only the concern of the driver who is driving, becuase the other driver should be sleeping.
How much of a sleeper birth period should you get?
As much as you can, because it will rarely be enough.
In other words how much sleep does a team member get?
Many, if not most teams split log, so that means you will get 4 hours of sleep, then drive for 5 hours, then sleep for 4 hours, etc.
How much consideration should your co-driver give the one sleeping. Please address (1)CB usage,
CB volume should be kept down or driver should wear a headset/mic to use the CB.
and (2)am/fm or tape player usage,
Volume should be kept down, as it is illegal to use a headset for this radio.
(3) stops
When I used to team, if it had ben awhile since I last stopped, I would tell the codriver that we were stopping so that if he needed to use the john he could.
Otherwise, a team truck should only be stopping to fuel, change drivers, and that is about it.
(4) Should a co-driver ever enter your closed sleeper birth,
he has no reason to, he is driving.
(5) driving behavior, i.e. aggressive driving that bounces you around in the bunk, and etc.
There is little excuse for aggressive driving period, codriver of not. As for being bounced around the bunk, you don't want to be doing jackrabbit starts only to jam on the brakes again in traffic. But the status of the nations roads have much to be desired so I doubt that bouncing around the truck due to driving manner is significant.
Do teams ever stop to sleep?
Why would they? That defeats the purpose of a team. if a team is stopped to sleep, that means they aren't getting enough mileage.
My experience as a newbie is that sleeping in the rolling truck is not a quality sleep. I wake up alot.
Now you know why most drivers don't team.
Please address the fact that I noticed that most trucks pull of the road in the Early AM. In my limited experience driving in the wee hours of the morning there were very few trucks on the road and a ton of trucks in the truck stops and rest areas.
I have not had that experience. In most areas, drivers like to get off the road early, get to bed, and then get going again early. That is why many truckstops are full by 5 pm.
Who makes the decisions in a team?
The one driving makes decisions pretaining to his driving. otherwise, you work something out, unless one driver is much more experienced than the other in which case it usually ends up being the experienced driver making decisions.
Looks like to me that it would get old real fast living close quarters with a co-driver night and day for weeks at at time with them telling you when to eat, sleep, and drive.
Sure does. I have seen the best of friends go into teaming only to come out a few months later hating each others guts.
Do teams make more money than solos?
Yup.
Why do drivers team up?
Money.
I just don't see it, except for husband wives or you could get a super model to be your partner.
Dream on...
Why do carriers promote teams so much?
Money. 2 drivers, only one truck.
@#*!%$^@!
Answer:
"Sleeping- who sleeps when? Day time sleeping sounds like a bummer to me. What about all the routine stops during the day? The Qualcom traffic and etc. It doiesn't really matter if your teaming or solo. You will be sleeping all houras of the day and night. In a team truck you just close the curtains and it becomes night. The truck is rolling and it's dark. Not much difference.
"How much of a sleeper birth period should you get? In other words how much sleep does a team member get?" Some if not alot of teams do the split shift deal, 4 05 on and 4 or 5 hours off. Many run a regular shift. They'll run 10 on and 8 off. You getan 8 hour break in between driving. Just like solo. You run solo 10 on and 8 off.
"How much consideration should your co-driver give the one sleeping. Please address" Lots, the same as you give your co-driver lots. All noise in the can should be kept at a minimum. Unless you were lucky enough to have a co-driver that sleeps through anything. When your sleeping no one should open the curtains for any reason except the driver that is off duty. Any aggressive or stupid driving and some one needs a different job. There's no reason for it.
"Do teams ever stop to sleep? " Of course they do on occasion. You arrive early for a drop or on a weekend when there is plenty of time you can both sleep. But loads are not planned that way. The idea is to keep the truck rolling.
"Please address the fact that I noticed that most trucks pull of the road in the Early AM." depends on how early. If your talking 3 - 5am. Most trucks are parked. Others are waiting to deliver and many 100's are still rolling. Teams won't stop at night or in the early am unless they need to for fuel, deliveries and pick ups, that sort of thing.
"Who makes the decisions in a team? " Some teams will have a lead driver, usually the more experienced or longest time with company. But it needs to be a partnership with certain agreements. If someone wants to be the boss and acts like it they'll probably find them selves running solo.
"Looks like to me that it would get old real fast living close quarters with a co-driver night and day for weeks at at time with them telling you when to eat, sleep, and drive. " It probably would get old fast. But as I menetioned you make certain agreements. Things like when and where to eat etc should be worked out.
The rest of your questions are all centered around money. Every one should be making more money. Thats the reason people team and companies like it.
It sounds as if your worried about sleep. If it is a problem truck driving may not be for you. You will find yourself with many sleepless days and night as a driver. Team or solo it happens to them all. It is an adjustment you need to be ready to make. If you dont think you can I would look at different types of jobs.
Good Luck
"There is just something about fresh winter snow and a river. The day is bright even if it is cloudy, the water is friendly even if it is cold and the fish are there even if they are not biting."

Answer:
A good team is just that a TEAM. Both drivers work together, respect each other, and do their best to make sure that they pull thier own weight and that they allow thier partner to get the best rest they can.
Specifics differ from team to team. It is something that is worked out between the two drivers based on personal preferences, company polices, and of course the regs.
Team running is not for everyone. Some can not adjust to sleeping well in a rolling vehicle. Some have a hard time adjusting to having to share a small area with another person 24/7. Some have a hard time NOT being the boss of the truck. For those who can adapt and overcome the added issues that teaming has over solo driving and if the team is with a good company a team driver can make a little more money than they could running solo.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
Thanks for all the replies to my post. The reason that I asked these questions is that I have been training for one month. From the first day, my trainer had us running as a team. At least as much a team that can be had with a rookie as a partner. So, that is why I kinda have an idea of what a team environment is like. My trainer had me driving early morning hours many times on little sleep. I had a terrible time even keeping my eyes open much less keeping the truck in the correct lane. But, I didn't want the trainer to think that I could'nt hack it. Then when he took over, he cranked up the radio and turned the CB up even louder so he could here it over the AM/FM. I bought a pair of ear plugs. When I was in the sleeper birth, he would frequently pull into T/S's to make calls to dispatch or home. I was in the bunk one morning after my early morn. driving shift, and he pulled into a CB shop to get a colored lamp put into the lights on his radio. That meant that the radio man actually got into the cab and worked on the radio and they had a conversation about it while I was trying to sleep. Many times he drove what seemed to me to be aggressive, while I bounce around in the bunk. Albeit, I know that our interstate system can be very rough at times and it can be impossible to get a reasonably smooth ride. Once, while it was my bunk time, he pulled the truck over, and unzipped the door, came in and got a pop out of the refrig., which woke me up.I used my days at home just to sleep enough to get back on the road.
You may be right when you said that I may not be cut out to be a OTR driver, if this is what it is like. In the month that I have been driving, I hve noticed that many, if not most of the drivers that I have come into contact with look like they have been sleep deprived for a long time. Big bags under their eyes, and very tired looking. Your right when you say that even solo's don't get much sleep for days at a time. An OTR drivers work schedual is the worst for sleeping of about any occupation. Even shift workers have a regular sleeping time that they can get used to. Drivers don't get to sleep anything near regular hours. I am asking my self why do this? The money isn't that good really, when you consider the high expenses of living on the road. Why be a nomad, only getting home on occasion, living in filthy truck stops and eating unhealty food, and yes, not getting any sleep, unless the money is very good indeed. I AM NOT PUTTING DOWN DRIVERS, EVERY ONE HAS THEIR OWN REASONS THAT THEY DRIVE. I am just saying that I am getting to the point that I don't think that it is a good enough job for all the negatives that goes along with it. That must be the reason that there is a 130% turnover rate in the trucking industry. I have a lot invested in my driving career. I worked hard at a 5 week PTDI school and paid a lot of money to be there. I have spent a lot of time and money getting hooked up with the job that I have, and now I am wondering if I did the right thing.
MouseMan

Answer:
If you and your partners can get along, as both of you are fairly quiet people, team is the way go doing OTR; most likely a much longer average length of haul, things like sliding tandems, splitting tolls, unloading, reading maps, a lot of of hassles and time saving can be accomplished, which add up to significantly more money than running the average hops solos have these days. Plus it looks much better on your application you put in at Yellow for that linehaul job that pays twice what you were making in Dweller Land.
It is less tiring, and trucking has more diversity when you can sit in the passenger seat and co pilot a while every day than when you have to grind out 10 hours or so driving by yourself, on top of the other garbage.
It's a job, make as much money as you can, while you can. Running solo OTR is becoming obsolete. I know several drivers who run teams, and it isn't the horror story some make it out to be if everybody is mature; the problems are where you are a newbie and the company does the pairing.
There is absolutely no point in getting into trucking unless you plan to get a decent job; forget the 'Lifestyle' crap, that's for the sociopaths and the psychopaths.
___________________________
Humans are amazing creatures. "With all the things you can train them to do, I've been considering getting one."-StoneyJay Gould
__________________________
This post coming to you live, from Jesus Land !!!

Answer:
Well it would have been nice and appropiat for you to tell us your circumstances up fron. Then the real issues could have been discussed from the start. No problem though because your problem with the trainer has easy answers.
First off you are not a team operation. You are a trainee. If the compoany you work for allows this type of action they probably encourage it also. But I wouldn't know unless I knew the company name. Secondly your trainer is an idiot. He is simply doing it for the money with no care about you or your training. You first off need to talk about it with him. If you have done so and it doesn't change then you need to go to your company. They will most likely assign you a new tariner. If you have done so and it hasn't helped you need to think about a new company to train with. Most companies will not put up with that type of noinsense and will stop it quickly. I personally would like the opportunity to take trainers like this guy around back and have a more personal discussion. His actions are completely wrong and self serving.
"The money isn't that good really, when you consider the high expenses of living on the road." Well you have figured that part of the job out quickly. For most the money is never real good considering the job requirements.
"Why be a nomad, only getting home on occasion, living in filthy truck stops and eating unhealty food, and yes, not getting any sleep, unless the money is very good indeed. "
Another good obsewrvation. Why is indeed a good question. It's alot of the reason as you mentioned most people do not last. You sacrifice alot as an OTR driver and rarely will you be correctly compensated for it.
"I worked hard at a 5 week PTDI school and paid a lot of money to be there. " Thats the real problem. Recruiters, companies and schools never tell the whole story. Alot of want to be drivers sign up and spend the money before they have a clue what the job is about. Those dreams of a nice truck and lots of money just doesn't happen. Some new drivers get ahead in the game. But thgousands never make it and loose their entire investment. It will not get much better in the next year or 2 for a new driver. Making it a career doesn't allow it to get better either. What really happens is you the new guy start getting use to the problems. They never go away so you accept them and go on. If you think you can accept those things like the low pay, lack of proper rest, stinky truck stops and people, lack of respect by your company and their customers and a long list of other things then stick it out. You have some money invested now. If you dont think it's for you as more people than you can imagine do yearly then now is a time to re-think your future.
If those that post in the newbies would actually tell othgers what they have gone thru instead of just giving answers you might find experience does not cure the problems. Just think about what your going thru now and find an answer. One that will fulfill what you want and need.
"There is just something about fresh winter snow and a river. The day is bright even if it is cloudy, the water is friendly even if it is cold and the fish are there even if they are not biting."

Answer:
That must be the reason that there is a 130% turnover rate in the trucking industry. I have a lot invested in my driving career. I worked hard at a 5 week PTDI school and paid a lot of money to be there. I have spent a lot of time and money getting hooked up with the job that I have, and now I am wondering if I did the right thing.
That is EXACTLY the Reason I do NOT recommend peolpe spend a LOT of Money they can NOT Afford for TrkDrving School.
Simply b/c you do NOT Know if you will like it or not...you do NOT know if you will be in the industry long enough to get the money you invested in it Back.

Answer:
Allot of your experiences sound like mine was as a trainee. The load hip hop stereo, cb, etc. Driving all hours right off the bat, although I was comfortable with it, and didn't mind that part. The trainer was a good driver, I just could not sleep rolling. He told me that if ever I felt tired, pull over and park it, our lives was worth more than any load getting there on time. Then I went on to my first real team partner. He was a nightmare! Nuff said. I got out of it. Got me a local driving job. Home every night. Love it.

Answer:
Thanks everyone for your input! I realize that a trainer/trainee truck still has to make money. You can't expect the trainer to be like a school instructor with no regard to his or the company making money.
But, it looks like companies would come up with a good training programs that teach the student what he/she needs to know to be a good employ. Instead of throwing students up against the wall and see who sticks.
In my instance, the trainer and I split 31 cents per mi. First 4 trips were 20 1/2 and 10 1/2 split. Then you advance a little and the trainer looses a little as you go on from there.
This seems to me to invite problems as the trainer has more incentive to keep the student in a trainee position, because he makes more money.
Also, the more miles you run the more both the trainer and student make. But the trainer has the money incentive to run the truck as a team that way. Not teaching the student what he needs to know to make it on his own.
For instance, my trainer hardly let me back. He is a million miler, and has backed 10 times as many miles as I have gone forward, but how was I to learn? Eventhough I have to admit that backing in truck stops and busy docks is a difficult job even for veteran drivers. But,the student has to back in these situations in order to learn. Yes, it is dangerous, wastes time, and makes other drivers have to wait a few minutes while the rookie finally gets into the hole.
But this is the only way to learn. I have discovered that backing on the school range is much easier than the real world though! The docks that we have been bumping are in cramped yards and many of them aren't even designed for tractor trailers. Several of them even have taxed the skills of my veteran trainer, being the excellent backer that he is. So, you could imagine what fun it would be for a newbie to 90 back a 53 foot trailer into a dock that is made for delivery vans!
But, he didn't find places that I could learn. For instance when we returned to the terminal, or as we had time to kill in truck stops. So, why don't these carriers develop good training programs, that pay the trainer a good compensation for the hard work of training? This would eliminate the bozos that aren't qualified to train students either because they aren't good teachers or because they think that they can make a better check than being a regular team or solo.
Does anyone know of a good training carrier? Maybe I need to change companies.
Thanx,
MM

Answer:
You might try Schneider, but you will still have to run team with another newbie after your trainer releases you, plus they may charge you for going through their school, also. Won't know till you ask them.
How long have you been with this one? Some companies will take newbies with 6 mos. experience, but most likely you will be billed by your current company for your school with them. How long was your contact for?
You're nothing more than a grunting alien on their computer screen and they just found the gatling cannon. - Bear Jammies
___________________________
Humans are amazing creatures. "With all the things you can train them to do, I've been considering getting one."-StoneyJay Gould
__________________________
This post coming to you live, from Jesus Land !!!

Answer:
I paid my own way. I don't have a contract with my carrier as they don't even have a tution reimbursement program. So, I can walk when I need to. I have only been driving for 5 weeks and am now at home on a family medical emergency situation. I am not ready for prime time. I could probably be on a team if my co driver was willing to cut me some slack for a while. As a matter of fact my carrier said that they would give me the second seat test when I wanted it. I have heard that is a backing test among other things. My luck, that is my weak area. Some one told me that it cost the company a lot of cabbage to train a student. Looks like they would make sure that their trainers were qualified. Don't most carriers make their trainers go through some school and get certified or something like that? I know at my truck driver training school, they had a course called "Training the Trainer."
MM

Answer:
(((Don't most carriers make their trainers go through some school and get certified or something like that?)))
The one I worked for just used anyone who wanted a few extra cents a mile.

Answer:
"In my instance, the trainer and I split 31 cents per mi"
No kidding your trainer has an incentive to run like a team and make more money. If he can almost double his mileage with you driving he will make what alot of other drivers are making but without the training headaches. I honestly believe your being screwed. Some companies do have a training program in place. The company your with now does not. Your only job is to make more money for the company. Looks like they could care less what you learn.
"Some one told me that it cost the company a lot of cabbage to train a student." Not in your instance it doesn't. Actually most companies pay around $350 - $400 per week. Thats not alot anyway concidering the outcome if you make it as a driver and start delivering loads. It does though cost most companies alot. It is their own fault because they could care less if the trainee stays or not. For them it is exspensive but makes a nice tax deduction.
I still wish you would name the company. I can't really see a reason to hide it. Unless there is a reason to hide it.
"There is just something about fresh winter snow and a river. The day is bright even if it is cloudy, the water is friendly even if it is cold and the fish are there even if they are not biting."

Answer:
If it cost them a lot of money they wouldn't be such sleazy garbage and they wouldn't have to have this training program in the first place; that stuff is just a line of BS to try to get gullible newbies to feel somehow obligated to them. You aren't; they need employees through their own fault, they can't keep them, and you need a job that pays. If one or the other isn't there, there is no deal.
___________________________
Humans are amazing creatures. "With all the things you can train them to do, I've been considering getting one."-StoneyJay Gould
__________________________
This post coming to you live, from Jesus Land !!!