I got to ask this!

[phoneman]

Why in the world would anyone want to team drive, and if they did why would they not get the regular per mile pay? Is it a "privilege", or something to team drive, so you deserve only split pay? The company gets over like a fat rat on this team deal. Never understood why anyone would do it for less pay. Not for the "privilege" of more miles I hope?

[ironeagle_2006]

I team drove. You get paid for EVERY mile that truck moves even if your sleeping in the bunk. When your running 7-8000 Miles in a week at 20CPM for you so your Grossing between 1400-1600 a Week as a Team Driver or 70-80K in a Year. That is the Benefit of driving as a Team that and if it is a Large Company you might not even see a customer seeing Drop Yards were You Drop your Load Grab your Next one and Keep right one Moving your butt.

[phoneman]

I team drove. You get paid for EVERY mile that truck moves even if your sleeping in the bunk. When your running 7-8000 Miles in a week at 20CPM for you so your Grossing between 1400-1600 a Week as a Team Driver or 70-80K in a Year. That is the Benefit of driving as a Team that and if it is a Large Company you might not even see a customer seeing Drop Yards were You Drop your Load Grab your Next one and Keep right one Moving your butt.

Ok example: I am solo getting 40cpm for all miles driven. You are team getting 20cpm that the truck moves. You have to live in that truck, and sleep with someone else driving, and the company is getting premium rates for the expedited load(which they are not passing on to you, that is why they love teams). You are riding in a truck, double the mileage that I do, and doubling your chance of being in a accident, being driven by someone you have no control over. Trucking companies should be paying a premium rate to the team drivers. They are getting over like fat rats.

[golfhobo]

phoneman said:

Ok example: I am solo getting 40cpm for all miles driven. You are team getting 20cpm that the truck moves.

Okay, you SAID it was an "example" so I won't call B.S. on the fact that you MIGHT be getting 40 cpm. Most solos are getting about .35 if they're lucky. But... they also spend 10 hours DOWN for every 11 driving. And if they drive 11 straight, they run out of hours before their 8 days (Usually around the 5 day mark.) So.... add another 34 hour UNPAID reset on the road. You're lucky if you get 2000 miles/wk average, TEAMS easily get over 5,000 miles at "split pay" and often get HOME every weekend!

You have to live in that truck,

No.... YOU have to "live" in that truck during all of your downtime! All "I" have to do is sleep while it's moving and drive when it's my turn. I don't need a T.V., a laptop, a refrigerator, books, etc. you get the point? I RARELY have to smell urine baked parking lots, or inhale the fumes from my own truck or others parked next to me for hours!

and sleep with someone else driving, and the company is getting premium rates for the expedited load(which they are not passing on to you, that is why they love teams).

My first company paid us MORE (to the truck) than they paid a solo driver. I think that is pretty common. So.... they ARE paying us more for expediting than they would someone who has to sit and idle away their fuel budget 10 hours a day.

You are riding in a truck, double the mileage that I do, and doubling your chance of being in a accident, being driven by someone you have no control over.

Those are valid points. I won't argue them. Teaming takes TRUST and a bit more GUTS than being a solo driver. See my sigline! Just driving a truck is taking more risk than other people... but, what if you were a traveling salesman? More miles on the road where SOME idiot could involve you in a fatal accident!

Ever flown on a PLANE?? Or taken a BUS? The most "frequent flyer" of all businessmen spend less time on a plane than I did in the military... with my life in the pilot's hands! [though I DID get hazardous duty pay for the risk!]

Regardless of what you claim, MOST solos get an average of 2000 miles per week for a GROSS paycheck of $700. They spend MORE money on the road during their downtime than I spend with more time at home. I gross $15,000 more a year for taking that extra risk and have MORE time at home. So, I guess I AM being rewarded for "expediting" my employer's loads.

Trucking companies should be paying a premium rate to the team drivers. They're getting over like fat rats.

Are they? A company that runs ONLY solos needs TWICE as many trucks, loses MORE money in fuel for idling, pays more in insurance bennies (if they offer them) MORE in truck insurance, etc.

Okay, maybe you're right. Team companies SAVE money while bringing in MORE revenues. But, you know what? During tough times... they manage to STAY IN BUSINESS! That means I have a job!

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE the few times I get to go solo! I'm just not ready (yet) to spend weeks on the road to make LESS money than I do "teaming."

And, as I've said before.... I believe ALL trucks should be TEAM operated! Almost ALL other forms of "commercial" transportation ARE! It saves money, reduces congestion on the roads, would reduce ACCIDENTS, and is beneficial to the environment!

And, if you're right that TEAM companies make more money, then just MAYBE we'd all get a pay raise!

But, you'll never convert the solo drivers out there. Remember... it's not a job, it's a LIFESTYLE!

[Malaki86]

If I averaged 2,000 miles or less per week over the span of a year, I wouldn't do this job. Right now I'm at an average of 2,409 miles per week, and that includes my time off, which is 1 day off for every 7 days out, 10 days over Christmas (7 paid) plus a 7 day paid vacation a few weeks ago.

[repete]

HOBO, you said most solos get .35cpm???WTF!! When I get milage pay I get .42CPM . I have my own little dedicaited run and am paid salary so when you figure out per mile it drops but not down to .35! I know ALOT of drivers start out starvation rates but .35 average?
Also 2000miles is a little low too. i do 2884miles in 50 drive time. (logged legal)

[td5952]

HOBO, you said most solos get .35cpm???WTF!! When I get milage pay I get .42CPM . I have my own little dedicaited run and am paid salary so when you figure out per mile it drops but not down to .35! I know ALOT of drivers start out starvation rates but .35 average?
Also 2000miles is a little low too. i do 2884miles in 50 drive time. (logged legal)

I am a carrier, but I have hired driver. I pay ALL miles empty or loaded @ $0.33/cpm and my driver is very very happy. Most likely within next few weeks I'll bump him 1-2 cpm. He ran 3160 miles last week, that is by far hardest I have pushed him. He normally runs 2400 ish. Thing about it I am a car crusher primarily and when he sits and waits I compensate him for sitting very nicely (usually in green cash). Like I said he is very happy with his payroll.

[bentstrider]

I don't do teams for reasons I stated in other threads, but HOBO made a pretty good point about the truck-parking issue.
Apart from the noise and the soot, if a lot is full and a co-driver is fresh on hours, no having to worry about breaking something in a crowded lot.

I'm still on paper logs at this point, but with the implementation of EOBRs going off the chain, I imagine the teams are going to be the few that are truly unaffected or hampered by it in any way.
Talk about thinning the herd through fear and/or frustration.

[Malaki86]

I couldn't imagine trying to sleep on some of the wonderful roads in this country. One second you're sound asleep, the next you're bouncing against the bottom of the top bunk with a concusion. No thanks.

[repete]

I couldn't imagine trying to sleep on some of the wonderful roads in this country. One second you're sound asleep, the next you're bouncing against the bottom of the top bunk with a concusion. No thanks.

Or waking up outside a cat-house like I did while training!

[Malaki86]

Or waking up outside a cat-house like I did while training!

Depends - how expensive were they?

[repete]

Depends - how expensive were they?

Didn't matter, I was a broke trainee!

[Orangetxguy]

Didn't matter, I was a broke trainee!

Versus.....A broke trainer!!

[robertt]

I always got by with my looks