IMHO.... YES!! Absolutely! I Usually drive as a team, though I'm SOLO at the moment. Even as a team, I sometimes want to "tighten up" my logs to save hours. But, in general, there is no real NEED to. You keep the truck moving, you get your breaks and showers and meals, and you CAN log it all legally. And you usually get more "hometime."

I have OFTEN said, that I believe EVERY truck on the road should be Team Operated. Customers would get their "goods" in a more timely manner, everyone would be more rested, and there would be FEWER trucks on the roads.

That being said, I LOVE it when I get to go "solo!" So, I can understand the attraction. My major concern is the fact that many NEWBIE drivers go through some training program, and then are let out onto the roads with little "supervision" or "help." (You wouldn't BELIEVE how many of them have asked me to PARK or DOCK their trucks!)

Thanks to the excellent advice on this board, and my resistance to most of it, I chose to start my career as a Team driver. I thought that it would be helpful to have an experienced driver with me through MOST of the "eventualities" that would occur during my first year. I have learned MUCH from these drivers!

You will not find MY name on any post saying how I tore my tandems off on a pole, ruined a landscape, or quit because they were "driving" me too hard or illegally. [these are just some of the reasons given by those who QUIT!]

But I have paid a (small) price for this education. Getting along well with others, in a tight space, is not easy! :lol: But, I was never led to believe that trucking was supposed to BE easy!

As much as I enjoy driving SOLO, I still must say that I believe that TEAM driving is the best way to start out! And for economic and logistical reasons, I cannot say that it is not the best way to run the industry.

Take that opinion for what it's worth. I'm sure MANY drivers here will disagree. But, if so, I challenge them to give me ONE good reason that starting a driving career is better as a solo.

I have embarked on MANY new "careers" in my life. And the ONLY one I "failed" at was a SOLO adventure. As it turns out, I believe I could have succeded at Driving as a SOLO from day one. But, we'll never know. What we DO know, is that, during WWII, we lost MORE pilots in "single pilot aircraft" than in "crew" type aircraft. And "I" am still driving, with no accidents, and no "whining" about how to find receivers, or where to park, or how to deal with my dispatcher.

Newbies come on here looking for ALL the answers. The "answers" usually say something about "how your company wants it." How better to KNOW that, than from a team driver who has experience with your company?"

Picture a world with HALF as many trucks, but just as many dirvers. Twice as many parking spaces, and fewer fatal accidents. Less "layover" time at shippers, who are motivated to "get their loads" on every truck they can find! More HOMETIME. Less time spent looking for a space to "shutdown" for the night. No "IdleAire."

I KNOW it won't work, these are just ideas to answer your question. Add in a "closed" border, and higher pay, and you have NIRVANA. But, alas, I sleep... only to dream.

 

picture a world where all drivers get along! put two drivers in every truck and you have chaos!
you aint locking me up with no one. ive known only one woman i could spend 24/7 with and locked in a truck that would not have lasted as long as it did

 

Being team should lesson the need to run illegal, but you would be suprised in how many teams I have busted for running illegal. Why? Sometimes a husband only has his wife become a driver so he can use her as a log book, when all she does is the secretary work. Now this isn't always the case.

Sometimes the teams don't believe they can get busted because the truck can be moving all the time.

 

I didnt doubt you one bit :lol: I know it happens! You was a smart one to quit, I wish your friend would have :cry:

 

What credit, you gave them your opinion, nothing more, and it seems to still be under investigation!!! I think you still aired your friends dirty laundry in the wrong place, and in my opinion, he will be the one to get burned over this. Lets just hide and watch how the whole thing turns out!!!
Hopefully no one gets a hold of this thread and uses it against your friend, he will have you to blame for trying to get back at the company, but burning him in the process. You need to go back and read all the crap you gave as ammunition, that could maybe be used against your friend.
Remember you drive over your hrs, you have no one to blame but yourself!! No ifs, ands, or BUTTS!!!!!! You are in control of what you do, not your company! The easiest thing for your friend and you to do, was QUIT WHEN ( and not weeks, months or yrs later ) the company tried to make you run in this fashion!!!
Enough said!!!!

 

Dawn;
Read his posts, its not like he quit right away when they made him run this way, he quit when it was convenient to him. To save face he and his friend should have said no, on the spot and QUIT. Please don't BABY him. People need to take responsibility for their own actions!!!
I am just talking to you dawn, so don't be MAD....lol Not meant as a put down...

 

No I would not take offense to what you stated here at all, since you did not attack!

Anyhow I see your point, but I am glad he finally did quit. Yes I understand many drivers make bad decisions, but as long as they finally learn the correct way that is all that matters to me .

Yes drivers should pay for their mistakes as his friend should pay; I wish his friend would have learned before the accident as there would be innocent lives saved.

Believe me, I preach to drivers all the time about running legal and why.
This driver (in the accident) is probably one that says every day, I stop when I feel like stopping. Of course these drivers are not going to call logs and say ok, now I know what you meant but you know they are thinking Dawn was right, but of course they wanted to say I was because they wanted to believe I was wrong.

I feel everyone deserves another chance as long as they do run legal.
I have many drivers that were outlaws and they tell me they are tired of it and they are glad we enforce running legal. So some do get tired of it, unfortunately some do not learn before the crime happens. It’s like taking one too many chances in robbing a bank or drug dealing etc.

 

Mr. Outlaw,

Again, you show your true side. You are just a pigheaded, stubborn trucker that likes to fight about anything. The only reason I am even responding to you again is to point out that you told me I was a liar from the beginning. Then when I give you actual facts about the story you still won't give me any credit. You can read any of my many posts on any subject and you will find I don't pull any punches. I tell it like it is. If someone gets their feeling hurt in the process too bad.

You say that the article just stated my opinions. Well what you didn't read is how the FMCSA and the DOT know exactly where to look now to find the hidden violations.

As far as anything else....I don't need to explain myself to you anymore, because you will never admit when you are wrong. It's just a waste of time to even try to communicate with you.

Have a good day :roll:

 

Your still a crybaby that wants to blame someone else for your problems. You are STILL a disgruntled employee, and you thrive seeing someone else pay for the decisions you choose, just because you are mad at them. I hate to tell you this, YOU and no one else but YOU can make you drive longer than you are supposed to!!!! That company will be around longer than you will ever be!!! Grow up, and be a MAN, you and your killer friend were not forced to do anything. As far as giving credit to you, forget IT!!!!!lol You gave us no more info than what we read in the article!
I could care less if you knew him or not. You and your killer friend chose to work there, and chose to break the law. Yes its a waste of your time to talk more with me. You are a sniveling little brat, that doesn't have a pair, and you don't know how to say NO!! and then when something happens, you blame your company, what a waste of brain cells....lol

 

Outlaw is soooo Right.
Dollar & anyone else, whom can't say no when a dispatcher try's to force them to run illegal, get what they deserve. This guy driving for L & H is going to go to jail...not for long enough a period in my opinion...but he is going to jail, IF found guilty. Hopefully the Law Enforcement folks dig deep enough to determine if Dispatchers and Management are culpable as ell, and if so, THEY will catch a seat in a cell beside this driver. It is happening more and more.


Just like Joseph Hazelton, each of US are the "Captain of our Ship", when we are behind the wheel. Each of us is responsible for the safety of the Truck, the motorist's around the truck, as well as the safety of the Communities we pass through, while operating our truck.

:moose: