[Ian Williams]

Originally Posted by Skywalker

CFI pays their teams 43 cpm....on practical miles, and adds 5 cpm for all miles run in the 12 NE states, and adds I think its 3 cpm for hazmat placarded loads (if you have the endorsement and the load is placarded... but if you don't have the endorsement, you won't get the load).

There are even other companies that pay more. Their experience requirements will be higher and more stringent.

Please don't think I'm being "snotty"....but if I was inclined to run team.... I wouldn't even waste time filling out an application for a team job at 33 cpm to the truck..... I'd be looking for a lot more.

200,000 miles @ 33 cpm= $66,000.00 to the truck or $33,000.00 per driver. (HHG miles....so you would actually drive 215K or 230K for 200K in pay.)

200,000 miles @ 43 cpm= $86,000.00 to the truck or $43,000.00 per driver. (CFI... possibly 1% or 2% out of route....but maybe under 0%)

Sounds about right for a team truck. Con-Way Truckload div pays .44cpm (practical) . The truck earns $2400-2800 per week talking to our drivers.

IIRC home time was 3 1/2 days after 2 weeks or a week after 3 weeks out.

This evening I was talking to a CRST driver whos truck was earning .24cpm! Holy Exploitation!!! You might as well stay home, sleep in your own bed and ask "Venti or Grande?". He also stated that its in CRSTs contact with Con-Way that they can't hire CRST drivers for 6 months from when they last visited a barn.

[Ian Williams]

The other upside for to a team operation is that an carrier worth a darn is going to keep you running; you will see less of the 100-200 mi BS runs and more of the Coast to Coast 2000 mi trips.

[golfhobo]

Okay, I drive TEAM. I also occaissionaly get to go solo. I like BOTH!

I'm sure by now you are clear on the split pay part of it.

When I was in school, the HIGHEST paying team company for new grads was Covenant at 19.5 cents each for all miles. MOST companies will pay LESS right out of school.

I'm not saying it is great pay, but you could do alot worse than 16.5 cents each with many major companies "right out of the box."

I've been on this board for almost two years now, and with a few exceptions, I've heard MOST new drivers complaining about too few miles when they started out solo! 2000-2500 /wk seems about normal (though MANY say they get LESS!) Unless you have a squeaky clean record, most solos will start at LESS than 33 cpm. That's $660 - $825 a week to start.... IF you get those miles EVERY week! And if you don't get 33 cpm, it will be LESS! This is ONE reason why so many wash out.

Newer solo drivers tend to get the shorter routes and spend MORE time sitting and waiting to be dispatched for their next load. The more time you spend SITTING in a truckstop, the more money you will SPEND.

When you DO get that "good run," you will hardly have time to make it. You MAY have to push the limits of your HOS (or cheat.) Skywalker mentioned "stamina." I think it takes MORE to keep up the pace that MAY be asked of you as a solo! If you get tired.... or SICK.... there is no one to keep the freight moving toward the delivery time. As a team driver, I can drive between 8.5 to 10 hours a day, eat a meal, and sleep for the same amount, before having to work again.

Conversely, I've heard MANY on here talk about being dispatched with TOO much time to "waste" before delivery! You ONLY get paid for the miles.... so if you waste 2 days getting there, because you NEED to.... you are not making the money!

The concept behind TEAM driving, is to keep the wheels moving and the truck busy! If you "keep the doors shut" and drive... as some have said, you SHOULD have plenty of time to eat a sitdown meal everyday, and shower at least every OTHER. You will find that there is always a layover here or there, or a delay in delivery or pickup, where you can catch up on your rest, or see the town.

You will also be able to get further away from home, see more country, and get home sooner. A solo driver can't get home weekly UNLESS he never leaves the neighborhood! I go East coast to CALI, Oregon, or Washington every week, and get home in LESS than 6 days. I then get 2 or 3 days hometime AT HOME!!

I'm home EVERY week, and I made near the top end of the pay I mentioned earlier... as a NOOBIE. I make more now, and I'm sure I'll make more still after I've paid my dues, got my experience, and moved on to a better company. But, I'm not complaining.

I'm not the worst mechanic in the world, but I didn't know much about trucks or trucking when I started. Oh... I could DRIVE the thing with no problems! I didn't need a "spotter" to park, etc., but when things went WRONG (as they always do) it was nice to have a senior team member to keep me on track. Solos are too often "thrown to the wolves" after some pretty shoddy training!

I guess one of the biggest problems (often touted by those who didn't even try it) is sleeping in a moving truck. I'm a REAL light sleeper, and it took a few weeks to get used to it. Sometimes I took a Tylenol PM to help make me drowsy. But, I got used to it quickly. I wake up EVERYTIME the truck comes off the road, but as senior driver... that is a good thing. But, I have NO problem sleeping in a moving truck, and haven't since the first month or so! 10 or 11 hours of driving SHOULD make anyone tired enough to sleep!

I have said before, and I still believe it, that EVERY longhaul truck should be a team operation, but that is for alot of other reasons (parking, traffic, pollution, etc.) But, I will forever believe that a TEAM operation is the BEST way for ANY newbie to start out!

Remember that, there are two MAJOR categories of team driving, with smaller sub categories involved that will dictate your hometime and pay: SOME team trucks go from point A to B to C to D and on and on for 2 or 3 weeks at a time before getting HOME. I go from my yard (A) to my consignee on the west coast (B) to my west coast backhaul shipper (C or still in the area of B) and back to (A) and take a few days off!

Some team operations do nearly ALL Drop n Hook! This keeps you moving and gets you miles, but leaves little time to relax/sleep/see the town. I almost NEVER drop my trailer. I power unload and power load. Unfortunately, I don't get paid well for this time, but it IS a break in the pace! (It also means I touch my dolley bar ONCE a week!)

I don't play video games, and won't waste my money on them, so I don't NEED to spend hours in a truckstop. I don't have alot of time to sit at a lunch counter and swap LIES with the other "solo's" who are WAITING on a dispatch! Some say this is a lifestyle.... I 'd rather just DO THE JOB and come HOME for my lifestyle.

One thing is certain. If you stay in trucking long enough, you will get to do both solo and team if you want. Plan your first two years to be the most beneficial to you. If that means "easing" in with the help of a senior partner, then go team. If that means more hometime, you may want to consider team. If you want to be SURE to get the miles, go team east coast to west and back! As I've always said.... I know about how many miles I'll get EVERY week, becuase last time I noticed... they hadn't moved the WEST coast ANY closer to me!

Feel free to PM me for more info if you want. Best of luck to you in your new venture! And remember... NOTHING is "set in stone." You will have many options in your career.... IF you survive the first year or two!

Hobo

As someone who ran team for some of the time with his father. I was the reason he was able to get back on the road the only way the DOctor would let him comeback out. We routinely would clear now this is in the later 90's 900-1000 each after taxes running about 6500-7000 miles a week. We had a dedicated account load out of Madison WI go to Fullerton CA unload reload smae door that was nice then come back southern route to Aurora IL then back to Madison WI or Davenport IA for Kraft foods as fast as we could turn them. We did one month at 30K miles the rest were right at 28K month in month out we wore out 2 trucks in about 18 months.

[teneglia]

Have a question. I ran local with day cabs for a year and half. I'm fixing to go OTR with my boyfriend. Does teams have a 34 hour restart or is that just for solo's?

Thank you
T.

[Evinrude]

I would rather go to jail than team.

[BigWheels]

Originally Posted by teneglia

Have a question. I ran local with day cabs for a year and half. I'm fixing to go OTR with my boyfriend. Does teams have a 34 hour restart or is that just for solo's?

Thank you
T.

Here's the HOS link. (The 34-hour rule applies to solos, teams, and aliens visiting from outerspace. Well...maybe it doesn't apply to aliens.)

[golfhobo]

Originally Posted by teneglia

Have a question. I ran local with day cabs for a year and half. I'm fixing to go OTR with my boyfriend. Does teams have a 34 hour restart or is that just for solo's?

Thank you
T.

YES. All the same HOS rules apply to teams.

[teneglia]

thank you very much golfhobo and bigwheels.