To Team or Not to Team: The Team Driving Question

Sometimes, solo truck drivers consider becoming team drivers, but stronger drivers should probably remain solo. There are some benefits to team driving, but also there are some hazards. The general benefits of being a team driver is that the truck keeps rolling, when the wheels turn the truck and drivers make money. The truck rarely sits still for long and down time is kept at a minimum. While the truck and drivers will make good money if they work together well and keep the truck running smoothly, time for breaks to get laundry and showers done will be a bit more difficult for stronger teams. 

To Team:

Teaming is great for married couples, and friends who work well together and respect each other’s space and abilities. It can be great fun, and also rewarding to maximize personal profits while on the road. Teaming is great if two average drivers are paired up with each other. You can increase your earnings and share costs amongst two instead of one, but for strong drivers teaming could dampen your earnings, worse still pairing a strong driver with a weaker driver could be worse if they are not a true partnership. Teaming is great for drivers that only generally run 2,500 miles or so a week solo. 

Not to Team:

Stronger drivers will be miserable. While you are constantly moving, you might actually end up stepping on each other’s shoes. Scheduling will be the hardest part of teaming, beyond general personality issues, sleeping in a moving truck, and sharing a fridge and cab. Stronger drivers are much better off solo. If you are averaging well over 3K miles as a solo driver, you will probably generally make the same or more solo than you would on a team with a slower or weaker driver. Also, if you have a bit of a hot head, don’t team up, it frankly won’t work. 

Good Teams:

Most of our teams here are married couples that share responsibility for the truck, or great friends that have powered team driving like they are on a Blues Brothers Mission from God. Two strong drivers can work well, but they have to be extremely overall mission and goal oriented while out on the road. Married couples do well, because the truck is their business they are building together. And, two easy going drivers that average personally about 2,500- 2,800 a week work well as well. 

If you want to team, think about it and plan before considering it.