Often truckers who do not have personal experience with team driving have a lot of questions about it. From the outside, it seems like a great idea if you are getting paid by the mile and the truck is running 24/7. Team driving is exactly what it sounds like. There are two qualified drivers in the truck who share the responsibility of operating and maintaining the truck. There are pros and cons to team driving, depending on your situation it might be an idea to consider.

PROS

If you have a partner in the truck with you it can be a good thing, it gives you company and allow you to learn from another person if need be. It is important to build a strong partnership with someone you can trust in the truck. Items that need to be discussed before you even hit the road are scheduling, pay division, personal habits and control. If all of that can be decided before you hit the road it can make things easier and will hopefully cause less issues on the road.

When you are team driving you can often secure more lucrative jobs because you can get the job done the quickest on the road. With being able to drive almost 24 hours a day a team can get a load delivered the quickest.

Team driving often attracts husband and wife teams. This can be the ideal situation for them as they can be on the road together and already know each other’s habits and will have an easier time communicating with each other about any issues that may come up on the road. The other advantage is usually with the pay it will be going into one account so there will be no conflict about who is getting paid what.

CONS

There are times that team driving can be less profitable then driving on your own because of all of the profits are split equally, or should be.

Sleep can be an issue if the truck is moving all the time. It can be very difficult to be comfortable when the truck is moving and you are trying to rest especially if it is daylight outside as well. If you do not get quality rest it can make it very dangerous to drive for your shift.

Breaks can also be an issue for team driving. If one driver wants to stop for a break it may not be convenient for the other driver. There could be a scenario where you finally get to sleep in the back bunk and the other driver needs to stop for some reason. It could cause tension in the truck.

A few other issues that might come up as a team driver is that you might be away from home for longer stretches, what to do if one or both of the drivers are ill and just getting along with your co-driver day to day.

Overall, team driving can be a good choice in the right situation. The most important thing to take into consideration is that you feel like you can trust your driving partner and there is an open line of communication.

RESOURCES

https://www.smart-trucking.com/team-driving/

https://www.primeinc.com/trucking-blogs/what-is-team-driving-like-pros-cons-of-team-driving/