Can we switch between team and solo?

[TomTrucker]

Anyone know if an O/O team can switch back and forth between team and solo at either scheduled or unscheduled intervals? Is the only way to do that to have one's own authority (example: we drive as a team for three weeks, then switch to solo for one week, then back to team for three, then back to solo for one ...)? Thanks

 

[cheri1122]

I don't see any reason why you couldn't do it, unless you're leased with a carrier that only runs teams. I've run solo for a bit, while my codriver was home, when I ran team - just had to let the carrier know that I was solo, is all.
Ask your carrier, see what they say.

 

[arkjarhead]

I guess you can do it, but it would get real confussing for the people in the office.

 

[ATeam]

I know a few teams at FedEx Custom Critical that have run team most of the time and solo some of the time. These are temporary situations where one team member needs or wants to be out of the truck or at home for some reason. Something like illness, an important family event that requires preparation, business that needs to be taken care of at home while the other can run, etc.

 

[redytrk]

Back in the days when Carol was Co-Driving she would often take off while I ran solo. Dispatch was simply informed and there was no problem.

The driver who takes off, still has to send in log sheets ,and is subject to random drug testing.

 

[terryandrene]

The concensus seems to be yes, as it is in my case. In the beginning we were 100% team. As the years went by, Rene' would come off the truck and I'd run solo. Lately, I've been more solo than team. Today we are a team. One thing is clear to me; as a team in a van, we earn 33% more gross pay than as a solo.

One point that is imperative, regardless of your carrier, is notification when you are out-of-service. A driver of an owner should courteously notify the owner of the truck in advance of any prolonged periods of out-of-service.

As I recall, Federal Regulations require that every working CDL holder, be they independent contractor or employee, be enrolled in a program for random drug and alcohol screening. If you take your truck out-of-service, you are still in-service for the purpose of the random testing. If you plan to imbibe in a libation or two while in-service, your allowable blood/alcohol level is .02%, not your State limit of .08 or higher. You also may not drive for a few hours after drinking alcohol. If a CDL holder is driving any motor vehicle involved in an accident causing injury or death, a BA test is mandatory.

 

[RichM]

When I was with FedexCC I used to switch all the time. I never had a problem,just make sure you notify your company.

 

[nightcreacher]

I've done just that,worked 3 weeks team and have gone 1 week solo,while co-driver was needing time off. this only works if during co-drivers time off you get a short run that you can get back to home,without loosing to many dead head miles.The trouble with expedite,you just cant tell where that next load will take you.Also,the real money in expedite is in team loads,even if the load looks as if a single can do it,the H O S might make it impossible for a solo to do.

 

[FAMILYEXPDT]

We do it all the time.....not a problem at all at Panther....we call safety and switch to solo and whoever is driving...then we switch to team and vice-versa.


-charlotte

 

[Suds43]

Unless they've changed the law, I think the legal alcohol content is 1/2 of the state requirement with a CDL.........if a state is .08%. With a CDL the limit would be .04%

 

[ATeam]

The law may be one thing. Carrier standards are another. FedEx Safety Department people have told me 0.02 is the limit and that one beer is enough to top it. It's simple. If you are anywhere near the truck, or will be soon, don't even think about drinking alcoholic drinks.

 

[tallcal101]

Ditto

 

[prescat]

Just to follow-up, A-Team is right on the money, you should not be anywhere near a commercial vehicle with ANY amount of alcohol in your system! With that said, Blood Alcohol content may have legal guidelines, but it is a bad determination of impairment. I'm 5-10, 200lbs even, but I never really drank and if I have three beers in 2 hours, I'm looped and should not even be on a bicycle. However, I know I would barely touch .02 B/A (I have a law enforcement background). Meanwhile, I have an ex-wife that was 5'9, 125 and when we were in our early twenties, (and in party mode, pre-motherhood and "growing up"...lol), she could down beer and shots all night and would be .15, and function better than me. (She was from a hard working and hard drinking Irish family and even though I wouldn't let her drive, she might have been in better shape than me to do so.) Anyway, just take A-Team's advice, and protect your career, yourself, your company, and most important, other people on the road and maybe more people will appreciate the professionalism of trucking as a career!

 

[nightcreacher]

Did i miss something here,how did we go from can a team switch to solo and then back to team,to amount of alcohol.
the alcohol is simple,even if you are out of service,you cant be in truck with the keys at your reach,if you have been drinking alcohol.If you put the truck out of service,and you want to go to the bars,then you also have to take yourself off the truck,even if the truck is out of service,you can still be called for a random,but if you are off the truck,then you can do what you want,but dont be in the truck,and have the keys at your disposal.

 

[whitey1]

I have the same experience as Charlotte.
I would add that both people need to be present when you call safety to go back in servie as a team.
Aside from getting through on the phone system it is not a problem.