Frustration

[nightcreacher]

This is a question for the owners that run team with a stranger.How do you keep your co drivers,or better yet where do you find one that will stay for the duration.I use to think it was the pay,mine gets 23%,plus 50% of accessorial charges,or the time away from home. I dont think its the time away from home,as we are usually only gone 10 to 12 days,and then home for 4.Maybe I have bad breathe,or my right guard quit.But this is a question Ive been asking myself all day,at least since I told my co driver he can get his stuff out of the truck.We left home on Jan 27 and were back home Feb 11th.In that length of time he made $2700.We were suppose to leave out Monday,he wasnt ready,or Tuesday,and this morning, he told me he needs home this next Monday night.Well guess he doesnt know about the economy,not a good time to be out of work.Any suggestions.
I have a guy that use to work for me I'm thinking of putting back in truck,he already told me he would come back,but the moment I do,Ill be out of White Glove,for at least a year till this guy is able to get his citizenship,and I dont know if the surface tractors are all that busy.Would you call this between a rock and a hard place,or cutting your nose off to spite your face

 

[Wingnut]

I feel your pain!! Finding a good co-driver seems to be getting harder and harder anymore. It doesn't seem to matter how much you pay them, how much home time they get, or how big the sleeper is (including all the bells & whistles), drivers still seldom last. I find that trying to find a good codriver is like sorting thru the thorns to get to the roses. There sure are alot of thorns out there and doesn't seem to be as many roses. Keep looking and try not to get discouraged. It's frustrating as all get out but well worth it in the end when you finally get your 'rose'! Don't give up.

 

[davekc]

My hat is off to you. I don't have the patience for two separate people in a truck. That usually turns into two separate agendas.
I only hire husband/wife or permanent partners for teams.
If that isn't available, I would just park it and not worry about it.
I think you would wind up spending more money dealing with their bs then you would ever make off of them in it.

 

[nightcreacher]

Dave,when i had my fleet of 3 trucks,lol i had 2 h/w teams,I also at one time had a two female team,and ive had two guy teams,only had 1 that didnt make any money,was a H/W team,they only made enought to pay their bills.I can pay little more with a driver runnng with me,as i pay myself a lower rate for drivers pay.buut as I was saying,its not the money,its not the time home,most people today have a louzy work ethic.Thats why I really think Im going to take Art back and forget the W/G,no matter how long we are gone,hes willing to take 1 day per week off,but we usually off 4 days in 12

 

[x06col]

Amen Dave!! Tried a couple three teams in my Argosy. Ain't worth it. Unfortunately, all the hw teams I found, the female was skeerd of the cabover.

Night, jes run er yousef like I did. Be a lot less frustrating, an a lot more rewarding. Cept the getting home too often.

 

[davekc]

I know what you mean. I don't think I could deal with it.
Two ladies together (which we have done) is fine. They were in a relationship and that works. Two people that don't know each other........forget it.

 

[nightcreacher]

Col. Ive run solo,just isnt enough money in it compared what I make running team.Granted once in a while you get that so called home run,but then your stuck cause all the teams are getting you next load

 

[x06col]

I dunno, can't see the math. But, if that is you attitude, then you are "stuck", tween the rock an the hard place. Sorry to hear it.

 

[theoldprof]

Drivers aren't the only people that are hard to find. Was talking with my local plumber guy and he said he can't keep help. Said he paid upwards of $20.00 an hour and the use of the plumbing truck. They were allowed to use the truck for personal local errands. He said nobody wants to work.

 

[davekc]

I am with the Colonel on this one. We did try it many years ago, but as mentioned, it was more madness than it was worth. I would go it alone and find my own loads, or hook on to a carrier that allows it. Even more so now because of the HOS regs.

 

[nightcreacher]

remember,im half of the team.its hard to make $6000 week running solo,even harder to send home 2500 week

 

[x06col]

The vast majority of us are going to have to Night, so join us and tighten yer belt.

 

[davekc]

Based on what I see as the current rates, I think the days of a 6k week consistently are slightly behind us for awhile.
That applies to ALL vehicles regardless of size or anything else.

 

[nightcreacher]

Ok here's cutting ones nose to spite his face,Jerry just called,reading between the lines,he wants his job back,I told him I hired Art back.He sounded like he just died,guess he thought I would forget all that happened

 

[pjjjjj]

Ok here's cutting ones nose to spite his face,Jerry just called,reading between the lines,he wants his job back,I told him I hired Art back.He sounded like he just died,guess he thought I would forget all that happened

Jeez Nightcreacher, as bad as it was when he forced you to be off for a few days, make sure you're not cutting YOUR nose off.. you're back in the power seat now. You can do your WG and specialty loads with Jerry, but not with Art. Now Jerry knows how easily he can be replaced, maybe he'll smarten up.

 

[nightcreacher]

I have to look at it this way,Jerry will do this again,he only thinks of himself,so if your busy and need to stay out,hell have a reaso to go home.Art has a much better work ethic,as long as busy he will stay out for ever,and when you get home hes ready to go back out.The reason i took art out of the truck back in september,he didnt feel he coud run the truck by himself,so i put Jerry in it whie I was out for my eye operation,then kept him cause we got back into W/G,now hes put back behind the 8 ball,where i was after my eye operation,ill cut off my nose.

 

[ATeam]

I don't want to make light of your frustration. I can tell from your words it is real.

There is a solution I have thought of for some time now, but when I share it with others they all laugh it off. I don't know why. The numbers seem to work.

As you know, reliable same-household teams are highly valued in expediting. The obvious solution it to get married or similarly committed and hit the road with your co-driver. The decision to romantically commit or not is, of course, each person's to make. Other people's relationship decisions are none of my business.

I offer the following only as something to consider. A same-household solution with even better numbers than the traditional same-household team would be to: (1) buy the biggest sleeper you can put on a truck. (2) move to Utah, where, in some corners, polygamy is not frowned upon, (3) marry not one wife but two (legally if you can, ceremonially if you cannot), and (4) with three CDLs and three log books, hit the road.

Think of the money you could make! Except for maintenance and fuel stops, you could keep the truck running 24/7. Everyone would be safe because each co-driver is getting his or her needed rest. With the workload split three ways, the burden would be light.

To my knowledge, no one has ever done this. You could be the first to take team driving to the next level. Solo van drivers considering this option have an advantage. They can keep their van and tow it behind their big-sleeper straight truck. When a little "me time" is needed by one of the co-drivers, the van can serve as a mobile getaway. Even when the truck is moving under load, you can get the "me time" many married couples find healthy.

 

[cheri1122]

"The obvious solution is to get married and hit the road"? Gee, why didn't I think of that?
If most people laugh off your suggestion of practicing polygamy, it's because monogamy is as much as nearly any human is capable of, and it's too much for some. Like unrelated teams, trios just don't last very long, no matter how happily they begin.
Not one of your better ideas, Phil, really. Truly.

 

[highway star]

And, you'd really have to wonder how much rest the male part of this trio is going to get.

 

[nightcreacher]

Phil I'm on the floor in tears from laughing so hard.many time Ive thought how a wife might solve my driver problems,but that might incur other problems.Not that I run around that much,but close quarters are not good for disputes between spouses.Large sleeper wouldnt help,just more truck to clean,might be good place to hide a dog though.