Question for teams.

[piper1]

With a few hours of midnight Kansas turnpike and a broken radio my mind began to wander, and after going through layout's fan problem in my head for the 100th time I thought about this.

In a team operation while both drivers may be great, one person is a better driver, fact of life.

Do you put the better driver behind the wheel during the day to deal with docks, the increase in urban and rural traffic

or

Do you put the better driver behind the wheel at night for all the hazards that come with nighttime driving (critters, dozing off, limited sight etc.)

??

 

[layoutshooter]

Glad to hear my fan problem is helping you stay awake!!! At least someone is getting some good from it. I normally do the pick-ups and deliverys. Driving skill has little to do with it. My wife handles most of the paperwork and helps with the navigation when we get close. It is a pain to watch traffice and directions at the same time if there is no need. We both drive days and nights, just depends on how the run works out. Not sure when the hazards are worse. Night you have deer, reduced vision etc. Day time you have much more traffice and a greater number of nuts per mile. We both prefer to drive the night shift. Layoutshooter

 

[Doggie Daddy]

In a team operation while both drivers may be great, one person is a better driver, fact of life.

Do you put the better driver behind the wheel during the day to deal with docks, the increase in urban and rural traffic

or

Do you put the better driver behind the wheel at night for all the hazards that come with nighttime driving (critters, dozing off, limited sight etc.)

??

Whatever shift she wants to drive.DD.

 

[TeamCaffee]

We have a pretty set schedule 2:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. works out pretty well with time to stop and stretch your legs when you are on your shift. Bob is a night person and I am a morning person so it just depends on when the load picks up and when it delivers on who will be driving.

 

[pelicn]

We don't really have a set schedule. Who ever drove last is in the sleeper for the next time. We are both awake at pickup or delivery so that we can help with navigation etc. Sometimes one of us is shorted on sleep time but it all works out in the end.

 

[ATeam]

In a team operation while both drivers may be great, one person is a better driver, fact of life.

I'm not sure it is a fact of life that one team driver is better than the other. One might be better at backing. The other might corner better. Heck, there are days when I surprise myself by getting into a challenging dock on the first try, and other days when I have acres of space to work with and I can't hit the dock square to save my life. So, maybe I'd be the better driver on Tuesday and Diane would be the better driver on Wednesday. Who knows? How can you really tell?

I'm just glad each of us believes the other is good enough. That is important. It lets the non-driving team member sleep easy while the other drives down the road. It lets one driver stay in bed while the other fuels the truck or delivers a load.

 

[are12]

With a few hours of midnight Kansas turnpike and a broken radio my mind began to wander, and after going through layout's fan problem in my head for the 100th time I thought about this.
In a team operation while both drivers may be great, one person is a better driver, fact of life.
Do you put the better driver behind the wheel during the day to deal with docks, the increase in urban and rural traffic
or
Do you put the better driver behind the wheel at night for all the hazards that come with nighttime driving (critters, dozing off, limited sight etc.)

??

In most cases, I don't believe that one driver is better than the other but that each driver is better at certain things than the other driver.

Let's take Jim and I, for an example: Jim is better at backing and doing the maintenance on the truck. I am better at driving the night shift (since I am a night owl) and doing the paperwork. Does that make one of us a better driver? I don't believe it does. It just means you are better at handling certain areas of the business.

I do know, no matter which one is behind the wheel, we stay between the lines!!

 

[iceroadtrucker]

Bottom Line many I see are man and wife teams.
Good Enough U comp each others abilities.
However The Best Partners Ive had Were Ones matching in Skills that way u dont play the one eye open when your suppose to be asleep. To fruther that if ur a man an wife team no nead to add ur 2 cents. How ever for those that run for the Fleeters that picked ur team partner for ya beware unless U can trust them its not worth it. I see mostly this place is made up of Man and wife Teams. There are afew that are split incomes but never less. The best advice is again and I said it find a partner UR compatable with one U trust one that U can depend upon and dont let anyone tell U different. Its your life at the hands of another thats just the way it is and the man that owns the Truck in General dont care as long as that trucks making money dont give a care. Thats the truth. In reality a Single can make more than a team can. Higher in Percentage makes the difference. Many on here that are OOPS will differ but in reality with a team the Truck only does about 1 more load if that then a single and U get a lesser percentage. rest my Case. So in other words run single U have a better chance to make more for U than if U run Team. The Companies like Teams the the owner likes Teams but Ur bottom line is whats important Ur health and Ur well being and NO ONE Cares about that but Your Your self. Reguardless of what any one of them say.
Talk to a Professional Fleeter they will tell U they want man an wife Teams vice Two People from Two different House Holds.
The only way Teaming is worth anything is when U got Ur Better Half with you and that ur WIfe or Husband. Then its like a Honey moon. Those people I envy as they can stop in any state and take in the sights and enjoy life together and that is a fact. They cant deny it either. So Man and wife Teams is alike a never ending Honey moon if they realy wanted it to be. Where as two people put together if they live 700 miles apart dont cut the dice. Especialy if One dont trust the other in their driving weather it be by day or by night.
In that case the Second driver just becomes a log book and thats the way it is. When the Pri Driver does go down its a One Eyed Willey peroid. I know there those on here that can relate and have worked for those OOPS that have put who ever they could with U just to have a team in the Truck. I consider them Plain SITH Fleeters as they only care about one thing that Truck making money, U will also find that in them cases as well that there isnt a much of a Maintence Fund for the Truck if any at all and that the OOP reaches in and grabs the money then says Deal with it. But thats another thread all together. Any Way
True Teams are Equal and they POP but so hard to find is two that are compatable. That is why as I was told Many OOP look for the man and wife teams. They dont burn out like ones that are just put together.
In any case Pick ur own partner as other wise U may regret it.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

I've always run teams by however, whatever, and whenever it needs to be done mentality.

 

[iceroadtrucker]

To put it point blunt unless U want doors missing or damage to the Trailer Use the best driver Especialy when backing into the Snake Pit.
KIS=Keep it Simple

 

[are12]

Sorry to add my 2 cents again but I thought I would take time from my honeymoon to answer anyway.

You are right when you say that you must be compatible and trust the person you are teaming with. Believe it or not, not all husband and wife teams feel as comfortable as we do, while the other is driving. We have run into some that just cannot sleep while the truck is moving -usually it is the husband that has the problem.
It must be a man thing!!

 

[iceroadtrucker]

Let me say this if God would let it and My Better half could be with me I could sleep while she Drives not a problem. There is a song Called In the arms of an angel. With her is how I made feel so not a problem.

 

[are12]

Let me say this if God would let it and My Better half could be with me I could sleep while she Drives not a problem. There is a song Called In the arms of an angel. With her is how I made feel so not a problem.

I know the song and what a lovely thought!