More and more truckers are looking into team driving. Not only can you get your cargo where it needs to go faster, you may also get more jobs because of it. Priority jobs are often given to team drivers because owners know that it will get where it needs to be quickly! Team driving is also great because you won’t get as lonely on the road. You will always have someone with you, even if he or she is asleep while you are driving.
That being said, team driving can be difficult. Here are some tips to make it work better (for both of you)!
First of all, you have to choose the right driver! Before you start getting into team driving, it is important that you take extra time when choosing your partner. For a long time, many husband and wives teams were quite successful. You already know that you are compatible with your spouse. You live together in harmony, so it should be the same in the truck.
However, since not all husbands and wives are truck drivers, you might have to look a little harder to find someone to drive with. You want to make sure that you know what you are looking for. If you like to drive during the day, you are going to need to find someone who wants to drive at night. If you prefer to drive for four hours at a time (and rest for that amount of time), you need someone else who prefers that too. You should have similar musical tastes, so that you aren’t fighting over the radio all day and night long. Cab temperature is also important. If you like to be cold, you are going to spend all of your time fighting with someone who prefers it on the warmer side.
Communicate, communicate, and communicate some more. Just like any other relationship, communication is key. Make sure that you talk about everything, from which loads you are going to do, the route that you are going to take, and who is going to drive and when. If you notice something that is not right, don’t wait. Talk about it now so that you can find a solution. If you let it go, it will only get worse, and it may tear your team apart.
Develop a system to let your team member know when you are out of the truck. In the ages before cell phones, a truck driver might get out to get gas, not realize that his team member got out to the use the bathroom, and would leave without him! For this reason, you should always communicate when one of you gets out of the truck. However, if the one person is already out of the truck, and you need to too, you should leave a pillow or something on the steering wheel to let your partner know not to leave without you! Even with all of this, you should never leave the truck without your wallet and cell phone, just in case.
Be considerate of the other person when they are sleeping. Just like you are going to want them to think about you when you are sleeping, you should think about them. Don’t play the music too loud if that bothers your team member. Invest in headphones if needed, so that your partner can get the sleep that he or she needs.
You also should think about your talking when the other person is sleeping. Don’t spend all day screaming into the phone while they are trying to sleep. If your CB is really loud, turn it down. Being considerate can go a long way in a team driving relationship!
Make sure that both drivers do their part. When you are a part of a driving team, one of you may be better at backing up in a big city. One may be better at driving in the rain or snow. One may be better at driving in tight spots. Though it is good to let the better driver do their part, the truth is that it will only hurt the other driver. Both drivers need to be able to maneuver the truck and trailer around, no matter what is going on. So, instead of just letting that driver handle it, the other one should get the practice (even if the other driver coaches them).
Another thing to consider is that both drivers should be helping with the loading and unloading (unless the company does that for you). It is not fair to the other driver if they are always stuck unloading the trailer, after driving all day.
Spend time apart (even when you are on the road). When you are home, you shouldn’t plan a get together with your partner. You need to have some time apart. It is good for any relationship. You should also think about this when you are on the road. If you are stopping somewhere for a few hours, spend that time apart.
If you can’t spend time apart, find fun things to do on the road. If you have a few hours to kill, drive around and see the local sites. Take a hike in the national park nearby. Go to the movies. Visit the local aquarium. No matter where you go, you should be able to find something fun and interesting to do.
The best way to make a partnership work is by choosing the right person. You need to make sure that you get along with the person that you are going to be stuck in a cab with for days or even weeks. You have to have similar tastes in music, as well as liking the same temperature. Not only that, but you also need to communicate well. If you aren’t able to communicate, it isn’t going to work out. You also need to be considerate of the other person when he or she is sleeping. You would only want the same from him or her. Spending time apart is also helpful for any relationship!
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