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Expedite Expo 2016 Workshop: Life on the Road as Team Drivers: Pros and Cons
Driving as a team in expedited trucking offers numerous financial benefits, especially for husband and wife teams, where all income goes to the same household. But you also have to get used to the day-to-day life of two people living in cramped quarters inside the truck for weeks and months at a time, which can create significant challenges, if you're not prepared.
Is team driving right for you? What is it really like to operate as team in expedited trucking? How do you capitalize on the advantages and overcome the challenges of team driving?
Heather and Jason Hutchens, who you might recognize from their Our Life on the Road video blog on ExpeditersOnline.com, addressed these questions and more in their workshop on "Life on the Road as Team Drivers: Pros and Cons" held on July 16 at Expedite Expo 2016 at the Lexington Center in Lexington, Ky.
Heather started the session by sharing some of the pros and cons "we've experienced working and living on the road as a team." Here's what she listed.
Cons:
- Tight living quarters
- Sleeping in a moving truck is difficult
- Lack of "home time"
- You're not the only one making decisions, so you must make sure you're compatible with your partner
Pros:
- You're going to get more miles
- You won't get lonely on the road because you have someone there with you
- Safety & security: both of you can help protect each other on the road
- More options of owners to drive for because there is greater demand for teams
- Extra help with loading and unloading
- For couples, the income goes to the same household.
- When you're sick, the other can run as solo until you feel better
- Some loads require a second person.
Heather and Jason then transitioned into the Question and Answer session. Here are some of the highlights.
On the challenges of getting sleep in a moving truck ...
"Sometimes it's better than others," said Jason. "I know that when we would go up to the Northeast area, the roads are bad. It really depends on how good the roads are, where you're taking your breaks at. But after about the first year, we could pretty much sleep through the bumpy roads."
Jason said that he and Heather had to learn how to drive to make the ride as smooth as possible to accommodate when the other was sleeping, taking into consideration how to start, stop and shift gears.
(Read: If You (Don't) Snooze You Lose.)
On setting work shifts ...
"Jason's shift is usually from one or two in the afternoon to one or two in the morning," said Heather. "Then mine is from one or two in the morning till one or two in the afternoon. That's not set in stone. That can change, depending on the loads we're doing and what we're picking up. So, we try to do it that way -- whoever shift it falls in, that person will do the pickup or delivery. Some of the loads we do, it has required that we're both up for pickup and delivery. So we have to work it that way. We're flexible on that."
(Read: Do You and Your Partner Have What It Takes to Succeed as Team Drivers?)
On working together with your partner ...
"That's another thing with a team: figuring out who does what best," said Jason. "One of you might do paperwork best. One of you might do the job accepting best."
Jason said that defining complementary roles and responsibilities helps build a solid foundation for a positive working relationship with your partner.
And that can be a great thing when you're working and living with that person, 24/7, in tight quarters for months at a time.
Save the Date for Expedite Expo 2017: July 14-15, 2017
If you missed the Expo this year, check out these videos posted by Jason and Heather. They'll give you a first-hand glimpse into what it's like:
And mark your calendar to attend next year's show set for July 14th and 15th, 2017, at Lexington Center in Lexington, Ky.