Co-Drivers perspective

[criticalmass]

Are there any co-drivers in this forum that would like to post their view of expediting (in a 1st person perspective ie: I, myself, my). I know it is a contradiction to say it in a 1st person perspective because you work as a team (I know there is no "I" in "Team"). Your thoughts and opinions do influence others that you meet. ***Remember, Do not post using "We", "Us", etc.

 

[rangell218]

I just got done teaming with someone 20miles from my house and for 6 weeks this guy drove me nuts, everytime he seen a cop he **** near ran off the road, it was a trip Im glad is over, I am home now and happy as hell when the guy called me to let me know he is going back to moving furniture and was sorry he needed to leave I told him he just made me happy, but anyway teaming with someone in a truck even if its your wife they do get on your nerves long hrs, it just S**** so I am now going it along for a while I understand the overseesers of this forum will not agree they think you have to team to make it bull **** as always I feel you have to do whats you feel is best for you. I also think teaming is good if it is with the right person,

 

[terryandrene]

Co-Drivers come in many different categories and I suspect each have different sets of rules by which they either choose to abide or are required to abide depending on the terms of their work agreement.

You have an owner with a co-driver, a driver with a co-driver, or co-owners that are co-drivers. Co-drivers start out as either strangers, aquaintences, friends, spouse and spouse, or other family members. Whatever the case, a good understanding of business or personal decision making is essential or the driver / co-driver relationship will sour until the point they become adversary / co-adversary.

Since you want a first person account of a co-driver relationship, I'll play the role of co-driver as I usually do with my wife Rene'. I agree that, when time requires, the person alone in the truck, or alone on the phone, makes the decision to accept or reject a load without input from the absent partner. I agree that when my partner makes a bad business decision, while I'm absent, I'll abide by that decision. I agree that any heated discussions of personal matters, at the moment a run offer is tendered, will immediately be suspended and I will adopt a business demeanor in discussing a run offer.

I further agree that my partner must satisfy her chromosomal urges to go shopping while on layover and I won't attempt to control those urges until such time as we have no room in the van for freight.

 

[criticalmass]

Terry, you are correct when you say that there are a lot of variables in a truck with a co-driver. That is why I posed the question in the first place <---(pardon the pun) as a 1st person perspective. Each has it's own unique set of circumstances. Newbies and solos thinking about going "team" may find answers to their questions on how to cope with a driving partner from all the different situations ie; husband/wife, cousins,strangers, etc. Each team member has a common goal. Individually each has a personal goal for themselves and a goal for the team. I am asking co-drivers for their personal opinions about being in that position to assist those who are contemplating becoming a team. I am looking for stories and anecdotes. Raves not rants

 

[criticalmass]

No rants please rangell. I am not looking for a "he/she did this" in a negative and derogatory manner.

 

[pelicn]

Good thread Criticalmass!

I do the "housework" in the truck.
Hubby does the truck work.

I do the paperwork
Hubby does the paperwork.

I do the cooking.
Hubby opens doors in the rain/cold.

I do the laundry.
Hubby gets the clothes dirty.

I polish chrome
Hubby polishes chrome.

I drive
Hubby drives

We work well together!

 

[jansiemoo]

I haven't posted in a long time, but a few of you may remember I came onto a truck with a total stranger. It's been over a year, and we're still trucking. The truck forced both of us to adjust to each other's "quirks". He had driven team before, and I was totally new to driving.
It worked so well not because we're alike, but because we compliment each other. If we were twins, this would have imploded a long time ago.
I tend to dawdle- he's always pressing to be super early.
I'm better with numbers, always figuring "if this plus that..." - he's great with paperwork, very thorough.
We have figured out each other enough to lift each other's spirits when necessary and when to give each other space.
My pet peeve is stinky food in the fridge, so I bought big zip loc bags for his leftovers. We've solved a lot of issues by simple negotiations like that. It's surprising what itty-bitty little things get under your skin if you leave them to fester.
Most important, I think, is to be honest about things that irk you- but only after thinking it through- having a solution or trade-off helps.

 

[TeamCaffee]

We have also over time figured out what works best for each of us. At times Bob is the lead driver and I am co driver and at other times I am the lead driver and he is the co driver. Bob is very good with customers, loading and securing freight, and everything to do with the outside of the truck and so I follow his lead. We share accepting loads and as said above if one of us accepts a load where we did not read the load offer correctly we both agree it was not a good load we finish the load and go on we have both made this mistake. We share decisions on routing and also where to stop for fuel. I take care of the inside of the truck, laundry and also the paperwork. I enjoy cooking and Bob enjoys eating so that is how we split those duties. Bob likes to stay up late and I am a morning person. In the evening if Bob is not ready for bed he gets out our little portable DVD player and watches a movie using a head set, in the morning I get up grab my computer, grab a cup of coffee and play on the computer.
I love technology and trying new gadgets and Bob like buying stuff for the truck to make it look better and to run better. We both have an eye on the budget though and try to control these urges. At this time I am drooling over a new IPhone and Bob is really wanting to buy the Grand Rock exhaust system for the truck. Nether item makes sense at this time so they both will wait for the right time to buy.

 

[dcalien]

I haven't posted in a long time, but a few of you may remember I came onto a truck with a total stranger. It's been over a year, and we're still trucking. The truck forced both of us to adjust to each other's "quirks". He had driven team before, and I was totally new to driving.
It worked so well not because we're alike, but because we compliment each other. If we were twins, this would have imploded a long time ago.
I tend to dawdle- he's always pressing to be super early.
I'm better with numbers, always figuring "if this plus that..." - he's great with paperwork, very thorough.
We have figured out each other enough to lift each other's spirits when necessary and when to give each other space.
My pet peeve is stinky food in the fridge, so I bought big zip loc bags for his leftovers. We've solved a lot of issues by simple negotiations like that. It's surprising what itty-bitty little things get under your skin if you leave them to fester.
Most important, I think, is to be honest about things that irk you- but only after thinking it through- having a solution or trade-off helps.

I have worked for a number of people in my life, and the best bosses to me were ones that offered options, and solutions to problems, rather than just complaining about them.

I suppose that is nice in a driver co-driver situation too.

 

[ATeam]

Are there any co-drivers in this forum that would like to post their view of expediting (in a 1st person perspective ie: I, myself, my).

It is an interesting request you make. As a co-driver and half of a married-couple team, I usually talk about what "we" do because we are in this together. We have the same goals. We enjoy each other's company. We have developed business practices and work habits that are the same. It sometimes scares me to realize how much a part of each other we have become and I hate to think of the day we both know is coming, the day when one of us will no longer be alive and the other will be alone.

When I say something like "we drove into an RV park" the truth is I may have been the one actually driving, but we did it. One of us found the park on the map while the other did the pre-trip. One of us went inside and paid for the site while the other sent in the Qualcomm message stating our location and status. One of us hooked up the shore power while the other set up the lawn chairs.

Often the teamwork is done without even speaking. With the exception of certain mechanical skills I have, we both know how to do everything that needs doing in our business. It has gotten to the point that whatever one of us is not doing, the other one does, without having to discuss what needs to be done and what the priority of work should be.

Who pumps the fuel at a fuel stop? It depends on what the other one is doing at the time. Who makes the truck payment? It depends on who opens the computer the day the payment is due. Will we make any extra payments? That is discussed ahead of time. Who cooks? Diane does because I'll live a week on Twinkies before I'll cook a meal. Who changes the generator oil? I do because I enjoy the mechanical work. Who drives in the city? It depends on who is on the log book at the time. Who backs up the truck? Whoever is driving when we arrive at the delivery.

I suppose I could talk in the first person more than I do, but the reality is most anything done in our business and life on the road is done together. In our case, "we" is the better pronoun to use.

 

[pelicn]

Ateam, I think that what you posted about the "we" is true for a lot of husband/wife teams out here. You did say..

Who cooks? Diane does because I'll live a week on Twinkies before I'll cook a meal. Who changes the generator oil? I do because I enjoy the mechanical work.

So that does show that there are a few things that both of you "could" do, but by being a team, you do certain things because that's the way you've worked it out.
I had to laugh because you also said..

Who pumps the fuel at a fuel stop? It depends on what the other one is doing at the time.

With us, unless we're doing the driving/sleeping thing, I don't fuel. I can do it, and have done it many times, but it's one of those "outside the truck things" that hubby does. Just like he doesn't vacuum.

It's interesting to see how different teams divide the duties of running a truck/business.

 

[iceroadtrucker]

Very Interesting thread.
Well Co drivers if they are your better Half Well think it would be great and like a honey moon 24 7 traveling from state to state. I have met alot of good couples like the ones I met over a year ago out in Reno Navada at the Petro. Mr. & Mrs Gerry Karamer. That was a couple that split the work much like some one else said on here. One took care of the PW of which was the MRS and the other the Heavy loading and Up keep and such which was the MR. Any way they both contributed to the cause and of course they own their own Truck and Trailer. Just as much to my Surprise I recieved a call from them Friday while I was waiting for a dispatch and he need Help with Programing his Data Cold. He told me that his wife did that job and he never got in to it. Of couse I told him how and so that he could get the info he needed. In any case he admited that he had thought that his better half had the easy work and he had the hard well he admitted when he got back home to her as he was in NJ hed give her a big hug. As she had realy been taking care of the Headaces and hers was indeed the hair pulling Job.
There are also teams out there that one is just a log book and that is it. Thats the type where the Boss (Employer) just highers any one as they awant a team in the Truck and dont care about any thing else. so they Co driver is nothing more than a log book and dont do nothing somtimes drives and somtimes dont.
Then there are Teams that where the lead driver and the Co driver realy hit it off so to speak and work as a team. Both are equal in running the equipment and Driving Capaibilites and PW as well them teams are very hard to come by but when They are together they Realy move.
If a truck is teamed there isnt any reason it should sit it should pop 24 7 I can understand a few hours down time on loads ect. But if the Company got it together and they want teams on the Trucks them trucks should Pop so to speak and Pop hard. Reality is if a Truck is teamed its only going to do 1 more load a week then a single driver actualy. A team on the most part make less than running single. The only one that makes more is the owner. The owner gets the Fuel and the Tolls and The two drivers get paid after the fuel and tolls are taken out. Unless the Drivers are highered on a contract of lets say 70/30. In any case Ill take the roll of a single driver any day compared to the Team. Unless my Better Half is with me.
I admit there are Teams that Pop a good co driver is hard to come bye one that your compatable with. What ever you do dont let the owner pick the co driver if you a lead find one your self by scouting and try to find one in your area not 700 miles away. As I stated Owners dont care they will put any one in a truck with you and just as long as that truck is making money they dont care.
So find ya one close to where your at

 

[TeamCaffee]

I agree on the WE thing as WE always fuel the truck that part of WE would be Bob as I am doing the paperwork to track our fuel mileage. We do a lot of things but the WE is usually one or the other of us not actually both. The one thing that we do together is what our goals are and how we plan on getting there. Our other goal is to enjoy and take advantage of everything we possible can while out here and so many opportuniteis present themselves to us.
So we do use we a lot but that does not always a true we!