Truck Topics

Solo or Team? That is the Question

When considering a career in expedited trucking, careful thought has to be given to a basic question about your operation - will you run solo or team?

In a survey of expedited owner-operators and recruiters, chances are they'll tell you that, unless you're operating a cargo van, driving team is the only way to go.

And why not? 

A co-driver means longer mileage loads, better opportunities, and companionship.  Team drivers stand the best chance of earning the most income for the simple reason their truck can cover more miles and carry more loads more often. In the case of a committed or married couple, you get to spend valuable time and share experiences with a person you care about  and at the same time put your earnings in a common fund.

Expedited trucking team operations are primarily husband/wife owner-operators or couples who drive for a fleet owner, unlike conventional trucking's company drivers who are often placed with a co-driver who is also a stranger (a forced team).

There are a few of those forced expedite teams however, and one of those unhappy drivers (who prefers to remain anonymous) says, “It’s miserable driving with a stranger!   You don’t know their likes or dislikes or the way he drives. You have to be careful in what you say in case he takes it the wrong way.  I’m hoping I can talk my girlfriend into getting her CDL and going on the road!"

Scott Hancock, recruiter for Express-1 of Buchanan, Michigan spent time behind the wheel as an expedited straight truck owner-operator.  He says, "A team truck, from an operational standpoint, is a straight truck or tractor that's not going to run out of hours.  From a business perspective, a team will not make twice the revenue of a single, so the best teams are the single-income operations - the husband/wife teams."

"I say this as a former owner-operator, not as a recruiter:  With some carriers, the solo driver is treated like a second-class citizen.  The teams get the better loads and they throw the bones to the solo drivers.  Admittedly, there are some loads that you can't offer to a solo driver - it's too far, they won't be DOT compliant, there's no time for breaks - you've got to offer it to a team."

As one carrier explains, "Team operations are the most efficient way to keep a truck’s wheels turning.  Teams have created a niche in the industry because our freight is time-sensitive and the benefits to the shipper and the carrier pass through to the team drivers in terms of compensation and favored freight."

David and Patty Jo Jaynes have been married for seven and a half years with five of those years spent on the road in expedited trucking.  Patty Jo says that in a stressful situation, the commitment of marriage keeps the partners from saying, "the heck with you, I'm outta here!  You have to be friends. You have to really like your partner and be able to keep everything in perspective."

The acid test of a couple's compatibility, says one expedite team member is... “Get in a very small camper and live in it for a week. Only leave to go to the bathroom or to shower.  At the end of that week, if you haven't killed each other, you'll probably be able to get along in a truck on the road - maybe," she says laughingly. 

Terry and Rene' O'Connell spent over 17 years together in the confines of an expediting cargo van and Rene' says, “It gets kind of crowded with two people in there!   We stay out for a number of weeks at a time, so we have to carry a lot of extra stuff with us.  You have to have a good relationship and a good sense of humor."  Terry adds, "We've had our moments!"

Comments from other expedited trucking couples include:

-“Driving team with your spouse, you don’t have to worry about having to come home, and you’re there to comfort each other when something goes wrong."

-“You have someone there who knows what you’re going through. You have a partner to vent with.”

-“It’s nice having someone to talk to.”

-“You can go sightseeing with your partner, and you get to see quite a bit of the country that way.”

The solitary path

The solo driver has his own perspective on the team/solo issue and some might be surprised to find that many solo operators prefer their solitary lifestyle.

Gene Dunlap is a straight truck owner-operator whose driving career includes both OTR and expedite - team and solo. 

Today, he is a confirmed solo driver who tells us that the only people he would consider teaming with are his father and his best friend.  "The truck is just too small for two people, so it has to be someone you get along with and can trust.  Also, I believe that it's really difficult for one straight truck to provide two incomes."

He says that he enjoys the solitude and freedom of solo driving, "and I stay as busy as I want to be, with a very nice income."

"I've run as a single driver for 11 years and I don't know if I could drive with anyone else," says cargo van owner-operator Bob Worthington.  "I'm an only child, so I'm used to being by myself," he adds with a smile.   

He says that if his wife were to go on the road with him, he would move up to a straight truck because a cargo van would be too confining for two people.  "However, because of the mileage restrictions for a single driver in a straight truck, logging and the added expense, I wouldn't run as a single in the bigger truck."

"Besides," says Worthington, "I have Hooligan (a Jack Russell Terrier) as a co-driver who provides a lot of companionship.  Plus, I go home just about every weekend, so I see the family on a regular basis.  I don't get lonely."