Starting your career as a professional CDL truck driver in the trucking industry brings lots of freedom, independence, and success opportunities with it. You can start as an independent owner-operator, join a trucking company, or make deliveries for the eCommerce sector. All these options can help you earn a handsome income and achieve your career goals. But are you aware of another driving option called Team Driving?
Defining Team Driving
Team Driving, or Team Truck Driving, is a driving job where more than one professional drivers (usually two) drive the same truck in different shifts to deliver a load over long distances. Team driving is a go-to choice for long-haul freight deliveries.
In team trucking, two drivers drive a truck in a way that one driver remains behind the wheel while the other takes rest on the passenger seat or the sleeper birth. This arrangement allows the truck to keep moving without causing the drivers to be exhausted or tired.
Team driving is a great way to comply with the FMCSA’s hours-of-service regulations, according to which a truck driver can only drive for up to 11 consecutive hours without a break. As a result, one member of the driving team drives for 11 hours before the other driver takes a turn behind the wheel and the first driver takes a rest.
How can truck drivers earn more through team driving
You might wonder how you can earn more through team driving while the payment is divided into two halves (between two team members). Well, statistics show that team drivers earn more per mile than other driving jobs. A refrigerated division team truck driver can earn up to $0.56 per mile, higher than solo refrigerated truck drivers. Similarly, a flatbed team truck driver can earn up to $0.54, while a tank team driver can make $0.57. The average pay of a team truck driver in the USA is $90414 a year, which is way much higher than solo drivers. According to these statistics, a typical team truck driver can earn around $43 an hour.
Why do team truck drivers earn more than solo drivers
· Team drivers spend more time on the road
One of the significant reasons why team truck drivers make more money than solo drivers is that they spend more time on the road and drive more miles. More miles mean more money and higher pay. Despite the fact that pay is split between the two drivers, team truck driving falls in the category of the most lucrative driving jobs.
If you’re a solo driver, you can only drive for up to 11 hours and must shut down for at least 10 hours to comply with the rules and regulations of FMCSA, while as a team, you can drive around the clock and cover more miles. Statistics show that a driving team averages between 4500 miles to 5000 miles per week. On the other hand, solo drivers hardly make 2400 to 2800 miles a week, so they mostly end up earning less than team drivers.
· Team drivers get more top-paying and priority loads
Team truck driving is considered a more efficient driving job than other options. That’s why team drivers always get more priority and top-paying loads. Shippers, manufacturers, and retailers who need to deliver their freight at short notice over long distances, such as regional or interstate, always rely on team driving.
Besides high pay, team driving has many other advantages that we will discuss here.
Advantages of Team Truck Driving
· Safe and Secure
Team truck driving is way much more secure and safe than solo driving jobs. In team driving, one driver always watches the truck while the other member gets rest or grabs food. In this way, the truck and freight never have to be left unattended throughout the transit.
· You can enjoy the company of your partner or spouse
If your partner or spouse is also a professional truck driver, team driving provides you the opportunity to make a driving team out of you and your partner/spouse. In this way, you can enjoy the company of each other while driving the truck.
Final Words
Truck drivers can earn more through team truck driving because they get more time on the road and cover more miles. Team driving is also more secure, safe, and efficient than solo driving jobs.
This article was distributed by Datla Logistics. Datla logistics is a freight dispatching company providing dispatching services to owner operators and fleet carrier who have a dry van, reefer unit, box truck or power only.