Deciding Between Husband And Wife Team Driving Or My Husband Solo Driving And Me Riding Along....

My husband and I have decided to enroll in trucking school next year but we are trying to decide if the pay is truly worth us keeping that truck rolling 24/7 and missing out on time together or if it would benefit us more for him to solo drive, me to ride along, and I could make some money on the side online with a shop I already successfully operate.....any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks, The Bentons

You will make more as team drivers, since you will have two trucking incomes instead of one. However, if you are already successful at your online business and feel you can continue to operate it while living in the truck, you might want to stay with that. It really depends on what you're looking to take out of trucking. There will be pros and cons either way.

One benefit if he drives solo is you won't (usually) have to sleep with the truck moving. As you already mentioned, you'll have more time together. That can be a good or bad thing, depending on your relationship dynamic. You'll be able to help him out with things like navigating, buying groceries, cooking in the truck, etc.

Whatever you choose, good luck to you! My fiance and I have graduated school and are going OTR at the end of the month.

We've really been tossing it back and forth. While we want to make good money , at this stage in our life, our time together is most important. I would love to get some feedback about what a day in the life of a husband/wife team is really like. Some people say we wouldn't just be sleeping while the other one was driving because you can't sleep that long in a moving truck while other teams have said they did 11 hour shifts on and off with their spouse and that limited their time together. I guess I just want to figure out how much more is more money when team driving and see how other couples have made it work. Congratulations C.S. and best of luck to you and your fiancé! I'll keep my eye out for you on here to see how you are enjoying team driving....thanks again for the good advice!

While we want to make good money , at this stage in our life, our time together is most important.

This right here tells me everything. Listen, you said it yourself, you want to spend quality time together. I'll tell you right now, team driving is the opposite of spending quality time together. You literally wake up, drive, eat, sleep, and repeat with an occasional shower. Its not a luxurious lifestyle.

I've rode with my wife so I can tell you from experience, you should be a passenger first. Let him take the helm and you be his aide. Trucking is extremely tough in the beginning and you'll have too much on your plate at the start in my opinion. You'll have to learn how to deal with not being able to spend time with your husband even though you're 4 feet from him at all times, you'll have to learn how to drive, you'll have to learn a million other things - not to mention learn how to sleep in a moving truck which takes a while. You absolutely want to be his aide for now.

You two will be able to spend some quality time together, sight seeing and visiting places you've never been to. You'll make his life easier by being his assistant and you two will sleep peacefully every night.

Do that until you two think you're ready to team drive. Watching him drive all day will help you tremendously!

Forget about the money. Money is the root of all evil. Enjoy your time out here! Be a couple and have some fun for a change. When you're on your deathbed you'll be thinking about all of these great experiences you guys had together - not about how much money you guys made.

I can't begin to tell you how much of a help my wife was when I was starting out. She was amazing. She cleaned for me when I was too tired, we took walks along the snow together and being from CA we didn't know what snow was so we were both experiencing it together. She helped me with local directions and she spotted me when I asked her to.

Just those things alone helped me out so much. I will always remember those great memories, but I've long forgotten my paychecks

Daniel...it's like you know us well lol Thank you to you and C.S. for helping us to see really what we knew all along. My husband is from England and we've had to be separated at certain times in our lives so we are just not willing to give up our time together easily. I think you are right. Me riding at first and helping him with what I can while I can observe how things work in a truck and on the road will probably be the best thing for us, at least in the beginning. We are lucky in the fact that we do not have young children at home and our older children are doing well so we are blessed that money does not have to be the only deciding factor in this decision. Thank you both so much for your help. We have tried asking questions on other forums and people seem to just give negative views of trucking and try to discourage us from going for it at all. We know it isn't glamorous. We aren't glamorous people. We are just decent, hard-working people, that want to earn a decent living and live a peaceful life together. I think trucking will allow us to life our life together the way we need to live it. Wishing you both the best always!!

While we want to make good money , at this stage in our life, our time together is most important.

This right here tells me everything. Listen, you said it yourself, you want to spend quality time together. I'll tell you right now, team driving is the opposite of spending quality time together. You literally wake up, drive, eat, sleep, and repeat with an occasional shower. Its not a luxurious lifestyle.

I've rode with my wife so I can tell you from experience, you should be a passenger first. Let him take the helm and you be his aide. Trucking is extremely tough in the beginning and you'll have too much on your plate at the start in my opinion. You'll have to learn how to deal with not being able to spend time with your husband even though you're 4 feet from him at all times, you'll have to learn how to drive, you'll have to learn a million other things - not to mention learn how to sleep in a moving truck which takes a while. You absolutely want to be his aide for now.

You two will be able to spend some quality time together, sight seeing and visiting places you've never been to. You'll make his life easier by being his assistant and you two will sleep peacefully every night.

Do that until you two think you're ready to team drive. Watching him drive all day will help you tremendously!

Forget about the money. Money is the root of all evil. Enjoy your time out here! Be a couple and have some fun for a change. When you're on your deathbed you'll be thinking about all of these great experiences you guys had together - not about how much money you guys made.

I completely agree with Daniel on this.

Team driving you really don't get time together. One of you is sleeping (or should be sleeping, its tough in the begining) and the other drives. The only time you will see each other is during showers, and when swapping.. You'll probably kick back for a few after driving before hoping in the bunk for rest.

When I was teaming with my trainer, I would get up an hr before I started driving, sit up front and slowly wake up, We'd stop at a truck stop, I'd get my coffee and log in to the Qualcomm (on board computer for electronic logs) and start my drive. My trainer would then kick back in the passenger seat, eat some dinner (breakfast or lunch) and then after about an hr or so he'd pop in the back to get rest and I wouldn't see him tell about the end of my drive, Unless we had time for a shower, then we would wake each other up if the other was asleep for a shower. that's team driving in a nut shell

Daniel pulled a snippet from one of your posts, and I agree if you would rather spend time together, do it. Nothing is nicer then the moments you get.

I had a load wed night that went through my home. I stopped for the night and then took my wife with me for the day as I was going home after dropping, well long story short, she ended up being on the truck for most of the day with me. The time we had alone in the truck was the best thing. You hubby will appreciate having you next to him rather then asleep behind you..

Let him go get his CDL and establish him self with a company, then head out with him after he gets released solo. If you can do your online shop while traveling with him, then that is what I would do. If after a few months you both decide to team, you will have a bit more understanding of the industry and he may be able to work it out with his DM/FM to train you and you guys will benefit in the end.

Just my 2 cents.

David...thanks so much for your help. It is always scary to do something new and while both of us decided trucking was for us years ago now that we are getting ready to get started I won't lie...it is pretty scary lol There is just so much to think about but us deciding between team or solo driving seems to be our biggest obstacle right now. I think you both are right. The answer is obvious but we just needed someone to hit us over the head with it lol ....so thanks for doing that. I think me riding, helping him with what I can, and learning will be the best way to decide if we want to keep it that way or change over to team driving in the future. I really appreciate all the help I have received on this forum. Any ideas on some good companies for us to get started with? I can research all day but I've always trusted the word of those with experience. We are open to moving if needed so would love some good companies that will really give us solid training.

David...thanks so much for your help. It is always scary to do something new and while both of us decided trucking was for us years ago now that we are getting ready to get started I won't lie...it is pretty scary lol There is just so much to think about but us deciding between team or solo driving seems to be our biggest obstacle right now. I think you both are right. The answer is obvious but we just needed someone to hit us over the head with it lol ....so thanks for doing that. I think me riding, helping him with what I can, and learning will be the best way to decide if we want to keep it that way or change over to team driving in the future. I really appreciate all the help I have received on this forum. Any ideas on some good companies for us to get started with? I can research all day but I've always trusted the word of those with experience. We are open to moving if needed so would love some good companies that will really give us solid training.

happy to help.

Well there are a few good company out there with awesome training. If your hard on funds, Company-Sponsored Training is a good way to go. This program will allow you train, and basically get hired after obtaining your CDL through the company. You'll be asked to do a full year with the company, after which your training is paid for with nothing really out of your pocket. Really good program.

If you/your hubby is more into doing something local, Truck Driving Schools will allow you to search for schools in your area or around area. This is generally something out of pocket.

If you still find it hard How To Choose A School may help, as will How To Choose A Company..

I also highly recommend you both read Brett's Book. Its a good read. and get a start on High Road Training Program, this will put you both a head of the class. I suggest getting your permit before attending school. This will put you further a head of the entire class.

-David

Just had a thought come to mind while reading your post. Make sure you do not get a cdl if your not sure about teaming because most companies will not let you just be a rider if you have a cdl license. Good luck to you.