Finding Decent Co-drivers
Topic 7881 | Page 1
Anyone? Anyone? Buehler? Buehler?
Hey Christina. Sorry no one responded sooner but that's a tough one. I know most companies that run teams will match you up with others looking for a partner if anyone is available. And normally if you get out on the road with someone and you don't get along, the company will look for another match for you.
But I don't know any good ways to find a partner. And of course there's no way to really know if you're going to get along with someone until you've been on the road with them for a bit so it's kind of a crap shoot.
I would speak with companies you're interested in and see what they can offer for suggestions. A company like CRST runs almost all teams. There have very few solo drivers. My guess would be you'll have the largest selection to choose from there, and by coincidence they're a Company-Sponsored Training Program so you could even get your CDL back through them. Just a thought.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Hard to know what people will be up to in the Fall-I might be up for team driving by then, but I have to finish school first. :)
I will have to go back through school anyway and CRST is in my top 3 choices as I worked for them previously. I was hoping there might be some Internet bulletin that could coordinate drivers teaming up, kind of like a dating site, but geared to work criteria, lifestyle habits related to cleanliness, health and potential areas of conflict like excessive noisy music or constant screaming, noisy hobbies...etc. With a special section on how long you would like to run and desired home time schedule. If I had the techy know how I might be able to create this. But, hoped some innovator may have created a trucker tool to facilitate this already. Thanks for the feedback!
It's really hard to find a good co-driver. Mine is really, really wise, but he is never up for driving and he doesn't help me secure loads for crap.
If I had the techy know how I might be able to create this. But, hoped some innovator may have created a trucker tool to facilitate this already.
I'm a techy and it wouldn't be difficult to build something like that. A matchmaker for teams. It sounds great in theory but I'm not sure it would be helpful or practical on a large scale.
On a small scale, like within a company like CRST, I'm sure they have a basic service like that setup with basic preferences - male or female, smoking or non-smoking, home time preferences, home time location, etc. Everyone is already employed at the company so it's just a matter of assigning a truck and sending you on the road.
But to put one together, say here at TruckingTruth, wouldn't be that practical. First of all you're trying to decide if a stranger somewhere out there would be a good fit as a team partner and I don't believe there's any way to know that without doing it. Secondly, even if you find someone, you're going to have to get hired together at the same company. So now you and some stranger are going to sign on with a company and take your career in a new direction on the hope you'll get along out there? I just don't see it happening.
Personally I would find the company I wanted to work for, get hired on there, and then find someone to partner with from within the company. They'll send you on the road together to see how it works. If it doesn't work out, no problem. Next time by the terminal they'll match you guys with new partners and send you out again. No big deal. That's the approach I would take.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Erm, the site we don't talk about has a Looking For Team Driver forum. It's as Brett said, it's not a very active activity. I've perused this forum a bit and found that it's either folks that are looking to get in a truck, or O/O looking for a driver to go with them.
I feel two things right now, shame for visiting TTR (they have good posters and some good articles, but you have to wade through a lot of sewage to find it), and that you should take Brett's advice and hire on to a company that does teams then look from there.
Question: why do you want to run as a team driver and not solo, Christina?
Question: why do you want to run as a team driver and not solo, Christina?
1. I'd like to run, run, run with minimal down time 2. I ran team before. 3. I also like the idea of having a backup for problem solving, navigating.
I should say, I don't have my heart absolutely set on team driving. Some companies that are predominantly solo are in my top 3 choices. All of my top 3 operate differently. I just want to investigate different aspects for each of my choices.
Christina, have you found a co-driver yet? I see it's been over a year since you've posted but thought I would ask you anyway. My husband is looking for a co-driver. We're advertising on craigslist and trying to advertise on Indeed. Was wondering where you might have had success in finding one.
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So, I drove 1996-98, and had relatively good luck finding 2 long term (1 year each) co-drivers during that time. It was random luck mostly, or my winning personality. I am definitely working towards re-establishing my CDL this Fall and returning to trucking OTR. I would like to co-drive for the miles again, but worry about finding someone that wants to run like I want to and has a compatible personality. Is there any way to find someone before heading off to school? There's no one that I have in my circle of friends that would even consider truck driving currently. I wouldn't mind screening people after finishing school, but I don't want it to suck up my work time, or be a continual trial by fire. Any advice?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.