Long-haul trucking can be a difficult and somewhat isolating job. You’re driving for days at a time, almost completely on your own, practically living in your truck. Some people choose to relieve some of the isolation of this job by driving their long-haul routes with a partner; for many truckers, this might even mean becoming a truck-driving team with your spouse. What are the pros and cons of this kind of arrangement? Keep reading to find out.
Pro: You’re Not Alone
As already mentioned, long-haul trucking is a lonely gig. But having somebody else in the cab with you can take the edge off of that loneliness. You’ll have someone to talk to and someone to share in the experience as you drive across the country. There will be someone to share your meals with; if anything goes wrong on the road, you’re not left to handle it on your own. Having another person driving with you can go a long way towards making you feel more connected as you drive those long routes.
Con: Close Quarters
Whoever you’re considering driving with, it had better be someone that you’re very comfortable with. You and your partner will spend a lot of time together in very close quarters inside the truck cab. Of course, the goal of a trucking team is to take turns sleeping and driving, so you won’t be together all the time. However, there will definitely be times when you’ll find yourself wishing you had a bit more space to put between you.
Pro: Faster Deliveries
As stated above, the goal of a driving team is to take turns sleeping and driving. This means that your truck can operate for more hours throughout the day, and you can get your deliveries done faster. For truckers employed by a company, this often means receiving a bonus. If you own and operate your own truck, you might be able to work in an “early delivery” bonus to your contracts or simply be able to take on more contracts to earn more money this way.
Con: Same Pay
Partnering with another trucker to make team deliveries means you’ll be sharing the pay. Clients and trucking companies don’t care how many drivers are in the truck and will pay the same rate for the delivery to be made regardless. Granted, those bonuses could still make the split pay a decent amount that you could reasonably share, but that’s something you’d need to discuss with your partner. A spouse trucking team generally favors better in this regard since most spouses share their finances anyways.
