Team Drivers...and your 34hr break?

The truck can roll if one driver has hours. Other driver just logs sleeper berth or off duty. Usually you can set it up to where the 2nd driver can get hours back after midnight and drive again for whatever time he can once the 1st driver ends his shift. Can usually work around it to get where you need to go without both sitting for a reset

 

We just ran out of hours together. This was before the reset option. We usually tried not to run out mid week when there is work to be done.

If it was a 34 for us, we would take it together at home or in a hotel.

 

We stop for 24 hours...of course you can get away with 22 in a crunch. You go into sleeper, your partner drives their shift, and then 24hrs later you have a reset

 

We always did 10 on and 10 off when I drove team. So they could drive their 10 while I slept. 24 hours sitting i got my 34 and drove.10 hours later they had their 34 and we switched off.

 

Just so you know . The 34 hr reset isn't a rule or regulation.
It's an option for the driver(s) to use.

 

My brother and I ran team for about half a year, running coast to coast. Often one or the other of us would get a "rolling 34". I ran from midnight to noon, he ran from noon to midnight. Even if we parked the truck to wait for an appointment time for loading or unloading, we kept to that schedule.

If I started my shift at midnight and only had four hours to drive to a receiver with a 10:00 am appointment, I would drive to the nearest truck stop, park it, get out of the truck and let my brother sleep, then drive the final miles to the receiver and get it into the dock. By the time we got unloaded it would be time for us to switch.

Sometimes we would arrive a day in advance of our appointment. Those were the times I would have logged 34 hours or more either off duty or in the sleeper berth. That's a "rolling reset".

OP, you need to know that team driving has a "keep the truck in motion" imperative if you want to make money. If you are with a good company that can keep those wheels turning, without appointment delays, preferably with drop and hooks instead of live loads and live unloads, the money can be good. You will spend half your time in the sleeper berth. Get used to sleeping and then finding ways to entertain yourself when the truck is moving, but you aren't asleep. I watched a lot of movies, read books, etc.

Sometimes both drivers run short of hours at the same time. Then it's a choice whether to get a hotel, maybe trying to start when the first driver gets a 34 reset and let the other driver finish with a rolling reset.

 

When my brother and I teamed, we were stopping the truck at home for a day or three off about 2-4 times a month. On a dedicated coast to coast run at Swift the customer required we take a 34 on the west coast every weekend.

Yes, it's good to get out of the truck. BUT if freight is hot be prepared to make hay while the sun shines. There will be slow seasons.

Having a good teammate is essential. They must know how to drive smoothly, someone you can trust. Good hygiene and having the living and working space squared away helps reduce a lot of potential friction.

Having a good truck is a must. Some trucks have better designs for living space. Plenty of cupboards and drawers.