If you are interested in truck driving jobs or employment in the trucking industry, you should make yourself familiar with the option of team driving. When most think of truck driving, they think of one man, one truck and lots of road; however, that is not always the case.
Team driving is a term for two people who alternate driving and managing hauls on the road. Team driving allows truck drivers to make longer routes without exceeding their hours of service carefully monitored by FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).
FMCSA does require team drivers to limit their off-duty hours to only 2 hours in the passenger seat. This guideline ensures drivers spend the remaining 8 of their 10 off-duty hours in the sleeper berth. While one driver is off-duty and catches some shut eye, the other can log more mileage.
In addition to being more efficient, many trucking industries also provide incentives for team drivers. Incentives have been known to include increased pay-per-mile rates and/or priority dispatch. In addition to company incentives, team drivers also have the benefit of having regular schedules and consistent pay checks.
Last but not least, four hands is simply better than two. Pre-trip inspections become less of a hassle while the company ensures a less isolating experience.