It’s the littlest things that cause the biggest problems between team truck drivers, but it’s understandable. This is almost unavoidable when two people are cooped up in a small truck cab space hours on end. And these problems are just as common among spouse team truck drivers as they are among company-paired team truck drivers.
Some of my best experiences dispatching came from working with team truck drivers. Over the course of my career I've found that working with the right team is one of the best ways to get freight delivered on time, exceed our customers expectations and it is absolutely worth any premium price.
Whether your truck driving partner is your friend, your spouse, or someone you’re just getting to know, you’ll need to learn some things to help you get along with them. Simple things like communication and willingness to compromise would go a long way. These, and a lot more, are important in helping you to get along with your team truck driving partner.
Here, I'm going give you 5 effective tips for helping team truck drivers get along on the road based on what I've learned from working with team truck drivers for over 12 years.
1. Good Communication
This is arguably the most important tip to help team truck drivers get along on the road. If you’ve got this tip nailed down, you just might have solved half of the potential problems between you and your partner.
Team truck driving is a relationship. It requires proper communication to thrive and be enjoyable for the parties involved. You and your partner must be willing to talk anything and everything out. If you have problems with the way things are being done in the truck that you feel may lead to problems in the future, be quick to thrash it out with your partner before it escalates.
Speaking your intention clearly and politely is only half of good communication. The other part is listening and knowing how to react to criticisms. If criticisms are coming your way and you realize you’re at fault, own up. And if your partner has had it wrong somewhere, don’t hold grudges. Rather, be quick to bring it to the table.
2. Keep the Truck Cab Clean at All Times
Dirty and disorganized trucks have ways of messing with heads, especially if one of the truck drivers is always trying to clean up the mess but the other isn’t. The truck cab is already small enough, and any dirt or object out of place easily stands out.
When you use something you both share in the truck, put it back in its proper place. Take turns to clean the truck if you have to, and don’t be the one who always dirties the truck and never cleans it up.
Besides keeping the truck cab clean at all times, keep yourself clean too. Take showers when you need to. Sentencing your partner to unending hours of body odor is not a pleasant way to get along. Practice good hygiene.
3. Be Willing To Take and Accept Responsibility
Here’s another thing that could prevent team truck drivers from getting along. It can get frustrating for the person who always takes the initiative to clean the cab, the truck, and gets other things done. They might not mind doing it at first, but it could quickly build up and become irritating.
Don’t be the person who waits for the other to do everything. Be the one who takes the initiative and does these things. Your partner would like you better for it if they're like you. And if they aren’t, chances are that they’ll get uncomfortable with you doing everything on your own and want to take some responsibility off your hands. And then, there’s the likelihood that they don’t offer to help, in which case you should refer to the number 1 tip up there.
Apart from taking responsibility, be okay with accepting responsibility. Sometimes you and your partner would need to list out chores and duties. You should be comfortable accepting your share of the duties without grumbling.
4. Be Willing to Compromise
Hey! You aren’t the boss anymore. You and your partner share equal control and responsibility. Be willing to compromise some of your preferences and wants, as things would not always go your way, especially in sharing objects in the truck cab.
If the truck is equipped with a mini-fridge, for instance, you know that you alone don’t get to put things in it. You may have to be comfortable with your partner putting the food you most hate (which your partner most loves) next to the food you most love.
Another thing you might have to compromise is the decision of where and when to take breaks. As a solo truck driver, you wouldn’t have problems with what radio station or music to listen to, where to take breaks, and where to eat. But team truck drivers have to check with each other before they make these simple decisions.
5. Get Some Alone Time
One of the greatest benefits of team truck driving is that you are never lonely. Unfortunately, this benefit is also its greatest disadvantage because you are never alone.
Companies love to give OTR jobs, especially priority long haul jobs, to team drivers because they can get to their destination faster. This means you and your partner will spend a lot of time together on the road with little or no time alone. This could sometimes get overwhelming, and you begin to get irritated by the slightest things your partner does. Even when your partner is the most gracious of people with the sense of humor of 10 comedians put together, you can’t escape feeling overwhelmed.
This is why you should always try to get some time alone when you can. It could be when your partner is on the wheels and you’re in the sleeper cab. Or you could also take a break from work and change your environment entirely.
Another thing to note is that you should not take it wrongly when your team truck driving partner says they want some time alone. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve wronged them or they don’t enjoy being around you. So, respect their decision and give them the space they need.
Summary
Team truck driving can be fun when you and your partner get along well. But it can’t also be a nightmare when you and your partner wish you would be better off driving with somebody else. But if you and your partner get these fundamental tips down, get ready to see your partnership yield more income and emotional wellbeing.