While many truckers spend most of their time in their truck alone, this isn’t always the case. For trucking teams, two individuals split up driving time. This means that if you and your spouse are both interested in the trucking industry, you can both earn your commercial driver’s license (CDL) and hit the road together. Husband-and-wife trucking teams are relatively common in the industry and there are many benefits.
Some of these include:
1. Earn More Together
Truckers must follow regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for driving and on-duty hours. Drivers must take regular breaks in order to ensure they are well-rested. For solo drivers, this means they will need to stop the truck. Team drivers, on the other hand, can switch off who is driving and keep the truck moving more consistently. As a result, motor carriers are typically willing to pay more for team drivers. If you and your spouse both have your CDL, you can earn more driving as a team than you would driving separately.
2. Drive With Someone You Know
The main reason some truckers prefer to stick to solo driving even when team trucking pays more is that driving with someone you don’t know can be challenging. You’re sharing a small space and will need to be able to communicate effectively and make decisions together. Husband-and-wife trucking teams are already at an advantage here because they (hopefully) learned how to communicate well over the course of their relationship and are more comfortable around each other.
3. Spend Time With Your Spouse
Trucking is a great career, but that doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. One of the downsides is that you’ll spend more time away from home than you would with a traditional 9-5. Although the high pay and freedom of the open road make this worth it for many, it’s still a challenge to be away from family. If you bring your spouse on the road with you, you’ll be able to spend more time with them.
What to Consider
While husband-and-wife trucking is an excellent decision for many drivers, it’s not for everyone. Before you commit to this career path, you should be sure that both you and your spouse are equally interested in it. Trucking is as much a lifestyle as it is a career and some individuals will enjoy it more than others.
If your spouse doesn’t think they will enjoy trucking, you can always pursue a CDL on your own. You can compare home time policies to find one that works with your preferences.
Earn Your CDL in Albuquerque
The first step to a trucking career, whether you are interested in team or solo driving, is earning your CDL. At Phoenix Truck Driving School, we can help you get your license in as little as four weeks with our accelerated training. If you are interested in trucking with your spouse, our job placement assistance team can help you find companies that are hiring team drivers.
To learn more about our CDL training program, contact us today.
