I’ve had my CDL since the beginning of June and I’m feeling a bit lost about what to do with it. I started with a flatbed company, the week after I took my CDL test I was in orientation. I thought for sure it was what I wanted to do. Orientation was a week long and went well, then I spent a week and a half with a trainer and I felt okay while I was with my trainer. Exhausted at times to be sure, but I got through it. When I got by myself though, it was downhill from there. I was using my full 14 hours every day, barely sleeping, feeling lost constantly, felt more homesick than I ever had, constantly felt unsure of myself and fearful I was gonna get lost or stuck. The only people I had to talk with were shippers and receivers who were usually super irritable or my dispatcher (when he answered his phone) who I maintain is one of the biggest ######## I’ve ever come across in my life. It felt like even the company wasn’t on my side. There was a multitude of other issues with the company as well but those are for another discussion.
I tried a local gig (see the Lowe’s Home Improvement thread to see how it worked out) that paid well but was a total ####show and a risk to public safety and my license and there was no way I was going to continue with it.
Now I’m feeling a bit lost. Before getting my license, I really felt that I wanted to do some OTR, or at least regional, flatbed hauling. And I must be honest, I did enjoy hauling those big steel coils and lumber and other things while I was with the flatbed company. It felt awesome going down the road with a 48k pound coil on the deck with a nice, neat tarp job. It was cool to go to all of these big steel mills and factories and see the inside of them. I enjoyed securing loads and making sure it was done right. I felt very proud being able to say I was an OTR truck driver.
I think I may want to try it again but I feel like maybe I would do better if I had someone with me while I was doing it. I feel that I might do better if I had someone there to work with and help each other out. I liked when I was with my trainer that one person could be doing the paperwork while the other drove, you always had someone to spot you if you needed help backing, one could double check maps or directions or make a phone call while the other drove, one could check in while the other was untarping or setting up, etc. Two heads are better than one kinda thing.
I don’t know a whole lot about team driving. I know one guy is on duty while the other is off so the truck stays rolling, but do team drivers help each other out with this kinda stuff or is it strictly one in the sleeper berth, one on duty? Does team sound like it might be a good idea or am I misunderstanding how teams really work?
