Sunday, 4/5/2015

Really, this is just another day out on the road of life and this is just another entry on that road. I've been with my trainer for more than the one week originally planned and it's because he is taking advantage of my experience level and didn't do what he was supposed to do. Let me explain.

As a trainer, he gets paid for every mi,e the truck rounds while he has a student on. The student, in this case, me, gets a flat weekly salary regardless of the miles driven. The policy makes sense because new drivers come all levels of experience and ability. In my case, my experience and ability are good, so there was almost no adjustment time. I was up and driving right away, so to speak.

And that's where the issue started.

You see, there is what is known as "team driving" in trucking in which two drivers share one truck. Both have individual hours-of-service logs that must be managed, but there are more available drive hours. Each driver is limited to driving 11 hours per 24-hour period. A solo has 11 hours available; a team has 22 hours available. If a truck averages 50 miles per hour (an accurate average), a solo truck will get 550 miles befor having to stop for a mandatory 10-hour rest period.

On the other hand, a team truck will get 1,100 miles in the same day, having to stop at the 550 mile mark to change drivers. While Driver 2 drives, Driver 1 goes to sleep in the sleeper berth. In effect, a team truck can keep moving 22 hours in every 24. A solo truck can only move 11 hours.

My trainer got the picture very quickly and that is what we've been doing. He drives while I sleep. I drive while he sleeps. And the truck mileage increases, as does his pay. Mine stays the same because I am not paid by the mile while in training. And he didn't make contact with the mother ship early in my training process because he saw a golden egg. To do so would have ended the arrangement he clearly enjoys...higher pay and a second driver who knows he has to keep his mouth shut.

So, good for him, not good for me. I wrote an email to my contacts and guess what? His golden egg will most likely die tomorrow and he will revert to a solo driver again. Without me. And I will head back to Nashville on Greyhound to test out and get my own truck.