TEAMS / TWO DRIVERS, ONE TRUCK
Team driver dispatch that keeps the wheels turning all night
A team truck only pays two drivers if it keeps moving. A load that sits at a dock for six hours costs twice what it costs a solo. We book long, fast, high-mile freight that fits both drivers' clocks, line up the next load before delivery, and send every rate con to you to sign.
THE TEAM CLOCK
Twenty-two hours of driving, two clocks
Each driver can drive up to 11 hours inside their own 14-hour window. Stack the two shifts and the truck can roll for most of the day, with the off-duty driver in the sleeper. Change the average speed, rate and days rolling and see what a team week can look like.
This is the ceiling, not the average. Docks, traffic, fuel stops and empty legs take some of it back. Our job is keeping as much of that ceiling as possible.
- A drives
- Fuel, swap
- B drives
EXAMPLE / EDIT THE INPUTS
- WEEKLY MILES
- 5,500
- WEEKLY GROSS
- $14,300
Assumes both drivers use their full 11 hours and every mile is loaded. Real weeks lose miles to docks, traffic and empty legs.
SOURCE: eCFR, 49 CFR 395.3, CHECKED OCTOBER 2026. SLEEPER BERTH AND OTHER EXCEPTIONS APPLY.
TEAM FREIGHT
Loads that need two drivers
The right team load is long, fast and paid like it. These are the kinds we look for first.
Long-haul van and reefer
Coast-to-coast and cross-country loads with transit times a solo driver can't make.
Expedited
Time-critical freight that pays for speed and for a truck that doesn't stop overnight.
High-value freight
Electronics and similar loads where the shipper doesn't want the truck parked. Higher cargo limits needed.
Drop and hook programs
Long program runs with fast swaps at each end. No dock waits eating both drivers' hours.
Most team freight rides in vans; see dry van dispatch. Planning long runs? OTR dispatch covers loops, and the transit time calculator handles team schedules.
WHAT KILLS A TEAM WEEK
Where team trucks lose money
- Short loads. Two drivers on a 300-mile run means one is mostly riding. We keep teams on long hauls.
- Live docks. Hours at a shipper burn both clocks. Drop and hook and fast facilities come first.
- Waiting for the next load. A team truck sitting for a reload is the most expensive truck in the lot. The next load is booked before delivery.
- One driver's clock running out. Plans that ignore the second driver's hours fall apart on day three. We track both.
WHAT WE NEED FROM A TEAM
Two drivers, one file
- Both drivers' names, CDL details and home bases
- Each driver's home time and any days they won't run
- Your cargo coverage, since high-value loads need more
- Who signs rate cons and who we call first
- Equipment: van, reefer or power only, trailer length
Every load reaches the carrier as a rate con to sign or decline, team or solo.
AN EXAMPLE TEAM WEEK
Coast to coast and back
An example, not a client story. A husband and wife team with a reefer leave Fresno on a Monday morning with produce for Atlanta, about 2,200 miles. Driving in shifts, they deliver Wednesday, a day and a half faster than a solo truck could legally manage.
While they roll through Texas, the desk books a drop and hook dry load from Atlanta back toward California, with a pickup two hours after delivery. They swap trailers at a yard instead of waiting at a dock, and are back in Fresno by Saturday afternoon. Two long loads, very little waiting, one weekly report.
SPLITTING THE GROSS
Two drivers, one fee
Our fee is on the truck's gross, not per driver. A team truck pays 5% like any other single truck with an MC at least 6 months old. How the two drivers split what is left is between you, and teams handle it differently: a split per mile, a percentage of the load, or one paycheck for a couple.
What matters for us is that the gross is high enough to pay both of you well, which is why we chase long, fast loads and protect the team's miles from dock time.
TEAM QUESTIONS
Two drivers, straight answers
01How do teams handle hours of service?
Each driver keeps their own clock: up to 11 hours driving in a 14-hour window, the weekly limits, and the 30-minute break. While one drives, the other rests in the sleeper. Planned well, the truck can roll close to 22 hours a day. We book loads that fit both clocks, not just the first driver's.
02Do team trucks get better loads?
Teams get access to freight a solo truck can't legally deliver in time: long hauls with tight transit times, expedited runs and high-value freight that shippers don't want parked overnight. Those loads often pay more per load. They need to, because two drivers are being paid.
03What freight is best for teams?
Long-haul dry van and reefer with tight delivery windows, expedited freight, and high-value loads where the shipper wants the truck moving. Short regional loads waste a team, because one driver sits while the other handles docks.
04How much does team dispatch cost?
The same as any truck: 5% of gross for one truck with an MC at least 6 months old, 7% while the MC is newer, 4% for two trucks or more. A team truck is one truck, so it pays one fee.
05Can a solo driver switch to team runs with you?
Yes. When a second driver joins, tell us before their first run. We update your packets, change how we plan the loops, and start targeting team freight. If the team splits up later, we go back to solo planning without any change to your rate.
06Can a husband and wife team run with you?
Yes. Couples are some of the steadiest teams on the road. We plan around one shared home base, set the loop length you both want, and send rate cons to whichever of you signs for the business.
07Do you plan home time for both drivers?
Yes. Teams often have two home bases and two schedules. We plan loops that swing past both when possible, and we tell you plainly when a load works for one driver's home time but not the other's, so you can decide together.
TEAM READY?
Book freight that pays two drivers
Apply in two minutes. We plan long runs around both drivers' clocks, and every rate con comes to you to sign.