Trucking dictionary
Team driving (trucking)
Team driving: Team driving means two drivers share one truck, taking turns driving while the other rests in the sleeper berth, so the truck can keep moving far longer than one driver's hours allow. Each driver still follows the hours-of-service rules individually. Teams are used for time-sensitive and long-distance freight that needs to arrive quickly.
How the rules apply
Hours of service apply to each driver separately: up to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window, after 10 hours off, and the 60/70-hour cycle (49 CFR 395.3). What makes teams work is the sleeper berth. The rules also allow a combination of at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth and up to 3 hours riding in the passenger seat while the truck moves, immediately before or after the sleeper time, to make up the 10 hours off (395.1(g)(1)(i)(D)), which in practice fits a team driver riding along.
Source: 49 CFR 395.1(g) and 395.3, eCFR · checked 2026-10
In practice
- Trip
- 2,200 miles
- Solo driver
- About 4 days with rest
- Team
- About 2 days, truck nearly always moving
- Driving per driver per shift
- Up to 11 hours
- Who logs
- Each driver, on the ELD
- Best for
- Expedited, high-value, long-haul freight
EXAMPLE estimate. Actual times depend on routes, stops and HOS.
Team freight is usually long-haul and time-sensitive, such as expedited dry van, high-value or produce in reefers, where the shipper pays for speed. Teams need a sleeper truck, two qualified drivers and a pay split they've agreed in writing. Our hours of service guide covers the limits each driver works within.
Do team drivers share one logbook?
No. Each driver keeps their own record of duty status, usually on the same truck's ELD under their own login.
Do team loads pay more?
Team loads often pay more per load because they deliver faster, but the pay is split between two drivers. Compare per-driver earnings, not the load total.
What's the difference between team and OTR?
Team driving describes who drives. OTR trucking describes the kind of run. Most team work is OTR.
Steve Woods · Lead Dispatcher, TruckSprint
Steve Woods leads the TruckSprint dispatch desk and reviews every guide we publish. How we research and update guides.
Updated October 2026