Any preferences on working as a two man crew or flying solo and enjoying your own company?
Horses for courses. Personally it’d be solo every time, I’m an amiable and sociable kind of person but I cherish my “me time” too much to share that.
Solo , but in convoy
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Depends…
Completely on your second driver. I’ve had life-long buddies from working as a two man team and some of the best times ever. I’ve also had face to face shouting matches with drivers I couldn’t get on with, ending in refusal to go any further down the road with them.
I’ve been with the other wagon n drag driver for the last 2 days training for my new truck which is the same (apart from having a proper gearbox) and I’ve enjoyed it. Having said that I’m looking forward to getting back to flying solo from tomorrow. So for me double manning is alright occasionally but I do prefer to be alone.
On odd occasions I’ve double manned to get home because of breakdowns.
It’s okay when necessary, but I wouldn’t go looking for it.
I’m not much of one for convoy running either. I’ll tell a mate where I plan on eating at night, but also say “If I’m not there by x o’clock, start without me”.
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Yeah it suits some but not others I guess. I agree that it’s OK occasionally but to do it permanently could get a bit tedious depending on what the 2ND man character and personality is like.
If I so much as have to nip somebody round the corner to pick up a unit it’s like torture with all the pointless smalltalk and moaning. I wouldn’t last even half a shift double manning as I’m a man of very few words.
double manned for years, some good some not so, never had a bad double, the acid test for me was could I sleep when they were driving, you certainly see the other side of life as we are all different, once you have settled into a routine its not too bad, we had magnums so quite a lot of room, also you can adjust the driving hours to suit yourselves, we used to do 3 on 3 off that way no one got tired and the kettle was always on, we still stopped for lunch and generally we were not rushed, some times we might do Cherbourg to Ventimiglia in one hit, just to get enough time off before we met the escorts for the onward journey down Italy the next morning, there’s always someone to have dinner with, instead of sitting alone in your truck or eating in solitude in a restaurant, as well as someone to walk around some of the stunning places we parked up in, Sardinia was a favorite arrive Friday morning load and stable the trailer, run into Cagliari and spend the weekend there, collect the trailer Monday morning for the sail back up to Genoa. I would go back tomorrow if I could.
Solo for me .
More than happy with my own company and enjoy the peace and quiet . I don’t have to worry about the volume of the radio or when to stop for a bite to eat etc . I like the solitude - don’t get me wrong - I like a natter with friends and other drivers but the truck is my space and when I’ve had enough I can get in, lock the doors and pull the curtains.
One of the reasons i got into this game was to be alone more. I can be sociable, don’t mind a chat etc. But in my last job i got tired of the moaning, the work place politics. Its nice to be on my own.
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My lads don’t seem to mind it, they have people they prefer to crew with and we keep them together on the whole.
As hotel magnum says, you can run 3 hours on, 3 off, chill a bit, have a conversation or not. I’ve even got a married crew, he’s been with me 26 years, her 20 years and they still seem happy 
Does make me wonder how I ever get someone to come and work for me given the double manning and the uncertainty surrounding Friday nights 
albion:
My lads don’t seem to mind it, they have people they prefer to crew with and we keep them together on the whole.As hotel magnum says, you can run 3 hours on, 3 off, chill a bit, have a conversation or not. I’ve even got a married crew, he’s been with me 26 years, her 20 years and they still seem happy
Does make me wonder how I ever get someone to come and work for me given the double manning and the uncertainty surrounding Friday nights
especially if they have to go to London as well .lol
beefy4605:
albion:
My lads don’t seem to mind it, they have people they prefer to crew with and we keep them together on the whole.As hotel magnum says, you can run 3 hours on, 3 off, chill a bit, have a conversation or not. I’ve even got a married crew, he’s been with me 26 years, her 20 years and they still seem happy
Does make me wonder how I ever get someone to come and work for me given the double manning and the uncertainty surrounding Friday nights
especially if they have to go to London as well .lol
The one bright side, no London! 
Id rather chew my own face off than tramp as a double man team.
Done both , it depends who you crew with , I have had some memorable trips when double manned . I have also been with a couple of right misery guts but thankfully they were the shorter trips . Pushing on through the Brenner pass at night you need to trust the other guy especially if you’ve got your head down .
Having the music on full and singing your head off tends to only happen with someone you get on with .
I also enjoyed the solo stuff .
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I’m with Luke on that, My own company all the time.
I have doubled up on many trips down to Italy and the south of France when I was on Exhibition and Artwork. One bloke , who happened to be a Tony Blair look alike, was great fun despite looking like a bloke I despised! Another chap I got saddled with was a complete and utter ■■■.
But then again I never knew what they thought of me either, I dare say a lot of us think we are good blokes, but the other person might well have a different opinion to us!
switchlogic:
Id rather chew my own face off than tramp as a double man team.
All those in favour raise their hand…
I did nigh on 3 yrs with the ex to Spain and back starting in 1986, bloody good money and it was fun too at the time. We near lived in the cab and bought land in Spain where we often parked the unit for long weekends. It worked for us.
albion:
My lads don’t seem to mind it, they have people they prefer to crew with and we keep them together on the whole.As hotel magnum says, you can run 3 hours on, 3 off, chill a bit, have a conversation or not. I’ve even got a married crew, he’s been with me 26 years, her 20 years and they still seem happy :shock:
Does make me wonder how I ever get someone to come and work for me given the double manning and the uncertainty surrounding Friday nights
At least he doesn’t have to worry that his Friday night steak is ruined cos he won’t make it back. 