Can a 50+ year old ng make it in trucking?

I'm 52 and going back into trucking after being out of it for 25 years, I had a class 1 license that was before the CDL's even existed! Having a little trouble getting in I believe it's the economy and not my age. Looks like I'll be with Swift 1/13/09 for orientation since I took refresher lessons and passed the road test and have the CDL-A with N&T endorsements. Good Luck to you and Happy New Year to all!

Birdeye

 

You bet! If you're in good physical condition, you could probably run circles around some of us out here.

Be sure to look at all your options and for Heaven's sake, be sure that your wife is behind you 100%. If not, it will be hell on earth when you come home. If she's used to you being home every night and then you take off for 2-3 weeks or more at a time, she won't be happy.

Also find out if your choice of companies are hiring right now. I can tell you for a fact that my company isn't hiring and hasn't been for about 2 months now. They're keeping all the freight they can get their hands on for existing company drivers.

If they are, find out how long the wait is to get into a truck after you finish training. Don't take the word of a recruiter; they might say ANYTHING to get a warm body in class and make their commission. They might not give a tinker's #### whether or not you finish training and what happens when you're out on your own.

I'd encourage you to make a long listen of questions about everything you can think of regarding this industry and get answers to every one of them before you take the deep plunge.

Once you've done that, consider hitting a truck stop and talking with some drivers in person and find out what they like about their company. See if they have a raining program and what it takes to get on board.

Shoukd you decide to move ahead in your new career choice, all the best to you and keep us informed! Yoiu've come to a great place to get ideas and ask questions!

 

I'm 52 and just started driving solo. This was a total career change for me. I have never even been inside of a big truck before I started class in September, and now am assigned my own truck. Just go and do it. But it's a tough career. It isn't just setting behind the wheel, driving down the open road.

 

YES! A little different now from when I was in my early 20's bouncing down the highway in a 1980 KW Cab Over running swinging beef out of Guyman, Oklahoma to the North East. The rigs today are like the Lincoln Towncars of trucking! Now if I could only get this job, and start trucking again at 52......

 

Just talked to my recruiter in Memphis at Swift and looks like everything is in place for orientation on 1/13/09. With Swift you are allowed to drive to the terminal which is about 3-4 hours from my home so I'll drive there in case there is a gap between orientation to mentor to my own truck. Then don't have to worry about freezing my butt off in upstate NY in a bus terminal! If all goes as planned I can always drive my car back home when it's time to get my own truck, I would rather have the security of my own car in case there is a problem......

Birdeye

 

Congrats, and best of luck to you!

May you always have plenty of fuel in your tanks, plenty of road ahead of you, and all bad weather behind you!

 

Thank You! Hopefully I can get all of this done ASAP so I can get my own rig and go solo! Been dealing with Swift for over a month now. Any tips or suggestions being that you are a recent driver and I have OLD experience?

Birdeye

 

Tankshift,

I think you can make a successful go of it at 50 plus. In fact, I'm counting on it too. I'll turn 50 in a few months and I start new driver orientation with my carrier in two weeks. Go for it and best of luck to you!

IronRydr

 

When I first started driving I didn't want to be "that guy" who has a mile long lineup of cars behind him while driving. With the heavy snowfall, I quickly found I would have to drive above my comfort level in order to not have any cars behind me.

I think its a psychological thing for a 4-wheeler to cram him/herself up your rear while driving...no matter what the conditions. They always seem to do it, even if you are driving above the speed limit.

Now I drive at my comfort level. They aren't the ones driving this vehicle...I am. Really, I don't care how many 4-wheelers are behind me anymore.

I have often found up here in Canada, we'll have a double lane divided highway (2 lanes each direction) where only one lane is plowed. I'll be driving at my comfort level in the right lane while a pack of 4-wheelers are right behind me. If conditions were so great, then why aren't they passing me in that left lane?

I make sure those pesky 4-wheelers can't do anything stupid around me like cut around my right side while I'm making a wide right turn....other than that, they can work on building their patience because I don't care if I'm going slower than them.

Keep it safe, keep it shiny side up, and stay in control! Who cares what "Joe stupid" wants to do in his H3 urban yuppie cruiser.