Second career?

Driving trucks is not hard at all. Many new drivers have been brainwashed into thinking it's as difficult as flying a space ship to Mars so they will feel like they need to ride with a trainer for months. A new CDL graduate only needs a couple weeks at most with a trainer unless it's with a tanker/hazmat company. With tanker/hazmat it takes a little more time to learn the various unloading/loading procedures at different customers and how to operate pumps, etc. A little more challenging but the money is great.

 

There are many kinds of trucking jobs. Like china said some are a little more challenging than others. Good luck and welcome to TTR.

 

If you want to drive trucks, by all means, go for it. You can do it.

NOTE:
Many people who are 55, like yourself, WISH they had a job that they could have retired from after 30 years of service. More power to you for having done so. Congratulations and continued good luck.

 

Enjoy...I started at 55...wish I had done it earlier.

 

OTR...driving from pic-up point to delivery point sometimes just across the state , or even across the country with only one stop usually , however it can mean multiple stops. OTR is what the folks that don't know too much about trucking consider a trucker...

Tanker..hauling product/s in a tank trailer , mostly fuel , but can be almost anything that can either be pumped off or unloaded using a gravity hose. Milk , syrup , flour , etc , even some cement products , or fertilizer....

LTL..( less than a load) this is a local pick-up and delivery driver , he goes from the terminal to customers delivering products , and sometimes picking-up products to be delivered elsewhere. Most go back the terminal daily.

Food service...this is where the driver delivers products to restuarants , most times with a trailer with a frozen , a refrigerated , and a dry compartment separated with moveable walls.

flatbed....this is the type of trucking that requires the delivery of all kinds of products , usually for construction sites , lumber yards , etc. it also has a specialized sector that is called "heavy /oversized " hauling. this is mostly for really big machinery or specialized heavy equipment. Sometimes they require an escort car too.

Haz-Mat.... (Hazardous materials) means you are carrying anything that must be placarded. Requires the driver to have an endorsement showing that he has the training to haul this stuff.

this isn't a complete list but I think it covers the basic differences or facets in trucking...I'm sure it will be added to.