I am considering driving truck part time once I retire. What I mean is I am 53 and I am thinking of getting my cdl and driving starting at 55. I see alot of jobs advertising local drivers here, FYI I am in Wisconsin. What I am looking for is driving 3 or 4 days a week. I could live with having gaps when there was no work or driving for more than one employer doing seasonal work or driving semi one week and cement truck the next. I would not need health insurance. I would want to mostly be a local driver and only occasionally doing otr. I would not want to be full time. Does this sound like a realistic goal? I would be a 55 year old with a new cdl and no experience would anyone hire me? Would anyone put up this? What could I expect to make? Also my wife wants to relocate somewhere warmer eventually and I have visions of doing this further south.
Lots of part time work available. Harvest time,construction season and milk hauling. Problem is that not having experience you will have a hard time getting hired on somewhere.
Search for driver leasing services. They are temp agencies that provide drivers to trucking companies that need more drivers. The ones my trucking company used dispatched their drivers by the end of this week for what work they would do next week. You simply tell them when YOU are available.You can wind up working at one trucking company or any of the trucking companies that the driver leasing service supplies. You generally get about $2 less per hour than the trucking company drivers for the same job. The driver leasing company keeps the approximately $2/hr pay difference. This give you a variety at different trucking companies but without a resume that looks like a drug addict in and out of rehab.
Schneider will let you work part time after training. Depending on area you either work 3-4 days a week, or 7 total days per month. You choose the days, but no benefits. Downside is slipseating every time you come in, you’ll normally be assigned the worst truck in the terminal.
Try a truck leasing company. They're always repositioning straight trucks and tractors around. A few trailers, but not many. Local work, not great pay, but a 3 day/week schedule is nominal.
Look for the day cabs....they are usually home every night. I started at age 57, and did part time driving, for small companies. I was hired for every job I applied for. If you have a clean driving record, clean background, drug free.....you are on the top of the hiring company list. Haul milk.....from the dairy farm to the plant. Or from the collection terminal to a cheese factory. Lots of milk being hauled in upper midwest. My first job out of cdl school was hauling milk. I liked it. Easy loading and unloading, milk is pumped on and off. Tankers are easy, just easy on throttle and brakes. Haul for a farmers co-op, grain or fertilizer.
Leasing companies are good as stated above. Best part is being able to try different jobs until you find a good fit.
