Retiring soon and maybe looking to drive a truck ?

I thought you did this already?

What shortage?

Indiana is a great place by the way, I operate half of my company out of east Indiana.

 

Well, you're not really retiring then. Very few places offer "casual " driving jobs, and once you get sucked in, they can and will send you all over creation, because, "you're the only one that can do this". I'm very bitter seeing what has become of the profession I spent 35 years in and I don't recommend trucking to anyone today, with one exception. My last job before retiring for good, I worked a seasonal job at a cranberry farm shuttling trailers across the yard for like 6 weeks. Local jobs rarely come up for new drivers, and an OTR gig is about all you'll get. A better idea would be buy a CAT scale, and watch these poor truckers empty their pockets trying to get legal,,

 

Hey Dennis,

Do you have a current Driver's License in the USA? If you do then you should be fine.

I recommend you look at hauling for a US Mail contractor. Tons of runs out of Indy, don't sleep in the truck but in a motel, not out more than one night at a time.

 

There are many companies that will work you “casual” part time as a local driver. I worked casual in trucking my entire career as a Professional Firefighter before I retired to truck full time many years ago. Back years ago all the LTL freight companies would use casuals because they traditionally had more freight on Monday, Tuesday and Friday than they did the rest of the week. Frito-Lay in Frankfort Indiana may still use casual drivers and years ago was an excellent employer.

The real issue may be that some companies possibly won’t want an inexperienced driver.

Holland works dock workers in the evening as casual and that could be a way in the door to get some experience in the yard moving trailers and eventually driving. It won’t cost you anything to contact every LTL company to express your intentions and see if they have a need for what you desire. Several mail haulers use casual drivers. Sodrell is one that comes to mind.

 

Sodrel Transportaton > click here > Drive With Us | Sodrel Truck Lines | Truck Driver Jobs
This company has different contracts including mail.
They're affiliated with a cdl school that they hire from.
.

 

hi Dennis.

first you need a USA drivers license from your state of residence for at least 6 months if i recall, before you can even get a learners permit for a CDL. ( i think some states may require that to be 1 year, you have to check into that yourself)

next, yes, the sweet jobs for retiree's generally go to the retired experienced truckers, that only want to work a few days a week. that does not mean you cannot get THAT job, it'll just be dog eat dog out there.

of course you should know that you will need a DOT physical, that you need to pass, or get waivers on things you cannot pass.

there is NO SHORTAGE of drivers, never has been, never will be...PERIOD....so don't believe that bullcrap.

once you get your CDL license, i'd recommend an over the road (OTR job so that you can gain your experience in quicker time, and i'd go along with at the very least, 6 months worth, before you even try a more local/dedicated job.

as only one example, the employer i just retired from, ONLY HIRES drivers with MORE than 5 years experience, home daily, no weekend, and actually cancels work in extreme bad weather.

if i wasn't so darned old, i'd have still been there.

good luck

 

I think the "driver shortage" might be more of a regional thing. I've said this before, but in my little town in central Colorado, an outfit hauling mail, $30 bucks an hour, new Mack with automatic, one load per night, to Denver, ,8 hours max, they can't find anyone. Years ago, there would have been a line for that job. It is pretty stupid to think people will pass a drug test in Colorado, and our local paper has 3 pages of "Help Wanted" ads, most requiring a drug test. People don't come out here to work, they come to party. In certain areas, there is indeed a driver shortage.
Dennisroc, come out to Colorado, probably pick your job, just be careful of those 7 mile downgrades,,,