50 yrs old and wanting to start driving, recommendations?

I encourage Bulk. The Training is solid because it has to be and it's no touch with a few life lessons thrown in. That training for me was still strong when I got handed another bulk after several decades.

 

Since the whole trucking industry is transitioning to trucks with automatic transmissions, I would still learn and take your road test with a manual transmission or you will have an (automatic only)restriction on your CDL which may limit your future job prospects.

If you do wind up having an (automatic only) restriction on your CDL, in order to have it removed in the future, you will need to take the CDL road test over again in a manual transmission vehicle.

 

Well, you've got several things going for you. Your age, no kids, no wife crabbin' at ya', and you live in a primo spot. Lot of freight goes side to side. One suggestion, if you have no real ties to St. Louis, go south. Believe me, it's a lot easier starting out without winter to get you down, and it does. Winter trucking is the worst. At 50, I should have got myself another large car, and trucked until retirement. Didn't work out that way, but I see a good future for ya'. Keep us posted.

 

OP vanished! Drinking and posting? He came at 11pm New Years Eve, posed a half-assed question with no details, and then stopped caring and no follow through. I bet a lot of people do this.

 

They'll be back. Sounds like someone going over some NYR's. Hope they enjoyed themselves on NYE, it's no where near as fun in truckstop in Nebraska on holidays.

 

I’m at a Connecticut truckstop. Super boring!

 

Thanks for running on a holiday. At least you have this site.

 

High winds your area 40+ mph through 3PM.

 

Elizabeth Warren is having some rally's in that area; maybe attend one of those for entertainment.

 

She too ethnic for my tastes. Too Cherokee.