60 Year Old Newbie Cross Country Trailer Driving Concerns & Questions

$36K is about right for the first year, if you don't plan well.
Get all the endorsements, TWIC, passport and you can easily add another $15K to that $36K guesstimate.

At the top of this page, click on "CDL Practice Tests" for an idea of endorsements.
Google for nearest TWIC office. TWIC card is for entering sea ports, chemical plants, military facilities.
All this gives you many more job opportunities.

Make sure your blood pressure and sugar levels are good or controllable with medications.

 

Yes. You understand correctly. By the time you get training and real experience, two years have gone by and you aren't out of the hole. Good luck to you sir!

 

The way I see it 80k-100k a year I think will be hard as a rookie driver.
I know some trucking companies “real you in” with the high numbers but from what I have seen posted only after you put your time in say 5 years plus.
Good luck
Dave ----

 

Depending on your background, since you need to make that kind of money check out WWW.jobsnd.com

This is the state job service website for north Dakota. Look at fields that you have experience in. Also, corrections is a field that needs people and some states are willing to pay a good price for correction officers. Plus there is opportunity for overtime.

 

You can make well over $80K once you have 2 years experience with Trimac Transportation.
They do hire new CDL graduates from certain CDL schools.

 

Great insight. I agree with you 100 %.

 

Forgive my ignorance, but what do you do the other 3 hours that you're on duty? Thanks.

 

Katie essentially you have 14 hour day clock to squeeze in a max of 11 hours driving. The other three hours you could be waiting on a dock, stuck in traffic, or you could sneak in a nap if you are not pushed to make a pickup or delivery. You cannot "work" past 14 hours pretrip to post trip. You start at 7am, you best be in the sleeper by 9pm but again, no more than 11 hours behind the wheel driving. You may not even use the other three hours if you do nothing but driving and your 11 hour clock runs out first. Of course there is the eight hour rule where you have to take a 30 minute break within your first eight hours of driving. Confused? It will take time but you'll get it.

George