60 Year Old Newbie Cross Country Trailer Driving Concerns & Questions

you can work forever if you want but then you have to take a 10 hour break before getting behind the wheel. Driving is limited to 11 hrs in a 14 hour window.

 

How's that stuck in traffic going to work for ya?

 

I don't know what kind of debt you have, but moving to another state might help. States such as Texas....credit card debt and bank debt cannot be garnished from your paycheck. Creditors can win a judgement, but if there is nothing to collect, that is pretty much the end of it. I know some states can garnish your paycheck for a lot of things.

Talked to a BK attorney? Move to a debt friendly state? Then start a trucking career? I think you would be most fortunate to average $50K a year your first two years driving a truck. It will cost 3 to 5K to go to a trucking school, plus 8 weeks of your time including waiting for a school to open up. Two weeks orientation. More waiting. Riding with a trainer for 4 to 6 weeks, making little money. Food is not very good and expensive. Want a decent hot meal? Minimum 10 bucks plus tip. Want the Buffet? $14. Want a bad cheeseburger and a drink? $7. I like to drink two large coffees a day. $2 to $2.15 each. It adds up.

I have a suggestion. Drive to the nearest truck stop and take a shower, then eat in the diner, if they have one. See how you like it. See how much it costs.

I hope you are in good physical shape, because trucking will wear you out.

I think trucking is a decent job for people with little debt. Not so much a good gig for servicing debt, imo.

 

Might I suggest you take a job driving a taxi first. You will find out if you really, really like driving. Plenty of similar frustrations to driving a truck.

1 - Waiting, without getting paid
2 - Bad people wanting to take advantage of you.
3 - Risk, accidents, being a victim of a crime (getting robbed, or worse)
4 - Watcing your MPG's
5 - Eating on the run, and paying too much for lousy unhealthy food
6 - Always having time pressure to get somewhere.
7 - Getting lost, and losing money because of it
8 - Too many other taxis to compete with
9 - Breakdowns, mechanical or electrical, eating your pay
10 - Having poor time management skills is a killer
11 - 12 hour shifts, in all weather and no you can't decide to stay home
12 - Employer not paying on time or deductions that will cut your pay
13 - Being a bullseye for every cop, wherever you go.

i could go on and on, but I'll stop here, driving a cab won't make you rich overnight, and the learning curve is much quicker than becoming a trucker. Trucking ain't an easy street, where you can earn $80 to $100k right out of the gate. Not intending to discourage you, just a good dose of reality, seems fitting to your questions.

Good luck