Age factor for a new driver?

Well I would not worry about your age being a factor,if it is something you want too do and put up with the bs the first year or 2 you will enjoy it and probably not want to do anything else again.The way I look at driving there is only 2 types of drivers,it is just your job or it is your life till the day you die.

Good Luck to you.

 

"I am tired of intellectual challenges and would like I job that isn't about solving and figureing out all the time. I've proven myself to myself and for my last leg of a work life, this is for ME!"

Please don't take take my post wrong ...Trucking Is and always has been one of the most intense problem solving and thinking jobs around. When you get behind the wheel of a vehicle that is over 60 ft long , bends in the middle , and can weigh as much as 40 or more tons...not to mention the investment that has been made by the owner/s of that vehicle..plus the value of the commodity inside...it takes a clear mind and a steady hand plus an attitude that is able to deal with split second...and MORE OFTEN THAN NOT LIFE THREATENING decisions that must be made in order to operate that said vehicle in a safe and professional manner...don't go into trucking b/c you think that it may not be an intellectually challenging job...if you do you are gonna be way over your head.

 

trucking still isnt rocket science just common sense
and age isn't a factor last february had a
70 year old sign a 5 year lease with trans am

 

I am training a 62 year old now! My father just came out of retirement 4 months ago at 77! Age is just a number as long as you have your health!

 

Six9gs, I think I know what you meant -- it's the difference between highly-abstract problem solving vs. concrete problem-solving. Two very different jobs. One of my friends is a brilliant lawyer but would be hard-pressed to put new windshield wipers on his car, nevermind trying to back a trailer into a tight space.

 

When I stop at a truck stop to eat, I don't see many 'thinkers'.

Trucking is a skill. No different than driving a car. Just a higher level. Training, experience, the ability to remain calm under stressful situations, etc. determines one's success. Add to that the ability to sleep on different schedules, sleep in the truck, and pay attention to what you're doing.

It's not chess.

 

It's not chess?
Perhaps if you want to be a company driver, do only what you are told, shovel truck stop grease in your face and just keep the truck between the ditches, you might be correct.
If you are an O/O, everything is different. Using tricks and tools. Searching for pricing. Future planning. (Long and short term) Using strategy for advantage. Trying not to get rooked!
It is exactly chess.

 

Some of those crusty looking guys can surprise you. Not the ones in the TV lounge watching
cartoons or sports or the ones playing video games, but the ones sitting in a corner or coffee shop reading books or at the counter drinking coffee. Some of them look rough around the edges, but after talking to them, you think, "why is this guy driving a truck?"