Anyone here start their driving career after

Anyone here start their driving career after
age 50? I would really like to hear from a few people that started their truck-driving career later in life. I am 56, 57 in December. Also, I would love to hear from folks that only drove passenger vehicles before they learned to drive truck. I know a lot of people get to drive larger rigs, heavy equipment, even school buses first but I haven't so starting from scratch.


Age 68, Just started driving for a van lines agent that does a lot of electronics, however I had done it 26 years ago, even so was lucky to find a co willing to put me on with no recent experience but with a fresh cdl

 

You have a good and realistic attitude, especially when it comes to trucking. It very much is your attitude and what you make of the situations that come your way on how your job is going to be.
I drive for Walmart and I'm amazed at how much whining goes on there from the drivers. They really do treat their drivers well and I think some of the guys have been there sooo long they forgot how the average trucking companies treated them.

 

YES! I attended Ridge Vo-Tech (may be called Ridge Career Center also) in Winter Haven, Fl. It's about 15 mins. south of I-4 on US 27. The address may be off HWY. 544 (It's on the corner of 544 and 27).
They were very reasonably priced and had a 6 wk/10 wk courses available.
Hope this helps.

 

I started driving a cab over peterbilt at 25, when I got out of the service. That was before CDL's. That was a time when alot of drivers had two log books and took speed to stay up as long as it took to get the load on time and keep the dispatcher happy.
Now I am retired from 27 years of making commercial aircraft and I just turned 59. I went to school in April of 2008 and then hired on at Werner. Well, that lasted all of 4 weeks. My trainer was foreign born and raised and spoke about 50% english. He broke every company policy and fed regulation written. Such as illegal U-turns, bad logs, no pre trip, ignoring company preplans, etc. When he passed his off ramp in Vegas to go to the Freghtliner repair facility, (the power steering hadn't been working for almost a year).. and pulled over to the side of the interstate (I-15 NB) and told me he was going to do a U-turn, I got out of the truck. Anyway, the co. wouldn't give me a new trainer and I resigned. I drove school bus last winter and now I am going out with another trainer so I can get back on the road. I love to drive tractor trailer and so far my age hasn't been a factor except I don't think I could do flatbedding. Anyway, don't let the fact that you are probably older than your trainer make you think you know more. Listen, Learn and ask lots of questions. If you don't understand something, ask. I have driven across this great country of ours many times and plan on doing it many more. God speed and be safe.

 

I just wanted to pass on to you, when I went to the Vo-tech school for my training, they had a program where if you were a woman going into a male dominated career you got a discount off the cost of the school. My school was around $1200 and I got $400 knocked off just for being female. Make sure to ask your school about that when you sign up. I know the earlier you sign up for the school, the more of a discount you get. The 2 women over 60 that I attended with got $500+ off theirs, and I got less because I didn't know about the program until my 1st day of class when the women told me about it. Apparently, the schools are alloted so much $$ in their budgets for this, so when it runs out you're out of luck.

 

Denise,

I tried to PM you but I can't yet, not enough posts. Anyway, if you go to google and type in Ridge Career Center the 1st one that pops up is it.

I attended back in '95 so I hope they still have that discount thing going on. They will be able to tell you what it's formally called so you can check with your school. I'm pretty sure if one Vo-tech does it they all may.

Anyway, if I can help, let me know