Hey, All
As I'm sure everybody here knows, you have to be at least 21 to get a CDL for interstate travel, and many, if not most, companies require a driver to be at least 23. While I agree with this completely, if anything the age should be higher, it does create a barrier to the industry for young people looking to start a career without going to college or spending years at a job that has nothing to do with driving.
With that in mind, if you knew a teenager today who could probably be a good driver when they're older, what kind of non-military work would you suggest for them out of high school that could provide a decent living and roll over into a driving career later, assuming such a thing even exists? I'm talking about something that's not just a low-wage placeholder job like fast food or retail, but also not an entire career unto itself like plumbing or welding & pipefitting.
Thanks in advance!
CDL Prep Jobs
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by MSWS, Jan 26, 2025.
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Hands down -- the clear winner -- no questions asked, or needed:
New To Driving
-- LMSWS Thanks this. -
Some local delivery jobs hire 18 yr. old drivers.
MSWS and brian991219 Thank this. -
Local construction companies, local food service delivery, school buses (most states only require you to be 18), towing companies and repair garages. Learning how to be a truck mechanic will be a great head start for a future driver. Maybe even work at a truck dealership as a lot attendant, detailer or porter (fancy word for the guy that pulls the trucks around for service and customer delivery).
My career began at 16 hauling scrap cars for a local junk yard using a Chevy 2500 pickup truck with a electric boom mounted in the bed, then at 18 I was hired as a lube tech, later full diesel mechanic, and driver for a local school bus company. They got me my class B first, then at 19 they got me my class A so I could become a CDL third party examiner and drive our tow truck to bring in broken down buses. AT 19 I also was working part time for a local towing company on nights and weekends and at 21 I was able to get my first interstate driving job collecting used motor oil in a tanker truck, then went to work for an auto auction as a tow truck driver and the rest is history. -
A job for a teenager that pays well & isn't a placeholder job? Any job pays more than not working. Stay employed at one company to show a stable work history.
The only job I know that gives experience relevant to CDL driving is agriculture trucking which doesn't require being 21.
Most newbies show up with big gaps in job history because they quit a job if asked to do something like talk to a customer or not make TikTok videos at work. Working at McDs with no gaps in employment is a better start than most because showing up on time, working a full shift, showing up again is about all any employer can possibly expect from the current crop of TikTok & Instagram worshippers.
If I had years to prepare I would prepare for something better than CDL work. Any other trade pays more, you sleep at home, have a normal life.brian991219, MSWS and lual Thank this. -
On the other hand -- if a kid is like I was: a clean slate, no spouse, no health issues, no local commitments, no pets...& no kids (no kidding!)...but wants a skill set they can use pretty much anywhere.....& has a pretty bad case of wanderlust....& needs/wants a job....then driving might just be a worthy option.
For me...."normal" = boring.
Variety was/is the spice of life. The view out of the office window (which I never had, while working in an office) is always changing.
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I know it's not the same as getting married and raising a family, but if they weren't going to do that regardless, being productive and earning decent money while doing it beats living in their parents basement. -
Last edited: Jan 26, 2025
MSWS Thanks this.
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