Challenges for a 21 year old

Your fine. The powers that be want to lower the age to 18. Look into tanker companies that hire students. Ask if they hire at age 21 and then make sure the school you've chosen is on their accepted schools list.

good luck.

 

Several companies hire 21 yr. old drivers.
Here's a few; check the websites:

Earl Henderson Trucking - has CDL school
Halvor Lines
Navajo Express
Melton Truck Lines
Schneider
Southern Refrigerated Transport - has CDL school
H.O. Wolding
KLLM Transport - has CDL school
TransAm
Super Service
Midwest-coast Transport - has CDL school
Knight Transportation - has CDL school

Some have their own CDL schools and also will hire from a private CDL school; your choice.
Start preparing now:
1. Study the "CDL Practice Tests" at the top of this page.
2. Get an original birth certificate.
3. Get an original Social Security Card-not laminated.

 

You'll be fine. I did my CDL school when I was 22 and started my first driving job a month later at 23. At that age there will be a some companies that will say it's a no-go, but you should still have plenty of options.

In this industry it's pretty easy to get your foot in the door as long as you don't have any kind of criminal/drug-related history. Yeah, some people will give you a hard time about your age (I got a lot of this from shippers and receivers when I first started, the whole "you look like a kid" deal got old real fast), but if you do your job and do it well your age won't matter.

Community colleges are a good place to go for training, much cheaper than what you would pay for at a private CDL school. One thing I would do, however, is start looking for some companies that you may be interested in working for and discussing age requirements as well as schooling requirements.

 

Just saw this, and I will try to answer very broad questions in as specific a way as I can for you.

Is 21 too young to be a truck driver? In most cases , yes. There are exceptions to every rule though, and you MAY be the exception. I'm a very social person, and even though I grew up around the business for a good portion of my life, it was very tough to get used to the isolation. I think for any fairly social 21 year old that would be one of the biggest struggles.

Would companies have any reservations about hiring me? NO, but the insurance companies will prevent the majority of small companies from hiring you. Typically you'll find yourself working for one of the mega carriers (swift, schneider, werner, etc...) who are self insured. You'll spend your first 1-2 years being underpaid, but if you work your first 1-2 years with a positive attitude, dont burn bridges, and keep a good safety record you'll have options to move onto bigger and better things. If you're trying to find good information on who to work for there is a wealth of information on this website.

 

I'd join the Navy...
More fun, great adventure, opportunity to mature and understand responsibility...go into Submarines and you'll be fine with the small sleeper in a tractor.
21 on the road doesn't allow for many dating opportunities and the amount of isolation is profound...you really have to know who you are and be comfortable with that truth.

 

it normal to see a lot of 30 to 40 y/o in trucking schools...this is the age when construction work starts to wear on the body...so they start looking for a sit down job with A/C....you'll do fine starting out at age 21...go for it...get the CDL....

 

start right now in 1 to two years youll be making at least 70k if you make the right moves

 

I was 20 when i got my license. I had to wait to be 21 to get on with swift. Now that im 22 its hard to find a great job. Because all insurances want you to 23 and up. That's the only down side even if you have 2 years of driving experience with a clean record you won't be hired. But i still make over 1200 a week hauling containers out of the lb ports as a driver. So if you play your cards right you'll be making easily 1k a week once you're 22.

 

As far as being 21 and not dating? True to an extent. Get a dedicated account and you'll be fine. I was home every weekend and still picked up girls at bars on saturday nights. Plus at 21 you're way too young to settle down.