How many hours do you got to work

Part time. Seriously. Trucking, is not a 9-5 job even for local guys. Last week I was getting 12 hours a day average for 5 days. This week I'm running my clock down to the last minutes. It's an always changing job and having short hours is no guarante. Breakdowns, slow customers, traffic its everyday. I can't suggest anything 9-5 but factory work, for the hours you want.

 

They are out there. Depends on location. I have a friend who started January 2015 he does 8 to 10 hour days mostly. Drops and hooks auto parts. Drives an automatic Volvo day cab. Seems to like the work but hates the office politics. There are different start times, rarely will you start at 8ish and be done at 5ish.

 

Sir, you are going to marry the truck. It will be your wife, your mistress and your ... other things.

Consider a minimum of 70 hours work week until the logbook tells you to sit for 34 hours doing nothing every 70 hours.

Your waking thoughts around a truck consume you day and night for weeks and months before you come home. In my time I did not see my house for 6 months to 10 months as needed to work from Chain season of April 15th to October 15th before going home through the winter.

You are not going to be working factory hours in trucking It's going to be at least 10 hour days, in dump truck paving we worked from the moment sun came up enough to see until it got too dark to see in the summeer. During concrete when we got too hot, we slept in the sand pile at the ready mix by day until nightfall got cool enough to deliver that concrete within 40 minutes (If longer the water runs out and it solidifies, ruining the concrete truck pernamenly)

Your description of knee is probably going to disqualify you. Consider entry of a tractor with a minimum of three limb contact climbing up and down many times a day. Docks are 4 feet off the ground and so are trailers. You sir, are going to really hurt.

God help you if your knee is on that clutch pedal, it's 40 pound push to activate it unless you have a automatic which MIGHT restrict you from hire or end up being a endorsement against being able to run a manual truck.

I think at your age (Im just about 50 myself after 31 years to 2009) you need to consider green pastures from your house. Slow down and take it easy. Maybe do something at home part time as a temp or something else.

All the factories worth a #### outside of the US Military Economic Complex is going to either Mexico or Canada these days. I think for example Carrier Refrigeration just decided to leave Indy Indiana to go to Mexico now... cheaper stuff and more profits. As a example. Everything else is being made by chinaman on wages you and I refuse to work under. And the crap don't last more than a year.

That is all I have... If you by some reason can demonstrate to a DOT Doctor that you are healthy enough to be issued a medical card you have a fighting chance to drive a 18 wheeler. A Active medical card is a absolute must now. In the past, I could hold a CDL without a valid medical card staying home between trucking jobs., But now the Feds are forcing all Tier one truckers (More on this later) to hold valid Medical cards tied to CDL to maintain the ability to work on the big road.

Tier Two is cdl drivers like myself sworn statement to the state of arkansas that Im not medically cleared to drive tier one over interstate or instate commerce with a big truck, but my CDL will be called up to haul dead bodies after a national emergency such as nuclear war. Eff that. I turned in my CDL in 2013 after a very careful thought about what it will take for me to haul bodies in a reefer truck on closed interstate that looks like a food truck mobbed by thousands. No thanks. The bodies dont bother me, It's the zombies so to speak.

Anyway... that is my thought for you. Others will give you a better ideal of what to expect getting involved with trucking.

There are so many reasons I can sit here and persuade you not to do this... Sir, trucking as a culture is changing for the worst and frankly you dont need that now not at late 50's your age.

Be good. BE safe.

 

With very few exceptions, all trucking is long work hours. And a lot of trucking is endless hours away from home.

If stress is a thing maybe trucking isn't for you. For a lot of us that love driving, the driving it's self is a stress relief. If you don't love driving, or driving is stressful for you, trucking isn't for you. Even if you love driving, the rest of the job can be pretty stressful.

 

Maybe try applying for a yard jockey position. Usually you need experience since you gotta know how to back up, but you might get lucky. You never know unless you apply.

Intermodel might be anouther option. I think JB Hunt trains new driver to work off the railyards. From what I've seen, it's no touch freight.

UPS Freight's dockworker position also might be anouther option. The job is not as difficult as you may think it is. You spend most of your time driving around in a forklift. Top rate is close to $28 an hour, but you'll be starting off somewhere around $16.50, and it takes 4 years to reach top rate. And you might have an opportunity to yard jockey as well, since dockworkers are the ones that jockey, not the actual drivers. But at 56 years old, I don't know if you want to wait that long, but it is an option.

Good luck.

 

With your bad knee....passing the d.o.t. physical. ...might be a problem...if you apply to a company...that give pre-hires...a physical agility test

 

Not really buddy, most local jobs are long, long hours. The few gravy local jobs go to the experienced and they only work 10 hr days.

 

And another thing, you dont always go to sleep at the same time every day.

 

Forklift driver is a good option.