How many started truck driving at the age of 50+?

Started at 46, retired at 50 last year...

 

Hope you don't mind if a whippersnapper jumps in... bigdogpile and "semi" retired, what do you guys wish you would have done instead of drving?

 

Went solo 3 months ago and I turn 60 in March.

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4415248]Hi bigdogpile, me too, although I haven't driven in 8 years, I too, wish I'd have done something better with my life. When I started in the '70's, I had a gas. I couldn't believe I got paid to do that. Then, marriage, kids, house, I literally couldn't quit, and that's when it just became a job. My O/O years in the late '80's, early '90's added a little steam, (with my old Pete below) but after my ex threatened to leave me, I went back to a company job, but after being an O/O, it just wasn't the same. My wife left me anyway, and I always regretted selling the old Pete. Now with all the regulations and crazy drivers, I doubt I will ever go back in a truck again.[/QUOTE]

Yep, wife,kids a house, cars I couldn't give it up if I wanted..Its just such a bizzare industry I cant see how folks think, "its a dream" or "its something I always wanted to do"...Its not a labor intestive job and one would think its easy, but it can be boring and make you angry and crazy at the same time..I started by just thinking "I'll do this for now till something better comes around..lol ..still waiting..

 

Don't be so Uptight there Upright. Believe it or not, there still IS life after 50! And while taking a nap is a wonderful thing, you will be sleeping a whole lot in just a few more years. Once you start "The Long Sleep," you won't have too much of a chance to do anything else.

Heh, heh, sort of like the line from Andy Capp when he is hitting on a bar fly. She is thinking, "well, he might do until the right one comes along. OH WAIT, what if the right one comes along and sees me with HIM? GET LOST OLD MAN!"

The thing about "it's something I always wanted to do," is not at all hard to understand. I wanted to be a truck driver clear back when I was 5 or 6 years old and would watch those PIE and Navajo trucks roll through Fowler, CO on US 50. Of course, in later years, I wanted to drive an ambulance and then a fire truck. Then I wanted to be a cop. Well, I did all of those, just not in that order!

I hated truck driving. I loved truck driving. Quite often both feelings would manifest themselves very close together.

 

Hi Montgomery, I wish I'd have done more with professional drag racing, or sell sports cars. Trucking ruined my marriage, although, I can't guarantee she would have stayed with me no matter what I did. Don't get me wrong, I did ok, made a decent living, but trucking was such a thankless job, and has become so over regulated, it just wasn't attractive to me anymore.

 

Hey "semi," if it was me, I sure wouldn't believe it was trucking that ruined that marriage. Didn't you say she left AFTER you came off the road?

I can't tell you the number of times I've seen guys give up their careers of choice, (usually law enforcement,) to please their wives, only to have the wives leave anyway. Now the poor guy is stuck with no wife, no family and no job that he really wants to do. But he is likely stuck with child support and possible even alimony, not to mention the loss of just about everything else he has worked for all his life.

 

Like Big Don I did 30 years On The Job and then sat at home for 6 months. Went bug fick crazy and decided to get out of the house and onto the road. I was 52 at the time. 9 years later I am still out here.

Starting a more regional job with a small company next week. Should get me home more often but still out seeing the sights from the windshield.

 

Im 53, 54 in march. Starting school on monday. Ive been in food service for the last 15 years and hated every minute of it. Food service will really make you hate people, and show you just how selfish and stupid they really are. Yea I will still have to deal with people but not near as much as before. And I like to be by myself. Plan on living in the truck for a couple years and save. Then ill figure out what i want out of life. Plus you can live almost anywhere !

 

Hi Big Don, oh, I know, she had enough issues to fill a warehouse, but I just had to get that in there. Trucking sure didn't help. Man, I miss my old Pete.