How old is too old to be driving?

l will be 73 in July. l gave up my CDL in 2011. Last year l got a "Farm Endorsement" and hauled Xmas trees down the mountain to a staging area. Shipper load, dump delivery. 10 wheel truck. It lasted 3 weeks, paid 2500+. Hourly, l will do it again this year if available.

 

What's going to happen in 15 years , most of us will be out of trucking.
What is the average age of a driver now, 60?.

 

That’s a spring chicken yous a point’in at there sonny.

 

When it comes to new drivers, my company gives all the old guys the best equipment and young guys the old equipment. They know the numbers and the old guys are not getting the incidents and accidents that the younger guys get into.

I’ve seen some guys starting out in their 70s. Yeah, they are in good physical condition, so why not let them drive. They tend to be good drivers.

 

Gene England, of CRE Englands, was driving an auto hauler for CRE's car leasing to their drivers program when we first started with them in 2012. He basically delivered inventory to their various terminals.
He was one of the sons in "CRE and sons". Saw him once in Socal at their terminal in Mira Loma. I believe he was 87 at the time. That guy looked quite spritely to me.

 

You mean he Dint move like a Old Man ?

 

When I was first learning how to drive a rig, running a 1968 Mack playing yard jockey at 9 yrs old. I asked my trainer “When do I know when it’s time to hang it up”? He didn’t give an age, or a physical condition, he said “When you don’t trust the guy behind the wheel coming the other way at you.”

 

102

 

I mean he moved around like a young man climbing all over his rig unstrapping cars. Not once did i reference him or his movement as an," Old Man".

 

My grandfather retired from driving last year at 86 . He quit driving full time around 15 years ago. I guess he figured it was time