Posted this in Welcome Section, But....

Generally speaking, driving trucks 8+ hours a day, 5 days a week is going to bring out any weaknesses in a spine. I've been driving trucks on and off the last 35 years and now 55 years old. In my 30's, I had some bad lower back issues that would have me bed ridden for days at a time a few times a year, and occasional cervical issues. But over time, these subsided. (I never had any spinal surgery)

Today, my biggest issues are early in the morning (every morning), getting out of bed, moderate lower back pain, but after a half hour out of bed, the pain is generally not noticeable until the next morning out of bed. Go figure.

It's hard to say how you'll do. There is all the sitting and moderate "bouncing in a seat", there is cranking landing gear, there is duck-walking under trailers, there is climbing into and back down from trailers. You may handle it all great, or you may have serious issues from day one. And if so, they may or may not improve over time.

Can you drive long distances in a car without issues? A truck seat/ride may actually be easier for you to tolerate as they are designed to promote better long-term seating position, and with air ride. However, roads are deteriorating further every day and even the best riding trucks can be somewhat rough in places for any seated occupant.

 

If you could work for someone that has the Bose Ride seat. It amazing technology, the seat adjust to truck. Basically the seat never bouncing up or down. The seat stay steady and the base of the seat moves with the truck. It like a seat that using magnetic levitation.. same ideal has high speed trains that ride on air. Only problem it's $7,000 seat, I just seen Dart leased trucks have them.

http://www.boseride.com/

Frymiller might have them in their truck not sure. They are on the Bose Ride website

 

The trucks have gotten better over the years, the roads have gotten worse. After a long hard day your back will hurt. My does and I don't have back problems. It may not be the best for you. Plus pain pills are out of the question. So if Advil doesn't work and you can tough it out it's going to be rough.

 

Seems newer Volvos are praised the most for their "premium ride" over typical OTR fleet trucks such as Freightliner and International. If I had to give trucking a try with known back issues, I'd look for new Volvo fleets

 

I think they use air ride front springs on some of them. They probably do ride good.

 

You can always give it a shot. It may work out. You'll just never know unless you try it

 

I broke my l4 transverse process in a motorcycle accident in 2013, started driving flatbed the following summer. My back aches sometimes, gets a little tight, but so far I've not had anything that's caused me any concern or debilitating pain