Starting in your mid fifties

No problem at all, man.

Good luck!

 

No wonder why truckers are so grumpy we are all old farts with ED

 

You can do it.

Only there are no layoffs here. Just a instant firing where availible.

You will avoid live unloads. Drops, hooks and tanker etc will be good for you. You are a touch slower than you need to be at 55 and older. No offense. It's easier to add more room to allow for that (Which will get filled in by the idiot cars all the time...)

Some things in life no longer worry you, the job will get done.

You don't eat as much at your age so you will do well. Little wonder too what with the medicines by the bag you store in the box. /tease....

You will love the equiptment. IF you had mental images of whites, diamond T's and autocars.. put them away.

 

Dont think age will affect you in any way im this industry. Aslong as you stay healthy.

 

The best thing you can do is RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. Instead most of the newbies throw a dart at the biggest 3 names in the industry, announce "you gotta start somewhere" and "walk the plank" at companies that use new drivers like some people use kleenex.

If you hire onto a trucking company that is a bad fit for you, it can be the hardest job you've likely had. If you work for a company that is a good fit and treats you like a person it can be frustrating, challenging, lonely, uncertain, and interesting and rewarding. All companies are NOT alike. 1st, look at companies with terminals or yards near your town. Start you search with the presumption you want to work for one of those nearby companies until you find a better match. Nearby companies CAN mean more frequent hometime. Do whatever it takes to find and talk to current drivers with those companies. 2ND, start researching companies on this message board in case the local companies are not a good match. Put your town in your profile and you the "Trucking Jobs" link at the top of the page. Remember, the fit between you and the company is more important than someone's opinion about that company. But, if you have lots of negative opinions about a company your good attitude and desperation for a job will not change that company. Anyone with a clean driving record, no drugs in their system, and a CDL can get a job. Every skill has been taught to people not as smart as you.

 

Google Body Mass Index calculator. Enter truthful numbers. If your BMI is over 35, or your neck over 17, you will likely eventually face a sleep study. If your BMI or neck size is just above those numbers lose weight before you apply for a driving job. Also, check your blood pressure. If your bottom number is routinely over 90, try to get that down before you apply for a job. You can still work with the above numbers but yo might face a medical exam every 1 year rather than 2 year.

 

Google trucking companys + city names all around your city. Imagine working for a company that gets you home every weekend, or every few weeks. You might not want to drive a couple of hours between the trucking company yard and your home after a long week of driving. More than 1 driver has fallen asleep and died driving from the yard to home after a long week.

To do this right you are going to have to compare many things to pick a company. For example, a company with frequent hometime, but low miles (low pay) vs. a more distant company with less frequent hometime, better pay, going parts of the country you don' want to go. Trucking is a way of life, not just a job.

 

Excellent post.^^ Most often overlooked is good old fashion knocking on doors of some of your local company's.

 

Easy enough this is my second career having retired at 44 I needed something to do. Hired on to local company learned how to be a flatbedder. Got tired of the bs found an otr job that paid well took it and now I'm on dedicated team run with friend from old company and I couldn't be happier.