Taking My 14 y/o son on the road

See it all the time. I think it is great. In the summer (school break) often see kids on trucks. Some companies have age limits and most of them require some kind of insurance deposit for the extra rider(s) usually about $1 dollar a day.

 

I don't know much about local in Hattiesburg but there is plenty of regional. I'm down there 2 times a week delivering furniture, I'm regional. I live in Tupelo. I know epes and Schneider both run regional stuff out of there. I'm almost certain most companies allow riders over the age of 10 so you should be fine with your son. I lived in a truck with my dad when school was out from the time I was 5 years old. But that was when Trucking was a lot different. Oh and if you don't want him to be a truck driver you may not wanna take him. Or at least that was the case with me. I wanted to drive a truck since the first time I stepped foot in one.

 

There's dozens of companies that allow a child to ride along. I think Britton Transport allows 2 children and there's no fee.
Will you attend private cdl school or trucking company cdl school?

 

A lot of companies have rider policy, but also a lot of companies require a certain amount of time for new drivers before they can take someone with them. Make sure you check how long that is. I can tell you from experience that schneider requires six months of solo driving before you could take someone with you.

 

Wonder if Watkins-Shepard in Myrtle, MS allows riders since Schneider bought them.

 

I drive for Watkins and they do allow riders I'm thinking after 90 days with a form from them. Think it's like $10 a month or something. And the rider has to be 8 or 10 years old I think. Idk none of my family wants to ride. And my son is only 5.

 

Jones would be a much better option and you would be more prepared. And there are state grants that would pay for the school. I paid 200 total for my CDL and went to Itawamba Community College in Tupelo.

 

This is a story I've told on other posts. I went with a school friend and his dad when I was 12 from Tulsa to NYC and back in the early '70s, a cabover Pete. I remember the dad telling me....."son, if you ever get in a truck you'll never get it out of you blood". Nothing has been truer my whole life. I've been in my current job for 33 yrs but I've quit twice to try and go truckin full time and always gone back to what I'm doing now. I've been fortunate to have been able to find a couple of companies that I was able to drive part time for and quench my thirst for driving and make some good money on the side. If their weren't so many regulations and some much "safety" crap being put on trucks now days I'd seriously consider doing it full time again. I just don't think it would be as fun as it use to be with all of that going on now and I made out just fine back then on my own without any help from the government.

So what I'm saying @want2btruck through all of that dribble is, Ditto for @Driver91's post. Read some of these threads on here in other forums and you'll see any number of current drivers who spent time with a Dad, Grandfather, Uncle, Mom, Sister etc., in a truck and are doing it now because they had so much fun. Good luck with wherever your passion leads you and your son!