What would you do if you can't do CDL job any longer, and you ain't young no more?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by TallJoe, Jun 26, 2022.

  1. Western flyer

    Western flyer Road Train Member

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    I would get a job with loves.
    Yea loves, the truck stops.
    Get my 40 hours every week.
    They ain't going nowhere anytime soon.

    Cleaning showers, stocking shelves,
    Filling propane, cleaning the fuel island,
    Taking out the trash, cutting the grass,
    Whatever it takes.

    Stay at 1 location 6 months to a year,
    Then hookup the fifth wheel and transfer to another location.
    I could go almost anywhere in the country.
    I'd have a job and the time off to actually see and
    Enjoy all theses places I've been riding through for
    The past 25 years.
     
  2. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    I tried that. Had a job where I was home weekends, so took a yard jockey job on weekends. Horrible job.
     
  3. TripleSix

    TripleSix God of Roads

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    Do you still want to roam the open highways?

    Pilot car. There are bigger pilot car companies that will set you up in their cars and train you. If you can ride in the saddle all day, show up on time, shut the FUNKY LUNK up until it’s time to speak, be on time every day, you can actually stay pretty busy and make decent consistent money. OSOW drivers will be blowing your phone up for the big job projects and rig moves.
     
  4. SteveScott

    SteveScott Road Train Member

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    My future daughter in law's parents live in a nice, large motor home and stay in various parts of the US for 6 months getting local jobs to cover campground fees, fuel and food, then move someplace else after a few months. Both in their 60's and been doing it for a few years. They tow a car behind the motorhome. It sounds like they love it. I'm sure they have some money in the bank, but it sounds like it would work for some people.

    When I retired the first time at 52 and felt the need to do something with myself, I found that I was overqualified for a lot of jobs in my previous field of insurance. Employers would rather hire somebody fresh out of college and pay them a lot less, and they would get to mold them in a manner they would want instead of my decades of experience getting in the way. That's when I decided to become an O/O. Now I'm retired from that and not really wanting to ever work again. I want to spend my remaining time on earth taking my grandkids fishing.
     
  5. cuzzin it

    cuzzin it Road Train Member

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    Gate guard. Seems to be where retired drivers go. Based on my experience of small talk with gate guards.
     
  6. JC1971

    JC1971 Road Train Member

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    I heard some or most yard goats don't have AC. Is this true? That would be a dealbreaker for me unless I lived in Washington or the San Francisco Bay Area.
     
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  7. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    AC is useless in a yard truck. That's a "working outside" type job and the door won't be closed long enough to cool.
     
  8. staceydude

    staceydude Road Train Member

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    More than likely train dogs for a living.

    I have many, many friends who are professional dog trainers and many of them are in the six figure income range with low overhead. One friend (who really overworks herself is making over 400k a year training and boarding on her own property out in the country)

    I had a lot of these friends pushing me to do it prior to me starting my own authority.

    I won a national championship in the sport I trained in and I have all the skills needed. However my main reason for not doing it as a career was not knowing what the economy was going to do post Covid (Still don’t know but it ain’t looking great right now) and I always thought it would take my love of training away if I did it for a living. I know friends who have told me it does (not all but a few) They don’t train their personal dogs nearly as much now as they did before. Plus I really wanted to see some places. Now, none of my friends have seen any slow down in training customers even with the fuel prices etc. they are busy as ever.

    I could probably have 3-4 dogs at my house to board and train within a few weeks of starting if I started tomorrow. It is always an open option I’ve kept tucked away in a small corner of my tiny brain if I need to.

    With my wives medical issues over the last year and a half it has been on my mind often. I love doing what I do now but in the end family comes first. I’ll do what I’m doing now until I come to my senses and make a change. I keep thinking we are going to resolve her medical stuff but have not yet. We are working hard on it though.
     
  9. buzzarddriver

    buzzarddriver Road Train Member

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    Run for PRESIDENT. We all b itch about how bad of a job they all do. Now will be your chance to fix all of the problems.
     
  10. TallJoe

    TallJoe Road Train Member

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    The chances are slim, especially for an ex - truck driver.
    Never, ever in the history of America (surprise me, if I am wrong) , a blue collar, "unskilled profession" worker, was elected one. I heard that Lincoln was a logger at one point of his life but then he moved up in life to become a lawyer.
     
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