Starting trucking in your late 40s?

Posted by pavlovsdawgs@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 48 comments

Ended up disabled for most of my adult life,but have since gotbackinto decent shape.

Pretty much have nothing built for retirement so I'm getting worried.

Livein uppermidwest, which seems pretty awful for starting your own business(winter)and trucking too I'd. As the joke goes, we only have "winter and road construction" for seasons.

Lifestyle of trucking seems fine for me, but everything else I'm unsure of. Seems like a great accelerated path on the money-side of things. But maybe I'm dumb and should try something else. Would consider something in computers but AI is freightening as hell. make a 4 year degree worhless in months. And i doubt time to waste.

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Beginning_Bear_7391@reddit

At 47 I am feeling motivated after reading this

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Efficient_Ad_324@reddit

I'm 41 and been thinking about this and reading every comments brings hope. I'm currently in the pnw south of Seattle, so if anyone with any advice out this way or maybe how you would do things differently and what companies are best to start with and then advance from there. I am all ears. Thanks in advance

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Sea-Count-5298@reddit

Got my CDL after 50. Going strong 10 years later. You can't switch jobs after 60, ageism will bite you in your ass. I work local grocery and a friend with 35 years experience was declined because they had a better qualified candidate. I hired a kid with 6 months.

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Sea-Count-5298@reddit

I got my CDL in my '50s. It's all good. Been driving 10 years. The over the road b* is not for me. Home daily local grocery delivery.

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Rotteneverything@reddit

i started at 50. ended four months ago at 62.

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yamahamama61@reddit

I was exactly 40 when I started. I did teach at a trucking school for a while. Lots of folks 50 yrs old start truck driving. There was 1 man 80 yrs old. He didn't pass. But he was happy to have the chance to drive a truck. They even gave him his money back.

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Accomplished-Yak1632@reddit

I was 47. Best decision i ever made. Easiest damn job ever. I havent done a hard days work in 6 years now.

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Obvious-Glove-7253@reddit

You can start pretty much at any time. I got my CDL permit I kid you not the day I turned 21. My dad was a trucker and my grandpa. I’m 3rd generation.

I knew how to drive before I was 14.

I’ve trained men and women anywhere from 21-67 being the oldest.

I’m diabetic type 1, so disabled and I still get qualified yearly. Granted my A1C is 5.8% so I’m considered excellent when it comes to control.

Don’t let your disability hold you back.

My youngest brother is paralyzed in his legs and is a trucker as well. He bought adaptions for his rig. He is an O/O with his own authority and his wife assists with all the physical unhooking and hooking up.

If he can do it so can you.

Don’t be discouraged! The best time to become a trucker is now! :)

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Unfair-Variety-995@reddit

I started at 54. Retired on pension and jumped into a truck. It’s been amazing.

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topbillin1@reddit

what company? I'm starting at 51, feel it's perfect for me due to my speech impediment, just sit and drive.

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Unfair-Variety-995@reddit

I work for a three truck company called Quad K Trucking.

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zippyzut@reddit

I started at 50 I deliver home heating fuel.

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Seebs9@reddit

You’ll be required to get a medical card to drive. Basically have to take a physical of a sort every couple years or less, so make sure your disability won’t negatively affect that.

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cCueBasE@reddit

I’m an instructor and have had students as old as 70. There’s nothing wrong with it.

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skeeverbite@reddit

I started at 30 but there were guys in their 40s and 50s in my class. There’s guys and gals of every age where I work now. You’ll see the 35 year old who’s been doing it for a decade and the 60 year old who’s in his first couple years. One of those jobs where as long as you can physically do it, you’re good and you won’t be out of place for something like age.

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ApprehensivePizza964@reddit

There are many in your shoes and you have nothing to lose. Go for it.

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bizzywhipped@reddit

Yeah as long as you can pass physical, you’re good to go.

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idkwhatisgoingon92@reddit

I got my CDL at 23 and I'm 33 now, there were people in their literal 50s and 60s trying to get their class A at my company sponsored trucking school. #ripCeladon

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The_Vass_76@reddit

I’m 3.5 years on the road now and will be 50 next year right before I hit the 4 year mark. Won’t do anything else but this for a career now. Been hauling the same product since I started and will likely continue doing it for the majority of next year. This career helped me get my head on straight with my credit and budgeting and allowed my wife and I to buy our first house. It’s worth it if you have the gumption to do it, so, go for it. Good luck out there, OP.

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Equivalent-Pride-460@reddit

Started at 48 after 10 years in shipping and receiving. At 4 months in I got a local gig making more than I made as a shipping supervisor. This side of the dock is wayyyy better.

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mistman23@reddit

Would you be giving up a Disability payment to drive?

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West_Masterpiece9423@reddit

Got my CDL w/Pepsi in late 30s and still local delv 20yrs in.

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spyder7723@reddit

I see people will into their 70s trucking. In fact i have 2 guys over 70 driving for me. Granted they don't run as hard a they did 20 years ago, but that's OK. They tried retirement and it didn't work so wanted to come back in a scaled down role and we figured out a way to make it work for both them and me.

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Gore1695@reddit

I just turned 40 and it's rare I run into a trucker younger than I am. There's a lot of older people doing this, there's no reason age should stop you.

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Emergency_Ad1152@reddit

Just had a 55 yr old woman join us a car hauler. She moves fast too! Good luck man.

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wewanttopleaseu@reddit

I got my first driving job when I was 62. Go for it. Nothing to lose

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Redsoxdragon@reddit

See if you can even pass a physical before you waste your time. Trucking takes a toll on your health

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Junior-Credit2685@reddit

Go for it! But just know that you MUST make your physical and mental health the number one priority. Learn how to cook in the truck and keep up with your physical therapy/exercise and reading/friendships or things will go downhill FAST. Good luck!

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duckbobtarry@reddit

The mental health aspect is crucial. Can't tell you the amount of times I've pulled off the road to compose myself. Driving + thinking can be brutal or great.

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ursisterstoy@reddit

I started at 39

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flergityberg@reddit

I started at 39 for the same reason—I have no retirement savings and I don’t want to die poor, and I don’t have time to waste on a degree. It’s my second year and I’m making $100k gross doing linehaul. So yeah, if you’re getting into this to make money, it can work if you stick with it.

Where in the upper Midwest? The Midwest in general is a good region to be a trucker from what I’ve gathered. Low CoL, lots of freight moves through, manufacturing and agriculture are all there.

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pavlovsdawgs@reddit (OP)

just outside of lacrosse.

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flergityberg@reddit

There’s lots of work there. One of those data aggregator sites noted that Wisconsin has the most job listings for drivers of any state. Once you get some experience you should be able to make good money.

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st_psilocybin@reddit

Wisconsin is beautiful. I heard the milk tank drivers make decent money and I believe it's mostly local. There's also Kwik Trip which seems to have a reputation for being a good employer. This is all just things I heard from my cousin who lives in that area, do your own research of course. Just trying to suggest some starting points for ya

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Capn_T_Driver@reddit

I started at 34, did company stuff for a year, bought my first truck in 2020, ran as a leased-on guy for a couple years, now I’m an independent.

Here’s a few things to consider:

1.) mega carriers and large carriers offer the best stability. Some have really decent retirement plans. You might start at a mega, but after a year you can look at going to another carrier with better pay.

2.) right now is a bad time to try to become an owner-operator. Unless you have god-tier credit, you’re going to end up in a bad deal with a questionable truck unless you know exactly what you’re looking at. I ended up in a bad deal on my trailer with really good credit, but when it’s done at least I’ll have the trailer.

3.) there’s no shame in being a company guy. If you do your job and have a good dispatcher, your working life can get really easy really quick. Good work ethic paired with a good dispatcher is what makes a happy trucker. That doesn’t mean be a pushover. Do the right thing by yourself and your equipment before you do the right thing for the company.

4.) take care of your health and manage your money carefully, and you’ll be able to do just about anything in terms of investing and retirement savings, property, car, etc. so long as you don’t over-extend.

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st_psilocybin@reddit

I'm 33 and just got a CDL this summer. There were definitely people 50+ years old in my class. I chatted with a few and some had previous driving jobs but not class A. Most came from factories, some with forklift experience. I've had tons of jobs in the past but most recently was doing retail and had no experience driving anything other than a car. I finished school and passed the test on the first try. Now I'm a month into training at my job and starting to get the hang of backing the trailer. I think I've been an exceptionally slow learner on this topic. It doesn't come naturally to me at all. But it just goes to show if you keep showing up and keep trying, you can probably learn it. And if you try it and find out you have a knack for it anyway, good for you! Maybe watch some youtube videos first on the basics of driving and backing to get familiar with the concepts

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Fr8boss@reddit

Listen, man. You can do it if you want. The only one that will hold you back is you. I drove for 15 years, then got into management. Now that management jobs are disappearing I am headed back for a refresher program and going back to driving at age 59. Take care of your health and you'll be fine. Get into a school or go through a company training program. Stick with it and get some experience.

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psyk0pengwin@reddit

I run a trucking school, we get everyone from 18-70 with no real average. The best time to make a change is yesterday so might as well do it if you think it'll be a good fit.

What I absolutely love about having a CDL is the sheer amount of types of jobs you can do wherever you want to do them. I currently live in a high COL area and will be moving next year to a much cheaper area where I can make the same amount....all without having to worry about finding a job with a clean CDL. Trucking not for you after a couple years? Sweet, with some experience and a CDL you're in a much better spot to get into something like compliance, dispatch, safety coordinator, etc. in an office.

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Federal-Service-4949@reddit

I started at 49 and stopped so 65. Loved it but got a local job in my original field. You’ve got nothing to lose. If you stay out for long periods of time do your 34 hour resets in hotel rooms. Being out of the truck is good for your mental health even if it’s just for a day. Save as much as you can.

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miTgiB37@reddit

I returned to trucking at 53 with very little in savings, now at 62 I have very little in savings but a bigger number. Dang inflation

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Washedhockeyguy@reddit

40s is young to be a truck driver. Do it

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tohowie@reddit

I’m 51, just recently got my CDL permit, and scored a job with training for my CDL. Never too old.

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Gonzotrucker1@reddit

But are mentally prepared for it?

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LunchPrestigious2255@reddit

I started at 46 and am doing fine. Thing is you probably won't be the oldest guy in your cdl school, definitely not the oldest guy in orientation at whatever mega you start out at, and then when you start shuffling around a flying J at 4 am to get coffee, you'll feel positively youthful compared to all us sorry fucks.

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