CDL For Supplemental Income?

Hello all. Brand new tot he forums here. I like what I see. I have a very general question here but this group seems like the best place to ask in order to get the most honest answer.

I am a former 88M (truck Driver in the military) as well as a Wheeled vehicle mechanic. Both learned in the Army Reserve and both are far outside my regular job in telecommunications. I have a driver/mechanics medal from my deployment in '06 and since my return have not driven anything buy but car.

Army trucks are all automatic transmissions now, but all of the cars I ever owned where manual, so it's not a foreign concept.

My question is this, with some reasons thrown in.

I have not planned for retirement very well. I think I may need something to bring in more cash but also something to do once my chosen field kicks me to the curb (I am 47, no children).

I am thinking, since can afford it, to get a class A license in New Jersey. The idea would be to take on seasonal work such as what appeared to be available the past Christmas. I currently have Mondays and Tuesdays off and I am thinking there might be some part time work locally to keep me involved in driving.

That's really it. Any thoughts? Suggestions?

Dave, tho your plan seems sound...trucking is its own weird little world...and heres where it collides with yours...Yo ucan get your CDL A, and all the endoresements..but you won't have the experience that most companies require before they turn you loose in one of their trucks.Now you might get on with fed ex, ups, driving straight truck, but thats even questionable. All companies require some time with a trainer, then some months ( usually a year) driving OTR , solo. Sorry to pop your bubble...but the trucking world has rules, and they are pretty strict...now if you ever get tired of your cube life...then trucking would be perfect for you..... But hang around here, ask questions, read posts....you may get bitten by the trucking bug...your cubicle would be a "little" bigger,...and it would have a bed in it...lol

Welcome aboard Dave!

I have to agree with Starcar. It's extremely difficult to find seasonal or part time work in trucking unless you have a ton of recent experience and you have a company that just happens to be looking for someone like that. But it's pretty uncommon.

If you were ready for a career change and wanted to get into trucking you could drive over-the-road for a while and then see if you could find something local to get you home more often or part time if you want to be semi-retired. But part-time and seasonal work is quite difficult to come by in trucking. You'll almost certainly need some over-the-road experience to even qualify for those type of jobs.

Ugh. Why does reality have to be so.... harsh?

Starcar, when you say straight trucks you mean non-tractor-trailer? I wonder if that might be something worth looking into for now. I am just outside of New York City so there seems like there could be something.

Straight trucks are anything that doesn't "break in the middle"...or is under the weight limit for a class b license. now during holidays, and weekends, or odd days, there is a chance you could find a job driving a class B truck. AND you won't need trained much to do so. Were I you, I'd check into that...It might get you some extra cash, and some time in a truck, tho not as big a truck as you were thinking..

Cool. Thanks. DO you think it is worth it to go for a Class A at this point?

Nope, cuz if you don't use it, when the time ever comes that you do want to drive big trucks, you will need to about redo the whole thing again...

Thanks for the info. This has been very helpful in just simply casting out a net and doing searches for employment. I have made contact with a large truck rental company in the area needing part timers to simply shuffle equipment around the area.

I don't even have the license yet but I have a person to call once I do. How cool is that?

Dave....that is how to do it !!!! Congrats on the job offer....I can really respect someone who figures out what they want, and then figures out how to go get it, without waiting for it to be handed to them !!!! You go after your dream, Driver !!!

And of course ya gotta hang around here for awhile, cuz your gonna have questions, and amongst all of us drivers, we're bound to have the answer !~~