Old Guys Starting A Trucking Career
Topic 2427 | Page 1
Hi, I am 48 years old and I started a new career. You can either do OTR or local. Their are great places within the construction business that are looking for class A side dump or rear truck drivers. Pay where I am at is about 18-20 per hr starting. Basically with overtime, you are looking at a 45,000 to 50,000 yr job. What I love about my job is we go off the "pit" open to close hours. I go in at 5am and I am done at 4 to 5pm. I get 50-60 hrs per week but also can be a family man to, to my wife and dauaghter. Just make sure you save your money during the busy time (spring, summer, fall) because in the winter, you will have alot of time off due to weather. But if you want to do anything within the trucking industry, GO FOR IT!!!!!!! I love my job. Best of luck and success to you. Craig's list is a great place to look for CDL jobs.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
....for you age challenged fellows and gals, what do you think about a career change into trucking at the ripe age of 60? who's done it successfully? any advice would be greatly appreciated.....
Age isn't a problem in this industry. I got hired at age 21 and if they will hire a kid to drive a semi then they will definitely hire a 60 year old adult. Your age is not a problem at all. As long as you can pass the DOT physical then you'll be good to go. We have plenty of drivers on TruckingTruth that triple my age.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Welcome to the forum Zach!
At the risk of sounding like an old guy that everyone ignores most of the time, I'm gonna repeat one of my stories. I retired from running a small business for 30 years and then went into trucking at the age of 53. Trucking companies are not afraid of older workers, in fact they are actively seeking them. During the week that I finished my training and got my own truck handed to me I met a 73 year old man who was getting hired that week also!
Go for it!
....for you age challenged fellows and gals, what do you think about a career change into trucking at the ripe age of 60? who's done it successfully? any advice would be greatly appreciated.....
i am 56 and i am doing ok so far, yeah it's been hard ok, the pre trip inspection , took forever to memorize, the permit part was like learn some thing new when you lost half your mind and the other half wasn't nothing special to begin with! :D
hmmm if you have a day i can talk to you about double clutching ! ;)
these teachers are crazy! but some are very good! some are like still waters and very deep! some are like a light house, directing me to the port calling making money driving a truck! in the midst of my storm they see a truck driver developing!
i always thought an alley would be a place where i would have some fun! i have done many fun and weird things in allies! but not this ok!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-oKtt9Nlkc&list=PLeK7ZBhf7U7Nv-lbEkBVOwsYlI88SxC--
i have parallel park cars in very tight spaces in new york city! but not like this ok
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPfSIOjtqvI&list=PLeK7ZBhf7U7Nv-lbEkBVOwsYlI88SxC--
but we are special kind of people, 60 is the new 40 they say! we are up for the challenge, right?!
:D
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Double Clutching:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
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....for you age challenged fellows and gals, what do you think about a career change into trucking at the ripe age of 60? who's done it successfully? any advice would be greatly appreciated.....