Considering A Career In Trucking

Hi, I'm Dan. I am a 20 year old man who has stayed home after graduating high school in 2019. I have don't really have an idea what I want to do with my life. I was thinking about trying a career in truck driving. I did some research and it seems like a tough job, but the sense of adventure sounds interesting. I never held a job before and I'm taking my driver's license test on October 8. Does my inexperience as a driver affect my ability to obtain a CDL? What advice do you guys have for a green SOB like myself?

Go to the nearest US military recruiting office before the close of business today. Trucking is for adults. You're not there yet.

I never held a job before and I'm taking my driver's license test on October 8.

Driver's License for cars? Yes, it will hinder you.

You need to get a job and establish that you can hold onto it because, due to Homeland Security, you will have to show 3 years of work or schooling. What have you been doing since you got out of school?

Laura

You need to get a job and establish that you can hold onto it because, due to Homeland Security, you will have to show 3 years of work or schooling. What have you been doing since you got out of school?

Laura

Do you have more information on this? I googled and didn't find anything. A few years ago I was going to become a truck driver. I went to school for it. While in school, I applied for jobs with only 1 year of work experience in the past 3 years. People were willing to hire me when I put out job applications. The only company that turned me down was Prime. I even passed the hazmat background check. I didn't end up becoming a truck driver because I didn't pass my skills test at the DMV , and other things in life happened. (I got kicked by a horse and needed knee surgery, for example.)

Now I haven't worked at all in the past 3 years. I do do some work on a small ranch I live on, but not for money. I just don't have to pay rent. I did start going to college, which I'm doing now, but I decided I'd rather be a truck driver. I'll pass my classes instead of dropping out, but I don't intend to finish. I sold my house so I have the money that I don't have to work for quite a while if I don't want to.

Dan P,

A girl that lived down the street from me became a truck driver for her first job after doing nothing with her life for years after school. She's held onto a job as a truck driver for years now. I say give it a try if you want to. Youthful vitality, and greater neural plasticity, are positives you have the older drivers around here don't have going for them.

Dan P,

A girl that lived down the street from me became a truck driver for her first job after doing nothing with her life for years after school. She's held onto a job as a truck driver for years now. I say give it a try if you want to. Youthful vitality, and greater neural plasticity, are positives you have the older drivers around here don't have going for them.

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s capacity to continue growing and evolving throughout life in response to life experiences. Plasticity is the capacity to be shaped, molded, or altered; neuroplasticity, then, is the ability for the brain to adapt or change over time, by creating new neurons and building new networks.

So, you are saying that we can't adapt to changes? The different medical info I read would beg to differ with you.

In Aug 2014, after going to school and getting my CDL , I looked for companies that would hire me. I had been off the road for 23 years while caring for my TBI husband. All companies I applied to wanted 3 yrs of verifiable work experience or schooling. Since Workman's Comp was paying for domicilary care and that was me, I showed the letter awarding him that benefit. I believe that if you have verifiable time of not working, that might work also. Regardless of what you "found" online, you need 3 yrs of verifiable time.

Laura

You will probably need to hold your regular car license for at least 1 year before a company will hire you. Until then hold a job for a year and then start applying and see what they say.

....I'm taking my driver's license test on October 8. Does my inexperience as a driver affect my ability to obtain a CDL?

You can get your CDL but most companies will want one year of driving history in a car BEFORE they will consider you for a CDL driving job. I'd recommend finishing your year with a car first. If you get your CDL now you may have to wait a year to actually use it.

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s capacity to continue growing and evolving throughout life in response to life experiences. Plasticity is the capacity to be shaped, molded, or altered; neuroplasticity, then, is the ability for the brain to adapt or change over time, by creating new neurons and building new networks.

So, you are saying that we can't adapt to changes? The different medical info I read would beg to differ with you.

Hi Laura,

Notice that I said greater neuroplasticity. It's not that old people don't have any, but it diminishes over time. It becomes harder for us to learn new languages, learn to juggle, or learn to shift gears, etc, as we age. It's well documented and researched. It's actually depressing, but take a look at how many neurons we lose as we age. After around the age of 25, it's a sad state of affairs.

In Aug 2014, after going to school and getting my CDL , I looked for companies that would hire me. I had been off the road for 23 years while caring for my TBI husband. All companies I applied to wanted 3 yrs of verifiable work experience or schooling. Since Workman's Comp was paying for domicilary care and that was me, I showed the letter awarding him that benefit. I believe that if you have verifiable time of not working, that might work also. Regardless of what you "found" online, you need 3 yrs of verifiable time.

Laura

It's not what I found on the internet. I didn't find anything on the internet about it. It was just that own experience that almost one cared that I only worked for a year in the past 3 years. I think a lot of harm can be done by shaming people for not working when they're trying to work. It happened to me when I was younger, and it just meant I kept not working other than doing odd jobs in my area. I was a beast of a worker when I was younger, and it was wasted. I was known for being able to do the work of multiple men, but it never got used beyond cutting firewood, doing random repairs, cutting christmas trees, etc. No business would hire me because my prowess was made from doing odd jobs under the table, and I could never establish anything else. I say look at the positives. Dan P wants to work now, and he should be given the chance.

Yeah, I thought it would be hard for someone with little driving experience to get trucking job. My dad said if I get a CDL , he can get me a job driving tri axles. That would probably be good experience before applying for a cross country trucking job. I don't have my heart set on being a truck driver. I have no idea what to set my heart on. The only thing I know, is that I'm done sitting around and want to work. Truck driving is just an idea I have been throwing around in my head. Thanks for all the input guys.