Will Companies Hire Beginner Drivers In Their Early 60's?
Topic 6015 | Page 2
Knock em dead Charlie.
I'm 35 years in IT - self employed hardware/software/support for law offices. I'm ready to eat a bullet I'm so burnt out on it already. Just gotta figure out what to do with all my CRAP. Trucking is not going to provide the income necessary to maintain my current overhead.
But I'm CLOSE to just dumping it all and walking away, to drive. Went to CDL School 6 years ago - kept my license/endorsements, TWIC , DOT med, etc., current. Going to sit down with the director of my CDL school to see who's hiring out of my area, and get the details on whether I'm better off doing a refresher - or just going in cold and starting from scratch (minus the exams and road test) - which, along with having been behind the wheels before, should make make going in as a "beginner" at any of the major companies a lot easier for me, than someone who's never alley docked, shifted or parallel parked a rig.
As long as you can pass a DOT Physical and continue to operate safely - there is no "mandatory retirement age". It seems that trucking companies do favor the more mature driver - they are more easy-going and patient than the younger crew, and less likely to job-hop.
Best of luck, keep us posted.
Rick
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.
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.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
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Hi all! Just wanted to update TT forum on my progress in becoming a truck driver. I have decided to go to RoadMaster for my training. I will be going on weekend school so I can still work my current job. Back in December I passed the 3 test at the DMV to get my Temporary CDL class A license. This past weekend I took my 3 endorsements that RoadMaster suggested that I obtain, doubles & triples, tankers and Hazardous materials. Ready to start my training on Feb 14.
I have really enjoy reading this forum and learning more and more about truck driving! Brett's book was really interesting and some chapters made me think twice about becoming a truck driver. But his last chapter said it all for me and I'm all in giving this new career a go. Wish me luck!
Any feed back on anybody that has gone though school or knows someone that has with RoadMaster would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Charlie
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.