My Current Situation

Hi all and thanks to Brett for his continuous updates of this site. 2 years I was attending a private CDL school and was keeping right up with the lucky few who remained in my class and we started driving. Things seemed to go pretty well , until we started downshifting.. Long story short and now that I'm less emotional about it , I can say that I probably should've taken their offer for a Class B. I had never been behind the wheel of tractor with a 10-speed. I had plenty of experience using a shifter or yard- jockey, as I guess some people call it, working for UPS, many years ago. Bottom line is, I was sure that if I had had more time with the truck, I would have been able to get it down, which wasn't an option at the time. I am at the point where I really need to try again and this time I want to do it right. I have started sending in applications to company's with their own school, hopefully because after I sign my life away they'll make sure I am able to downshift, sideways shift, or whatever other shifting comes my way. I'm 55 years old and live in New Hampshire and was already declined by Swift saying that they don't have schooling for people in my area. Is my age going to be a negative factor in my inquiries? I guess what I'm wondering is does my logic make sense? Thanks again for all the stories I've been reading and good luck to anyone else who is new out there..

I'm 42 and never drove stick. I went to prime and am what I am proud to call a success story. Prime does hire from NH as do many other companies. Age is no factor... clean records and sobriety are

I got my permit on my 53rd birthday. Signed on with Schneider, driving van truckload OTR and still going strong. Attitude will have WAY more to do with your success than age.

I've never heard of a company turning down a driver for age. Now if you're looking to a driving job where you're slinging sodas or beer for hours on end, that's a different story because of the constant physical demands.

Good luck!

Hey there Roger, I'm also in NH ( Greenville ).. I'm 55 in a cpl mths and I can tell you that our age isn't a hindrance. As Rainy said a clean MVR and Criminal record will be what their looking for. I'm trying to come off of disability and get into a school in Chicoppee Ma. ( United Tractor Trailer ). I have a few hoops to jump through before starting school, but age isn't one of them. Good Luck buddy. Mark

I got my permit on my 53rd birthday. Signed on with Schneider, driving van truckload OTR and still going strong. Attitude will have WAY more to do with your success than age.

I've never heard of a company turning down a driver for age. Now if you're looking to a driving job where you're slinging sodas or beer for hours on end, that's a different story because of the constant physical demands.

Good luck!

I'm 65 and I started with Swift two years ago. I have been accused of driving Stegosaurus T680s back in the day, and being in the Army Logistical corps for the Spanish Civil war. You should have no problems larger than maintaining blood pressure between the limits.

Oh, and try to avoid Daniel B. He'll want to hear your stories of supplying the Roman Legion.

Welcome aboard Roger!

Don't even think that your age is a detrimental factor. Your work ethic and good attitude will weigh heavily in your success.

I started driving a truck for a second career at the age of 53. The same day that I was hired, the company hired another driver with me who was 73! Most of these carriers actually like the more mature drivers due to their increased sense of responsibility and caution.

I always recommend that you get a class A license, even if you end up doing a class B job. It is not that much more work to get the class A, and the class B really limits your opportunities and your income potential.

Thanks for all the feedback, feeling more confident every second. I'm glad you're still posting, Old School, as I received a lot of great knowledge from you the last time I tried this! I did have my CDL permit 2 years ago, so hopefully it won't be hard to restudy everything.

Hey Mark, Good luck in Chicopee, I used to work for the UPS in West Springfield, right down the street from there. The hoops are worth while, for a great reason!

Hey there Roger, I'm also in NH ( Greenville ).. I'm 55 in a cpl mths and I can tell you that our age isn't a hindrance. As Rainy said a clean MVR and Criminal record will be what their looking for. I'm trying to come off of disability and get into a school in Chicoppee Ma. ( United Tractor Trailer ). I have a few hoops to jump through before starting school, but age isn't one of them. Good Luck buddy. Mark

I got my permit on my 53rd birthday. Signed on with Schneider, driving van truckload OTR and still going strong. Attitude will have WAY more to do with your success than age.

I've never heard of a company turning down a driver for age. Now if you're looking to a driving job where you're slinging sodas or beer for hours on end, that's a different story because of the constant physical demands.

Good luck!

Just wanted to update you guys and gals on "the current situation". I'm starting school with Prime in a couple of weeks!! Thanks to all of you for mentally keeping me in the game!