Hi!

I'm a 48 year old woman very seriously considering a truck driving career. The first time I felt drawn to it was in my twenties, but I worried about safety, and well meaning relatives said I was "too smart" to be a truck driver. What the hell. The more I read about this job, the more I hope I'm smart enough.

Anyway, I didn't do it, but every once in a while I'd think, if I were a man, I'd be a trucker. I like to drive and think about things and work by myself. It just suits me, but there was always a reason I couldn't.

Instead, I went to school for a million years, and I got diplomas. Fulfilling, but no one is knocking down my door to hire a 48 year old woman with a fiction writing degree. My income streams are drying up. I'm just about broke. My son is grown. And my milkshake no longer brings the boys to the yard, so I'm not worried about attracting unwanted attention in a male dominated field, so why not?

I was searching online for jobs for middle aged women over-educated in useless things, and I saw an ad, for truck drivers. Just for the heck of it, I applied, and they called me back right away, ready to whisk me off to a motel to start my new career.

Well, it seemed a bit too easy. I put that on the back burner for the moment, but it got me thinking that this might actually be possible. Maybe it's time. And I've spent the last month looking at countless YouTube videos and reading reviews and forums and truck company websites, and I keep waiting for my enthusiasm to wane, but it doesn't.

Now I'm studying for my CDL permit and will call the Knight recruiter back as soon as I've passed (They allow a pet on board, among other things.)

So, since I've been reading your posts so much, I just wanted to introduce myself. Hi!

Hi Lynn, welcome. Im so excited for you! Dont know why the ladies dont check this forum more often, except that the general discussion topics keep everybody so busy. Go intro yourself over there and study, study, study. Good luck

I am in much the same boat as you, Lynn. Kids are grown. I have a Bachelor's degree. I was surprised when I tested at the community college I'm about to enroll at when they told me I only needed a 36 on the reading test to enroll in the truck driving program. I made a 96 and they asked if I was sure I didn't want to go into another program! I mean how do you even understand the regulations if your reading level is that low. Truck drivers do NOT fit the stereotype of "dumb" by any stretch.

I, too am studying for my CDL permit as I will be working and attending school at the same time and I won't have much study time, so I'm preparing. It's a lot of stuff to remember. The training program on this site is amazing and has been very helpful so far. I'm hoping my permit tests will be a piece of cake as a result, but we will see.

Good on you for going for something you've always wanted to try. Now while you may think "your milkshake doesn't bring the boys to the yard anymore", keep in mind that "your milkshake will probably just be bringing a different crowd of boys to a different yard" lol. Still be prepared :D.

HI Lynn! Glad to "meet" you and look forward to future posts while you're on your journey :D

Hi Lynn and Penny. Welcome! As Kemo mentioned, a few of us rarely visit the "LOT" forum and hopefully you can understand why. I simply don't think that singling out female drivers is a good thing. Possibility even demeaning? We "little ladies" are quite capable and don't need "special assistance " or our own forum. Hang out in the general forum. There is sooo much more helpful information there for ALL DRIVERS. :-)

Great! I will not hide over here like it's the kids' table at Thanksgiving but will go sit at the adults table then. :)

Awesome Lynn. . I tend to forget this forum is here.

Hey Lynn... I can relate!! I've tried so many different avenues of a career and either not finishing, and or doors not ever opening!!

Now 47, single, no kids.. (the whole family path just never happened for me for some reason). Always making minimum wage... cant even afford to spoil my great nephews, let alone take a trip!!

Many of my jobs have been connected to dealing with truck drivers... and every time I wanted to get in one of those trucks and go too, especially when they had a doggy with them lol. I see more and more solo women drivers as well as teams of husband and wife. 😀

I did a lot of research. The biggest issue for me was going away to school to get my CDL then work for that trucking company. It all sounded like a great deal, only I couldn't afford to just quit my job and leave with no income for a good 4 weeks or so. Or get my CDL hoping a good company would hire a brand new driver with no experience. So I found a school right in town, where I can continue to work my full time job until graduating. This school is connected to 3 or 4 large companies that will hire someone like me. i just got a 2nd job, part time, to save for school.

I decided now is the time... I'm older and seem more mature, lol,... so I'm going for it!!!

One of my trucker buddies where I work now says that the OTR drivers, in general, are a huge community... like family, where we all look out for each other!!! Plus everything is electronic, gps, etc... like logs and your company knows where you're at. There are lots of safe truck stops. It's all different now, then when my dad was a local driver 20+ years ago (I had to share that part with him so he knew I wouldn't be all alone out there) ☺

Congratulations on taking the steps... you got this Lynn!!! I hear Knight is a great company too!! I'm thinking of them or Werner Enterprises. Both let you have pet 🐕❤

I'm a 48 year old woman very seriously considering a truck driving career. The first time I felt drawn to it was in my twenties, but I worried about safety, and well meaning relatives said I was "too smart" to be a truck driver. What the hell. The more I read about this job, the more I hope I'm smart enough.

Anyway, I didn't do it, but every once in a while I'd think, if I were a man, I'd be a trucker. I like to drive and think about things and work by myself. It just suits me, but there was always a reason I couldn't.

Instead, I went to school for a million years, and I got diplomas. Fulfilling, but no one is knocking down my door to hire a 48 year old woman with a fiction writing degree. My income streams are drying up. I'm just about broke. My son is grown. And my milkshake no longer brings the boys to the yard, so I'm not worried about attracting unwanted attention in a male dominated field, so why not?

I was searching online for jobs for middle aged women over-educated in useless things, and I saw an ad, for truck drivers. Just for the heck of it, I applied, and they called me back right away, ready to whisk me off to a motel to start my new career.

Well, it seemed a bit too easy. I put that on the back burner for the moment, but it got me thinking that this might actually be possible. Maybe it's time. And I've spent the last month looking at countless YouTube videos and reading reviews and forums and truck company websites, and I keep waiting for my enthusiasm to wane, but it doesn't.

Now I'm studying for my CDL permit and will call the Knight recruiter back as soon as I've passed (They allow a pet on board, among other things.)

So, since I've been reading your posts so much, I just wanted to introduce myself. Hi!

Hi Ladies,

I'm 47 same boat as you all. I always wanted to drive a semi. Now I'm free to do so. I start prime on saturday and I'm excited. It felt like it's time to do what I want instead of what I have to. My only worry is backing up. But I'll either sink or swim. See y'all in general discussions. Good luck to you.:-)

Hi. Thanks for your replies. I still hang out here a bit every day while I study for the permit test and read posts, and I'm waiting until my son gets his driver's license to leave. He should have had it by now, but things have come up to get in the way, and I don't want to leave him without a way to get around.

This is a good forum. I spent several weeks researching this job all over the internet, but once I found this place I settled in.