Start driving after retiring from an office job?

Youll probably end up doing OTR for a year to start. Local is for experienced drivers.

 

Find the job you want BEFORE you decide about CDL school. Some employers will give you a "free" CDL school in exchange for 12 months of work for them. Some employers only hire newbies from certain CDL schools. About 40-50% of newbie hiring employers pay Tuition Reimbursement in addition to wages.

The industry is slow right now. There is no driver shortage. Long drives in a car are not like driving 125k miles per year in a huge truck. Make any company you want to work for put you in contact with current working drivers doing the work for which you will be hired. Ask those drivers real questions like how much did you earn last week & last month? Not, do you make good money?

CDL jobs are sometimes described as working 100 hours a week, claiming it's only 70 hours, and getting paid for 50 hours. The jobs vary tremendously based on the town you will work from. You need to pass a medical exam from a DOT doctor or nurse. If you are overweight or admit to snoring they will likely claim you need an expensive sleep study. If your BP is above 140/90 you will need BP medicine & that limits you to getting a 1 year medical card, rather than a 2 year card.

Lots of people do what you are asking about. Now is just a slow time to be doing it and the Northeast US is one of the least truck friendly areas to do it. No truck parking & harsh enforcement against truck drivers.

 

Definitely an insane idea, especially where you live. However, I understand scratching the itch. I just think there are more meaningful, more rewarding, and far less risky things to do in your retired years, especially at your level of knowledge and intelligence. I simply can’t see you jumping through all the hoops to get behind the wheel of a semi, have someone decide to commit suicide by hitting you head-on, their family hiring “The Hammer”, and you going to prison, because idiots sitting on a jury were brainwashed into the idea it was all your fault.

My viewpoint comes from me being a driver of more than 30yrs and seeing all the changes. Things aren’t like they used to be. The risk versus reward is NOT in a CMV driver’s favor, EVER.

 

Try some companies that have their own cdl school.
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Careers - Bellavance Trucking
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CDL Training & Truck Driving Schools - Roehl.Jobs
Roehl Transport provides you with a sure path to success. Our paid CDL training is the fastest way to advance your career and go from zero experience to middle-class living. …
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This one pays cdl school students $616.00 weekly, while attending school, plus meals & lodging.

 

Many drivers on this forum acquired a CDL through the WIOA Program at no cost; it's free.
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Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) | Mass.gov

 

This company does Amazon out of Boston.
Address and phone number are on the website:
Allstar Transit, Inc. USDOT 2169651 - QuickTSI

 

Ask yourself, how do you like driving around Boston in a car? Not that great ×10.

 

Some drivers accept that as a challenge.