Commercial trucking is an in-demand job that opens many new opportunities. Despite a popular idea that truck driving is a young people’s job, it perfectly suits men and even family couples over 50. When your kids grow up and don’t need constant care, you can start a second career, seeing new sights and enjoying the freedom of working far from 9-to-5 grind.
Competitive salary and social packages make trucking especially attractive for retired men who often face the situation when their savings are far from enough for a comfortable life. With an opportunity to control your workload and earnings, older employees may see CDL careers as an ideal source of income.
Reasons to Choose Trucking as a Second Career for People Over 50
Older people often feel financial pressure and fear of age discrimination, choosing their second career. They may realize they don’t have time for unsuccessful experiments or mistakes. Yet, offering some special benefits, trucking may be a perfect choice for many people over 50.
Driving Skills
Even if you have never worked as a commercial driver, being 50+, you are more likely to have great driving experience and useful skills. Having such a priority, it’s easy to obtain a CDL license and assure an employer that you can be a talented trucker.
No Age Cutoff
While the world is making progress towards minimizing age discrimination, some jobs still have official or unspoken age limits. In contrast, trucking is a very age-friendly career. There are no age cutoffs for being a truck driver. Moreover, with a great demand for commercial drivers, you can choose those vacancies that suit you best.
Opportunities for Couples
Having a teammate in trucking is an important priority. With the limits for hours of driving, you have to stop often when you drive alone. However, when driving with your spouse or friend, you can deliver cargo twice as fast as you could on your own. Working together with your partner turns trucking into a real adventure, bringing a second wind to your lives.
Seeing New Places
Many people love the idea of seeing the world when they are retired. However, it’s not always possible due to financial challenges. Trucking gives you beautiful opportunities to explore your country and meet new people, earning a competitive salary at the same time. Being a truck driver, you can choose different routes, going through vivid cities, deserted areas, or the most beautiful natural landscapes.
Meeting People
While driving a truck may reduce daily interactions with people, it makes you a part of a welcoming community. Most truckers are glad to introduce and talk, meeting each other at the stops and gas stations, so you can quickly make lots of friends across the country.
Feeling of Freedom
Unlike office jobs, trucking makes you feel very independent. You can choose what to wear, which time to start your routes, or how loud to turn your music on. Many trucking jobs allow you to choose your workload, deciding on the number of working days per month. That can be a beautiful reason to enjoy your second career.
Less Physical Strain
Due to minimal physical strain, trucking can be a perfect job choice for many older drivers. Such a job minimizes the risk of unwanted traumas and exhaustion, while the lack of physical movement can be easily compensated with daily exercises.
Competitive Coverage
Trucking jobs offer some attractive benefits and comprehensive social packages, like insurance, paid sick days, vacation, etc.
Conclusion
Trucking can become an attractive second career for older drivers, as it has no age cutoffs, doesn’t demand high physical activity, and allows to receive high wages from the start. Moreover, such a job can attract drivers over 50 with an opportunity to work together with their partners, a pleasant feeling of freedom, and great traveling opportunities. All together, such benefits make trucking a real dream job for those starting late.
