Am I Too Old to Become a Truck Driver?
There’s no age limit for truck driving jobs. In the list of pros and cons of truck driving, this is a pro, especially because the trucking industry currently has a driver shortage and trucking companies need more people to choose this profession.
Better indicators are your physical and cognitive abilities to safely drive a truck. If you have good eyesight, can pass a background check, and are free from certain medical conditions, you may be eligible to earn a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and become a CDL driver.
What is the average age of a truck driver?
It depends on who you ask and where they got their data, but many say the average age for a truck driver is 48 years old. As long as you meet the minimum age requirement for the kind of driving you’d like to do, you’re all set.
The age requirements for becoming a truck driver are 18 years of age for drivers who won’t drive across state lines (i.e. intrastate drivers) and 21 years of age for those who will cross state lines (i.e. interstate drivers or over the road truckers). If you dream of cruising down the open road to places you’ve never seen before, look into over the road truck driving jobs.
What education is required to be a truck driver?
Paying for school is a common concern when considering any career. If you’d like to be a professional truck driver, there’s some very good news for you. The federal government requires that all truck drivers earn a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) from a training school that’s registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). That’s it.
CDL training will include a variety of topics and exercises about how to drive a tractor trailer, school bus, or whatever commercial vehicle you’re interested in. Then you’ll need to pass the CDL test, which will include the road test, skills test, and vehicle inspection test.
What are the physical requirements of a truck driver?
Truck drivers need to meet the following physical requirements in order to drive safely and legally.
- Vision and hearing abilities
- Blood pressure
- Ability to lift certain amounts
- Cardiovascular health
- Drug-free
- Ability to kneel
- Ability to drive and sit for extended periods
What are the hours of a truck driver?
The hours a truck driver will need to work varies depending on the vehicle and jobs they take. A local delivery driver will have different hours than someone who drives a big rig of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) from Maine to Georgia. Also, the delivery truck driver may need a Class C CDL while the HAZMAT driver will need a Class A CDL and HAZMAT endorsement.
Whether you decide to be an owner operator driving your own semi across the country or a full-time employee of a regional trucking company, you’ll need to go to the DMV or DOT and earn your CDL.
Are you ready to become a professional truck driver?
For over 60 years The CDL School has been helping people like you get CDL certified and launch rewarding careers in logistics.
