[nigeve]

Hi Guys, this might seem like a strange e-mail but read on anyway please. I live in London England. I’m very English. English accent, English Mannerisms, even my name is very English (Nigel) and I use different words to you such as Truck = Lorry, Sidewalk = Pavement, Garbage = Rubbish… You get the picture…
Well my sister is a US citizen and I’m always sat at my desk developing databases bored out of my brains daydreaming about being a trucker in the US…lol
This is a great forum for telling it as it really is, not the way some of the ads I have seen tell it. Long hours, congested roads, average pay, overheads and downtime are all the bits they miss out of the glossy broachers. However, the clincher for me is ageism. I am 41 years old and work as a computer programmer. I know I’ll be struggling for work when I am 51. As a trucker will I be able to continue working until retirement age? Or is it though to get work in your 50’s and 60’s..?

[matcat]

Hell at the company I was driving for I used to see people that looked like they should be in a nursing home going through the company school. Wasn't unheard of to see 50+ (even saw a guy 72) coming into it.

Mostly because of the economy going belly up over here, a lot of people are leaving retirement because they can't afford it.

[nigeve]

So, would you say there is a shortage of truckers? Or a shortage of good truckers?

[matcat]

At the moment I would say there is a shortage of economy! Even the largest US Carrier Swift, I HEARD is on a 2 month hiring freeze, the schools are all shut down, not hiring anyone, cutting back almost 1000 trucks, and has fired or laid off many drivers in the last few months.

[belpre122]

Originally Posted by matcat

At the moment I would say there is a shortage of economy! Even the largest US Carrier Swift, I HEARD is on a 2 month hiring freeze, the schools are all shut down, not hiring anyone, cutting back almost 1000 trucks, and has fired or laid off many drivers in the last few months.

Well that could be updated to 1001 trucks now matcat. Plus 1 more driver...........................

[matcat]

Originally Posted by belpre122

Well that could be updated to 1001 trucks now matcat. Plus 1 more driver...........................

Lets not mix things from other threads into... other threads

[CrazyTulip]

Hi Nigel! Welcome here on the forum. First of all, I'm originally from The Netherlands so I know what you're talking about in regards to age and work in Europe. Believe me: they are not nearly as bad here as they are in Europe in regards to getting older and not wanting to hire you.
There are so many people here still working way past their retirement age. So if you're in your 50s or 60s and want to drive a truck they'd hire you, granted there are no major health issues which would rule you out by law (E.g. certain type of diabetes, certain heart conditions etc.).

Then you'd also need to take a CDL-course here as your license from Europe won't be eligible here; at least mine wasn't. I had to even re-do my license to drive a car, which I thought was a joke as our regulations and exam is so much harder than it is here.

If I can help you in any way, shoot me a message. Good luck to you!!

[BHG0069]

Originally Posted by nigeve

Hi Guys, this might seem like a strange e-mail but read on anyway please. I live in London England. I’m very English. English accent, English Mannerisms, even my name is very English (Nigel) and I use different words to you such as Truck = Lorry, Sidewalk = Pavement, Garbage = Rubbish… You get the picture…
Well my sister is a US citizen and I’m always sat at my desk developing databases bored out of my brains daydreaming about being a trucker in the US…lol
This is a great forum for telling it as it really is, not the way some of the ads I have seen tell it. Long hours, congested roads, average pay, overheads and downtime are all the bits they miss out of the glossy broachers. However, the clincher for me is ageism. I am 41 years old and work as a computer programmer. I know I’ll be struggling for work when I am 51. As a trucker will I be able to continue working until retirement age? Or is it though to get work in your 50’s and 60’s..?

Come on over here and try it out. You sound like you really want to do it. Keep doing research on this site and find a company that you want to work for.

Best of luck

[Ironturkey]

Nigeve don't let the economy doom sayers scare you off, they're just scared that their hairy ones aren't big enough or hairy enough to handle it if the economy did tank.

As for age I used to know a feller that was 82 and still truckin he would still be out there now, but he fell out the back of a trailer and broke his hip then got pneumonia and passed on a week later. He was truckin at 82 not because he had to, but because he wanted to.

I have known many drivers who have trucked up into their 70's and 80's not because they had to but because they wanted to.

So come on over and bring some them hot English babes with ya, because thats just too damn far to go to have tea with a hot chick.

[Evinrude]

[As a trucker will I be able to continue working until retirement age? Or is it though to get work in your 50’s and 60’s..?[/quote]


If your a trucker you will be forced to work until you die. Trucking wages have not risen with inflation in more than 20 years and most companies only offer pitiful 401 k matching.