I'm 47 years old, I live on the San Francisco peninsula not far from SF, and have been kicking around the idea of driving a big rig for a while, but recently the idea is becoming more serious, which is how I ended up on this excellent MB.
A few questions if you don't mind.
1) Will I have a problem getting hired as a new driver at my age? I have no accidents, moving violations or any criminal record.
2) As far as training is concerned there are many options, some which require no out of pocket money and some that do. Of the companies that provide training, are there any that seem to stand out amongst the others in the area of treating their drivers well? Of all the web sites I've been to, Schneider is most interesting to me, but does anyone have first-hand experience with them?
3) In regards to training companies not affiliated with a trucking company, does anyone have any experience with the Hayward Truck Driving School? I talked to a guy there and he said their class A program is $1750 and includes the use of a truck for testing. This seems inexpensive in comparison to others and it makes me a little hesitant.
I also spoke with a guy at Area Truck Driving School in Santa Clara. The guy I spoke with seemed much brighter and articulate, and their program runs $3850.
I'm not sure I want to run OTR, but would it be better for my resume to do it for a year in order to get the experience?
OK, I won't write a novel here.
Thanking you in advance!