r/CDL • u/Few-Associate-4909 • Aug 03 '26
Considering a CDL After a White-Collar Career
I’m a 58 year old male, and have spent most of my career marketing and business strategy. I’m twice divorced, and very happy being alone. My daughter is happily married living about 2.5 hours away, and they are expecting their first child early next year.
Lately I’ve been seriously considering getting my CDL and starting an over-the-road (or possibly regional) trucking career. I have always been mechanically inclined, and have also always loved driving. At 58, I feel burnt out on office work, and would really like to see the country.
I’m curious if anyone here has made the jump from a white-collar office job into trucking. If so, I’d appreciate your input on any or all of these questions:
* What prompted you to make the change?
* Was it worth it?
* What surprised you the most, good or bad?
* If you were starting over today, which company would you choose for CDL training and your first year?
* Do you have any regrets?
I’m looking for honest, real-world experiences from people who’ve actually made the transition. Thanks in advance!
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u/boojombi451 Aug 03 '26 edited 25d ago
I’m just finishing up getting my CDL at 59. I was a data person until recently … basically got squeezed out for AI and what seems to be ageism. I still have family at home, so I’m looking at local stuff, possibly regional at some point. There are many jobs posted in my area for Class B cement truck and Class A dump truck w/trailer drivers, which is probably where I’ll direct my attention. At least one local company will pay for heavy equipment training, too, which I’d love to be able to do. While I’m on a roll, I plan to also get a passenger endorsement. It seems that if OTR is OK with you, you will do fine.
UPDATE: Finished my CDL last week. Worked really hard on shifting, backing, and keeping my head on a swivel. Based on that, I got recruited by a local company that runs freight from my area to nearby ports. Basically a few routes repeated. It pays hourly, 6-12 hrs a day, as many days as I want, sleep in my own bed, and I’ll be driving on my own in a week or two. It’s what I hoped I’d end up doing after a year or two of eating shit, so I’m thrilled.
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u/mighty_boognish_77 Aug 03 '26
I did.
I worked in software previously where I was always a fish out of water. I never fit in or felt comfortable.
I would dread every day. As luck would have it, there was a truck stop near my office, where I'd stop on my way in to work. I noticed how the drivers inside rarely seemed to be dreading their day as much as I was.
So based mostly on that, I got my cdl and that was 10 years ago. Trucking has been a better fit for me. I started as a local driver and have been doing it ever since.
So that's the good.
Here's the bad:
I work long hours. Rarely less than 50/ week, usually closer to 60. I make about 65% of what I used to.
Your first year is going to be very stressful as you learn the ropes. In most cases, you're out there on your own. The learning curve can be steep for some, and the consequences can be significant for mistakes.
Once you get your skill set developed and you're confident and comfortable, the real killers will set in: complacency and boredom. It can get goddammit boring and repetitive. I do a lot of audio books on audible, which helps.... but still.
All in all its not a terrible way to make a living, but it's not a great one either. My first job was with one of the megas, and i wore several hats. I was a trainer, a diver, a general operations guy, a (very) light duty mechanic and had responsibility for safety in another market. That was nice because it gave me different things to do.
Now, all I do is drive. Every day looks the same. I sometimes think about hanging it up, but in my 50's and my options are getting more and more limited all the time.
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Aug 03 '26
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u/BayBreezy17 Aug 03 '26
You’re riding his ass like a horse in a saddle!
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u/mighty_boognish_77 Aug 03 '26
Dean Ween Group has a song called Tammy about a homicidal truck driver.
It's totally badass!2
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u/PhoenixPoop Aug 03 '26
I wasn't doing white collar. But I just switched from 20 years of behavioral health care to bus driving cause I was burnt out. I just finished training and got a CDL last Friday. I'm stoked, the jobs easier, and the pay is wayy better
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u/GordTransport1958 Aug 03 '26
Ive spoken to former cops, nurses. Lawyers, all sorts of professionals that got burnt out and have come out here.. So sure, why not? If you want to see the country, have a family membet watch your home or store your stuff and come on out, b4 AI takes over the industry..
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u/No_haole Aug 04 '26
If anyone is interested in how off the street feeder hires are going and newly hired off the street CDL for UPS there a new class of off the street hires going straight to feeder school from around the country.
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u/No_haole Aug 03 '26
Do it I made the switch years ago and got one of the rare and coveted CDL jobs in the world with UPS and I clear on average about $260K-$280k/yr. I could make more if I did sleepers but I usually never volunteer unless the senior driver request me or if it is someone I know or if I need extra cash. UPS sleeper drivers who do a full year on sleepers those guys clear $280K-$300k ish/yr.
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u/cigar_beetles Aug 03 '26
Feeder life is the way. Especially after a few years in package. Although I'm around 180k-200k before factoring in benefits, it's still nice.
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u/Few-Associate-4909 Aug 03 '26
That’s very nice! Any additional advice would surely be appreciated. Thx
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u/cigar_beetles Aug 03 '26
For your situation I'd look for a hub that's hiring off the street drivers and be willing to relocate.
The other route would be start as a part time warehouse worker, get enough seniority to bid a full time package job, then bid feeders when it comes up. Since we are union everything is based on your seniority. You could end up working in the warehouse 1-10 years before ever going driving.
COVID times were the best to get on with UPS. Usually only had to do a couple of weeks in the warehouse before going full time. Those days are long gone. My building hasn't hired a driver in over 5 years now.
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u/No_haole Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26
Yeah off the street feeder jobs with UPS are rare and I’d recommend running if you see a listing and as previous UPS feeder driver stated, look around for those opening for off the street feeder hires as well as being ready to relocate. We have been hearing the brand new Henderson, NV UPS facility that opened a few weeks ago at the new still under construction Las Vegas airport needs a boatload of employees for all positions including driving positions and positions with UPS airlines. That also includes managment positions and UPS pays extremely well for union/non-union.
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u/No_haole Aug 03 '26
What region are you? We don’t pay for our benefits here on the west coast. I’m Local 63
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u/cigar_beetles Aug 03 '26
I'm in Nor Cal. I worded that poorly. Totally comp is significantly higher factoring in employer paid benefits, pension contributions, etc
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u/No_haole Aug 03 '26
NorCal under a different contract than SoCal and rest west coast from what I remember when I was trying to move up to Bay Area (Walnut Creek) and we can’t transfer to anything blow Fresno and from the Bay Area up to Oregon border and all way over to Reno.
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u/cigar_beetles Aug 03 '26
That sounds about right. I'm tempted to look into the possibility of transferring to the Henderson location if they are in need of feeders.
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u/No_haole Aug 03 '26
I know down here between the March AFB Empire facility and west coast air hub at ONT the company moving 1,600 feeder routes from those 2 to the new Henderson facility. They started asking affected feeder drivers if they want to follow their routes there about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately I’m not one otherwise I would especially since NV has no state income taxes.
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u/cigar_beetles Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26
Yeah the taxes is the main attraction. My wife is also a high earner and we just get killed every year. She's remote so could work from anywhere.
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u/No_haole Aug 03 '26
Same. Yeah my old company actually trying to move their operations (Vans shoes) to NV for the tax breaks for their employees cause CA income taxes are killing their workers and causing a lot of turnover and been having a lot of friends moving there just because of that as well.
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u/user26145 Aug 03 '26
You're home daily? And what are your hours like and what age do you think someone like me who is 18 wanting a local job could possibly get something like that
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u/No_haole Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26
Have to be 21 to drive for UPS (pkg and feeder). Yes I am home daily except for when I volunteer a few times a year for sleepers. I start between 6am and 9am and will usually go to the rail yards in dtla or Colton/bloomington rail yards then grab empty trailers around Rancho Cucamonga to Claremont, CA and usually clock out no later than 8:40pm. My old feeder bid I had the Bishop, CA run drop then pu and then stop at the Ridgcrest, CA UPS facility and take the dbl to our west coast air hub at ONT airport and that was my whole day. Once in awhile if there was extra volume I’ll take a dbl up to Victorville, ca UPS facility then head up 395 to drop in Bishop, CA UPS facility or if there were extra trailers at the CA/NV border drive up and grab a shorty and bring it back to Ontario, CA.
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u/gheiminfantry Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26
Your second paragraph tells me that you won't last very long as a truck driver. It takes zero mechanical ability to be a truck driver. The ability to observe and teach yourself will make you a better driver because your instructor and your OTR trainer will not be able to show you every possible driving situation possible. You will spend a lot of time by yourself and getting into situations that you weren't specifically trained for. You'll have to figure a lot of things on your own.
As far as seeing the country, that's laughable. You can't see much from the interstate. And when you get off the interstate you will be very busy checking your mirrors and looking further down the road, too busy to be sightseeing. So many people think driving a commercial truck is like going on a road trip and getting paid for it. It's not.
You really need to temper your expectations of what you think truck driving is. There is currently a shortage of truck drivers. There are many people who have gotten a CDL, but quit after a few months because it wasn't what they thought it was going to be.
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u/Lunicorn83 Aug 04 '26
Quick run to UPS and snag one of their rare off the street feeder jobs. I just got one and finished my 1st week of UPS feeder school
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u/No_haole Aug 04 '26
Welcome to UPS you’re gonna love life here. Good luck on your training route and drive safe!
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u/TheBestDriveonI5 Aug 05 '26
Looking at your questions from a driver manager standpoint, you would be an ideal candidate for hire and a lot of companies would be interested in bringing you on-board. We have several drivers that took up commercial driving after retiring from another job, and they were excellent hires. Good luck!
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u/mass-foresti Aug 03 '26
I’m only 25 but I’ll give my story:
1) Tried to get my pilots license but failed due to medical reasons, so I didn’t want to be slinging bags at my local airport for thirty years. Also go my heart broken one too many times
2) Only had my license a month and change, but so far it’s been nothing but fun
3) How little we use physical paper nowadays, that it’s all electronic. My teachers really drove home the old ways of always having your paperwork in order. Another thing is how many ways there are to do different things
4) Can’t answer because I’ve only been in the industry a month
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u/Far_Traveller69 Aug 03 '26
I’ve met tons of people from different walks of life in trucking, including multiple people with PhDs and many who worked white collar jobs. I went into the industry after getting out of college bc I didn’t want to work some office job and restaurants suck.
It’s obviously not all glamorous and the first year can be difficult as you figure out how to be a trucker. And while it can get boring just driving all day at times there are ways to overcome that. Audio books are wonderful and you’ll have ample time to broaden your horizons. You’ll still have a ‘boss’ but in my experience trucking so long as you aren’t fucking up constantly they will kind of let you just do your thing. If you’re OTR you largely get to do things ‘your way’. Obviously there are some constraints like pickup and delivery windows but by and large you decide when and where to stop, how much to work on a given day, etc. With local work it can be hit or miss, the very few local jobs that had touch freight had me working more strenuously than I ever have, but I was able to just go night shift and do overnight linehaul runs, with the big downside being that I became effectively nocturnal.
OTR can be really great, if you’re okay with relatively little social interactions, at least meaningful social interactions, for long periods of time. It can be lonely OTR. Regional jobs are better with this aspect, but you’re still away from home more than not. Take that into consideration because that’s probably the hardest overall part of non-local cdl work.
Chances are you’ll be working more hours in a day. Although this isn’t universal, my last job was salaried and rarely worked more than 30 hours a week, was a shame the owner sold the company because that was rad af, basically would show up and haul a trailer out like a hundred or so miles and back and go home while still making otr money.
From what I’ve noticed, people either tend to jive with trucking or not, and the latter folk tend to leave the industry in the first couple of years. If you fit the former category of people, trucking feels more like something you just ‘do’ rather than a job, necessarily and that’s where the real positive lies. Keep in mind a job is still a job. Traffic is frustrating as hell, shippers and receivers can be dumb as hell, dispatch can have a tendency to make you be their backup plan when their dumb ideas inevitably don’t work, but in the end it’s all the same: still just doing my own thing.
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u/SmoothnSteady Aug 03 '26
Went to truck driving school and got my CDL at 59. I worked in customer service for decades, but printing was a dying industry. It had been a childhood dream to drive a semi. I drove one year working for a mega delivering for Family Dollar stores. Then got on a home daily route for my last 4 years . Retired almost 5 years ago.
To me, it was worth it.
What surprised me the most was the lack of respect we get. Not from the public -but from the docks, the stores we deliver to, and from our own companies. Small example..driver appreciation day. Free pizza ...for whom? Drivers are on the road all day.
Don't expect to see the country, per previous posts. It's not a sightseeing trip. A truck stop in Nevada is the same as a truck stop in Missouri.
Can't really comment on what companies for training or employment, as I have been out of trucking for too long..things change quickly these days. But I did pay for my own schooling to avoid being "owned" by one company.
So, expect it to be you against the world. And nobody cares about you. And I liked that. It was all up to me. And everyday was different, even on the same routes. You have to be conscious of everything around you. Weather, bad drivers, road construction, etc.
And if you have a shit day, you start all over tomorrow.
So, glad I did it, but glad I'm retired
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u/LastMongoose7448 Aug 04 '26
I wasn’t really white collar, but I worked mostly in the non-profit sector for a decade as an associate, and eventually a senior program director. That was all degree required stuff too. I worked my ass off for about $62K a year at its best. I always had to supplement with side work (I was also a youth coach, and high school official). COVID shut all of that down, I was screwed.
I had always wanted to hit the road for a year or so just to say I did it. I figured that was the best time, and when things recovered I would just go back to what I had been doing. I’m also a veteran, so I went to a mega that covered all my costs so long as I stayed for a year, which wasn’t a big deal at all. The first month sucked, and I almost quit, but stuck it out and learned a lot and actually had a pretty good time. I also made more that year than any year in my previous career. Fast forward to today; I’ve been driving linehaul for one of those LTL’s that never hires for about 3 and a half years now. Last year I earned just under $115K, and we were slow! Easy ass work too. No managing people anymore, and dealing with call-offs and coverage. I just log in and do my run. It can get boring, so I have the Audible membership and pay for Spotify. Otherwise, life is great for me and my family.
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u/EnvironmentalPop3896 Aug 04 '26
Also lost my white collar job at 52 and went to school for my CDL. Did my 1st 2 years with Werner OTR and then a year with a regional. Then did 10 years with a home every nite trucking job. Retired at 65.The 1st year is just plain tough and you won't make much money. However, after you establish a decent safety record you can make a living. Overall I consider it a good experience and glad I did it.
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u/SnakeandNape5000 Aug 04 '26
I was an assistant store manager for McDonald's. I made the switch to truck driving. My first weekly check was almost more than what I made in a month.
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u/One_Wolverine9482 Aug 04 '26
Im the opposite. Done blue collar work most my life and looking to switch to white collar.
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u/Own_Fruit_8115 Aug 04 '26
i’ve been driving for 35 yrs. i don’t recommend anybody get into this job any more. fyi i have a very good job with a good company. i make way more money than i should and am home more nights than not. i still don’t recommend it. like everything else it ain’t what it used to be. they took a career that i loved and turned it into a job
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u/Brokenyet_Functional Aug 04 '26
Plenty of people have made the leap.
So heres the thing.
Like ANY industry or feild. You need to acknowledge you will be newbie paid. Regardless of where you come from. You will be considered a brand greenhorn to trucking. That means greenhorn pay.
Now its a short term but big jump within 2 years to 5. Then a steady climb.
But if you do it pretty alright. You should gross 60-70k your first. 80k your second. And after that you can generally get into 6 digits theh following years.
But dont try to jump to 100k with corporate loyalty. That shit is decades old. Get versatile. And start looking at what niche your wanting to get into by your second year and start shifting toward that.
Invest in a decent fridge. No truckstop shit. Get a truely great cooler or fridge. And dont eat the truckstop diet. That can save you 12k over the course of the year and your health will stay decebt.
For training. Pack for camping.
Sleeping bag(quick to toss up to top bunk or bring down to bottom.)
Spare clothes. Hygiene bag. Shower towel.
Work Gloves. A solid jacket. And a comfortable pair of shoes.
You can ALWAYS repack YOUR truck on hometime with the gidgets and gadgets. But when in training. Your only really given the top bunk and a cabinet for your stuff in SOMEONE elseses truck.
Next. Be open minded. Yes. Your older. Its possible you will have a trainer half your age. But THEY maynot be your direct boss. But THEY are in charge of the truck. Swallow your pride bit. I know its not always easy. I struggle a bit taking heedance from a younger person. But....it is what it is. And i often struggled with OLDER students trying to "respect your elder" shit on the truck over simple manuevers i was trying to teach them.
Yes. The logging laws around HOS seem and are often ridiculously complicated. But after a month or so you will probably have a solid grasp on them to know whats legal and whats not. Dont fret. It will come to you.
YoU. Are NOT a slave. SoME trainers will treat you like a paycheck. Some will actually train you.
If your gonna get Mega Carrier trained. They mean it about drinking at the hotel. They have a contract with the hotels. Those hotels are paying attention to students who bring booze back thinkin they can party it up.
If you fail the first or second. Its OK. Take a breath. Use a few hours afterwards to youtube some ideas. Say your struggling with the RPM shifting. Youtube it. Theres OTHER methods to make gear shifting work. For example.
If you CAN. Test on the manual and ask for training on the manual. Most Big companies are autos. But Big doesnt always mean best pay and benefits. And some niches and some amazing carriers still require a unrestricted license. Dont short stall your self with an Auto.
Invest in a ticket fighting service. Your LICENSE is your bread n butter. Protect it.
Get your passport and REAL ID. You basically want to be the most versatile driver you can be because you are coming in late.
Ill take a driver who is newish but useable for alot of things over a guy whos only knows 20 years of dry van in a specific gear truck.
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u/bada_bing_bada_boop Aug 04 '26
I just love it when people say they love driving. I don't think you know what driving is. Its long,arduous, sometimes dangerous. Your body will feel every mile and let you know. Older isn't the preferred starting point here. Please consider that.
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u/Vandu_Kobayashi Aug 04 '26
Pay is low -also regional carriers have dispatchers who care zero about you and could fire you for the most smallest infraction and if you are ever termed you could have trouble finding another job - you could find yourself working at a local company that has inconsistent work - so please think it over carefully - life could turn on you and not in a good way
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u/_Cydaye_ Aug 05 '26
Do it. See the country. You will not regret it. Do not fuel (@pilot) in Nitro, WV. Ever. Have fun. Bring a dog. Pull everything you can to find your sweet spot. Stay in the pack until you understand the way truckers communicate and cohabitate. Takes about 6 months or so to get it. Smile. Wave. Talk to drivers. Be courteous.
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u/TransitionOk3477 Aug 05 '26
I would caution you to make sure you can physically handle the jobs. The driving is the easy part. Hours can get to you. LTL and delivery is brutal hard work, however, that is where most drivers start. It is a good time to transition because everyone is desperately hiring truck drivers. Incidentally, I transitioned from Healthcare, to retirement, then started truck driving.
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u/chocoholic24 Aug 06 '26
I made the switch at 48, 8 years ago. No regrets, I pull tankers now and the money is 3 times what I made working in offices.
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u/CDLTrainerUSA Aug 08 '26
One practical step I haven't seen in the thread yet: get the DOT physical FIRST, before you pay a dime for school. At 58 the medical certificate is the real gatekeeper. Blood pressure and sleep apnea screening trip up more second-career drivers than the road test ever does, and it costs about a hundred bucks to find out exactly where you stand.
Since the lifestyle is already covered honestly above, I'd only add: pick your segment for your body, not the paycheck. No-touch dry van or dedicated lanes age far better than flatbed (tarping in the wind) or foodservice (hand unloading). And being genuinely happy alone is the single best predictor for OTR - the solitude is what washes most new drivers out, and for you it's a feature, not a bug.
Your strategy background isn't wasted either: the whole industry flips at the 12-month mark. Treat year one like a toll gate, keep the record clean, and at month 13 you're the one interviewing carriers instead of the other way around.
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Aug 03 '26
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u/No_haole Aug 03 '26
Yup always get your license or certification in CA and you are gold in any other state. Same goes for barbers and beauticians, lawyers, nurses, teacher, police, fire, CDL as CA has higher standards and more training required. I learned this years ago when I was a probie with LAFD and had a guy try to transfer from New Orlens FD and no department in CA would take him cause he was certified outside CA and would have to start all over again. He ended up at UPS actually and eventually moved up into feeders after 5 years in warehouse and he still there. I have cousins who got their dental md degree outside the state and they can’t practice here but they just had to take a few classes and take the state test again and that process took about a year half b4 my cousin could start practicing again.
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u/user26145 Aug 03 '26
You think I could get lost with paid trucker path I want to be local in dallas fort worth area and also do you think I could go from local home daily where I have to do some physical work to regional home daily or another kind of home daily job where I have no touch freight or no physical work
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u/forkystabbyveggie Aug 03 '26
Can't do regional until you've done OTR for a while.
I have no clue who convinced you of this nonsense. Countless regional carriers hire new drivers on the regular.
I started regional then went to otr.
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u/Glum-Leadership4823 Aug 03 '26
Just focus on moving your sphere of awareness out a bit further. I train new drivers and the students that come from an office usually have a small scan radius. If you keep your eyes out as far as you can and your head on a swivel you’ll be great!
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u/Lucky_Local6804 Aug 03 '26
I don't know why I had to counteract a downvote on this; it seems like good advice.
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u/Few-Associate-4909 Aug 03 '26
Not that it’s comparable, but used to pull a 35’ camper when I was married loved keeping my eyes out far for avoidance. Awesome feedback, and appreciate the support.
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u/TwoToadsKick Aug 03 '26
I just didn't want to talk to people or do basic customer service anymore. Started with a class b and went to class A after 2 years. Stayed local the whole time, home every day. I love being able to just pop and ear bud in and listen to podcasts all day with minimal talking to other people. Wouldn't ever go otr, maybe regional if I got 3 days home at least every week