Midlife career change: Long-haul truck driver?

Stephanie Chen of the Wall Street Journal has an interesting take on a midlife career change which she discusses in her article "The Over-50 Crowd Takes to the Road In Paid Big-Rig Gigs" (may require fee)

Chen writes that faced with a shortage of long-haul truck drivers, "carriers are increasingly turning to the RV generation, aggressively recruiting older couples to climb behind the wheel." Evidently, trucking firms are using AARP to source mature drivers. The American Trucking Association is even planning on a billboard/television campaign targeting older drivers. The thinking goes if an older couple can drive a Winnebago then why not an 18-wheeler?

Since 2000, the number of service and truck drivers 55 or older has surged 19%, to about 616,000, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The percentage jump is quadruple that of truck drivers overall. At Schneider, about 3,000 of the carrier's 15,000 drivers and independent contractors are older people.

The hiring binge has dramatically increased the number of husband-and-wife driving teams, and truck makers are trying to make their big rigs feel more like rolling homes away from home. Paccar Inc.'s Kenworth Truck Co. unit introduced a new model in March with leather beds and heated seats. Volvo Trucks North America, part of AB Volvo, has begun production of trucks with a full-size bed in the cab comfortable for couples.

Older drivers don't face any extra requirements because of their age. Most carriers send recruits to commercial driving school. Drivers must pass a physical exam required by the federal government, but there is no mandatory retirement age as there is for commercial pilots, who under Federal Aviation Administration rules must retire at 60. On the road, among all drivers, those 55 to 69 have the lowest fatality rates for adults, according to a 2004 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

Truck companies with baby boomer drivers insist their safety record is at least as good as that of younger drivers. Older drivers are especially cautious, says Steve Vogel, president of Vogel Safety & Risk Inc., a safety consulting firm in Bolingbrook, Ill. Riding shotgun with a spouse also can make drivers less likely to speed, tailgate or go berserk at road-hogging cars.

If you are considering this as a midlife career change in order to bolster your retirement account (or perhaps just as a way to see the country and get paid for it) you'll be happy to know that:

Older husband-and-wife drivers often get health insurance, a 401(k) plan, and two or three days off every two weeks. Annual starting pay is roughly $66,000 to $90,000 per couple, enough to entice many middle-aged spouses approaching a financially precarious retirement.

Truckers report that they can stop wherever they want along their company-assigned routes as long as their loads are delivered on time.

By finding this article it is likely that you are less than satisfied with your current career. Therefore we strongly suggest while you continue your search you review the information available in LifeTwo's Careers section.