Boomers Discovering the Joys of Long-Haul Truck Driving

It surprised us when "Midlife career change: Long-haul truck driver?" became one of LifeTwo's most constantly read posts. The traffic came mostly from people searching on some combination of "career change "and "trucking". In that article we noted that the number of service and truck drivers 55 or older had surged 19%, to about 616,000, since 2000.

This week Newsweek has a newer story on boomers becoming long-haul truck drivers with newer statistics and the numbers are surging. At the nation's largest trucking carrier the number of drivers 50 and over has increased by 46 percent since 2005—they now make up one third of their driving staff of 15,000.

There is a number of reasons for so many boomers becoming truck drivers including an increased demand and supply of 50+ drivers. On the demand side, trucking companies are facing a shortage of drivers as they face competition from other industries, particularly construction, for workers. Trucking companies have also found boomer drivers to be safer, more dependable and more aware of their driving limitations.

On the supply side, baby boomers who have become empty nesters, or second-career seniors who have experienced burnout or layoffs, are turning to trucking because it is an interesting career that allows them to see the country and do something different. Even little things like being able to wear what they want and listen to what they want are nice changes for people who've spent too long in a stifling office environment.

Those interested in becoming truck drivers should visit the following resources. First is our own Midlife Career Change FAQ and the second, specific to truck driving, is GetTrucking.com.