How hard is it to get into truck driving at a mature age? Would love to drive a fuel tanker.
rovercitroen,
May 11, 4:23pm
They say they are short of drivers but the pay is still not that great for the hours some of them do.
annie17111,
May 11, 4:58pm
My dad's a truck driver and they are always having problems finding truck drivers. So lots of work available.
mouse265,
May 11, 5:16pm
if you have the necessary licenses and endorsements just contact a trucking company and try your luck but driving a tanker needs some experience
franc123,
May 11, 5:37pm
When any particular industry is short of staff there is always reasons why, its generally one or more of the following, poor pay and/or conditions, excessive hours, poor management attitudes and culture generally, unreasonable entry criteria, bad tempered clients, health and safety issues etc. Whether any of these apply to road transport who could say.
framtech,
May 11, 5:59pm
If you have the correct class licence its easy but to go through all the shit they require now cost thousands.
serf407,
May 11, 6:43pm
Look up the Bologna Airport, Italy - petrol tanker accident, 2018. Think most people would prefer to haul a less flammable cargo.
azzab54,
May 11, 11:22pm
Thanks everyone. The reasons mentioned here of the possible shortage of drivers sounds just like mechanics jobs. Bugger.
sandypheet,
May 12, 1:13am
Have all the licenses but lack the experience, but is something I would like a crack at.
msigg,
May 12, 2:13am
Yes piss poor pay for the hours you do. if you like staying away from home then all good.
annie17111,
May 12, 2:18am
same with panel beaters.
nice_lady,
May 12, 2:23am
Hubby deals with a lot of fuel tanker drivers. He's one himself really as he refuels aeroplanes and drives a tanker at an airport. The divers he deals with are delivery drivers. They get paid pretty well.
Their work hours aren't that friendly sometimes tho.
azzab54,
May 12, 6:09am
Do you think being in your 60s with only a class one full licence, it will be impossible to get a truck drivers job ? I mean if able to pass a medical etc .
mack77,
May 12, 6:21am
No, but you may have to get into the industry by starting as a part-time or seasonal driver; although seasonal driving jobs are generally only available in rural regions.
martin11,
May 12, 6:32am
By the time you do your C4 , C5 and D/g licences it will cost you a lot and you will still have no experience so it would be unlikely that any company would let you loose on a fuel tanker and trailer .
nice_lady,
May 12, 6:46am
Yeah I doubt an inexperienced driver would have any chance at all of driving fuel tankers. They're very long articulated trailers and you REALLY need to have lots of experience to handle one of those in traffic and tight situations.
philltauranga,
May 12, 7:33am
No not impossible, there are a number of class 4 jobs you could start on, such as driving construction dump trucks, concrete trucks or local delivery around town, its easy work that would suit you for learning because you wont need any extra certificates, endorsements or a lot of experience, you should be able to find a company willing to train you, such as construction working off road or someone who has class 2 trucks as well, willing to take you on. Driving any type of liquid load gives the truck a unique handling characteristic, they surge as the liquid moves around, the tanks are baffled but at half full they can be dangerous if you go into a corner to fast and shift the center of gravity to far. If you found a class 4 job driving a water truck doing dust suppression on construction sites to start learning on then you would get a good feel for liquid loads, fuel is something you will need to work your way up to, it would take a few years. Fuel transport is a heavily regulated industry run by reputable company's so its highly unlikely you will be "mistreated" so to speak.
nice_lady,
May 12, 8:01am
Quite right but the OP is already at least 60 and that's pushing it to get the time and experience to drive fuel tankers. Hubby reckons he doesn't want to drive tankers on the public roads if he can avoid it. He's 99% off road *Airside* and even that has it's tricks and traps and there's Endless training and Safety bulletins and Training and Safety bulletins and. rules and regulations, (DG licence and 'inhouse' requirements). Driving some 'ordinary' delivery truck would be much easier.
philltauranga,
May 12, 8:07am
Yes quite right, close to retirement age, but he may find he likes local dump truck work and decides to stick with the types of work that plenty of older guy do well past that age.
philltauranga,
May 12, 8:12am
I see your edit, yes fuel may be the preferred choice but not the only option.
nice_lady,
May 12, 8:16am
Quite. Indeed it may not be a practical option is what I'm saying. Theres a LOT to it. Possibly more than is practical unless the OP was 10 years younger, (from an employers point of view).
azzab54,
May 12, 8:54am
Thanks for your input everyone. Ive always wanted to be a truck driver and obtained a class two a few years ago during training to be a bus driver in Wellington. I got pushed into being a mechanic when i was 16 and have stayed with that all my life. Maybe i could go back to bus driving ? Its sort of similar,your thoughts please. Oh i didnt renew my class2 in time,i needed a new medical and left it too long. Sometimes you make the wrong choices in life.
franc123,
May 12, 9:29am
You can see now why so few can be bothered aye.
azzab54,
May 12, 9:33am
I do understand but a lot of truckers ive talked to love their job.
msigg,
May 12, 9:34am
Well your pay as a mechanic is somewhere between. $35 -. $50 an hour, or should be, your truck driver is between$22 - $35, so a big difference. Yes as u get older you want to get off the tools, a bit of long distance driving for a while might suite you, metro driving is just a pain , but hey each to their own.
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