My Truck Driving Days are Done

jbtrucker

jbtrucker

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Huntsville AL
I turned 65 last June with 30 years driving an estimated 2,800,000 miles and stressed decided today I've had enough. I was scheduled to renew my yearly D.O.T medical certification next week and cancelled it. I'm required letters of compliance my Ac1 levels and not insulin dependent and 30 consecutive days Cpap hours . I'm tired being under DOT rules and regulations plus my old boss transferred and new guy is jerk . Accepted a job with Peterbilt Dealership parts runner / warehouse with a chance of working into parts/service department. Will be assigned a big red Dodge Ram for deliveries and need to obtain forklift certification . In a few weeks ALDOT send a notice my CDL will be suspended will change back to civilian drivers license. I haven't given up , I exercise everyday and weights 3 days a week , Plan is to work till full retirement at 67.
 
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jbtrucker said:
I turned 65 last June with 30 years driving an estimated 2,800,000 miles and stressed decided today I've had enough. I was scheduled to renew my yearly D.O.T medical certification next week and cancelled it. I'm required letters of compliance my Ac1 levels and not insulin dependent and 30 consecutive days Cpap hours . I'm tired being under DOT rules and regulations plus my old boss transferred and new guy is jerk . Accepted a job with Peterbilt Dealership parts runner / warehouse with a chance of working into parts/service department. Will be assigned a big red Dodge Ram for deliveries and need to obtain forklift certification . In a few weeks ALDOT send a notice my CDL will be suspended will change back to civilian drivers license. I haven't given up , I exercise everyday and weights 3 days a week , Plan is to work till full retirement at 67.
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Enjoy your retirement! I started driving in 1993 after retiring from the Navy and put in a total of 25 years OTR and local. I also had A1C issues and had to do the annual physical. I worked for a good company the last few years with a contract with the USPS, home every day with good pay but I decided at age 66 I had enough, especially since my wife was doing every day proton therapy for a mild cancer so I turned a leave of absence into permanent retirement. It sure isn't like it was "back in the day" on the road. I don't miss a minute of it.
 
jbtrucker said:
Accepted a job with Peterbilt Dealership parts runner / warehouse with a chance of working into parts/service department.
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That will be a good job! I always liked doing the opposite-going to parts stores and picking up parts for the shop. A break in the usual work routine. I just retired June 2nd at 65 and that is good also.:)
Ed
 
A good job with Consolidated Freight, local driver, I had to take a disability retirement at 55. Both legs were shot. I had the Golden 55 from the Teamsters Union so I got a nice pension. Although pretty well crippled up now I have to take life easy now. Big Larry
 
yea, I had a CDL class B tow truck and lived in a small state where I often had to cross state lines and go through the scales....what a pain.. Then when I moved here to texas they wanted a lot of dough to transfer it and unknown regulations.....forget it. I kept my MC endorsement...
 
jbtrucker said:
I turned 65 last June with 30 years driving an estimated 2,800,000 miles and stressed decided today I've had enough. I was scheduled to renew my yearly D.O.T medical certification next week and cancelled it. I'm required letters of compliance my Ac1 levels and not insulin dependent and 30 consecutive days Cpap hours . I'm tired being under DOT rules and regulations plus my old boss transferred and new guy is jerk . Accepted a job with Peterbilt Dealership parts runner / warehouse with a chance of working into parts/service department. Will be assigned a big red Dodge Ram for deliveries and need to obtain forklift certification . In a few weeks ALDOT send a notice my CDL will be suspended will change back to civilian drivers license. I haven't given up , I exercise everyday and weights 3 days a week , Plan is to work till full retirement at 67.
Click to expand...
I kept my Class A for 26 years..Last year, I went to the doc and she said I had a "stigmata", where my eye twitches sometimes. I didn't even realize I had it? I haven't used the license in years and I have no plans to ever use it again, especially in Florida traffic, so I dropped back to regular DL.
 
I drove for the same company for 45 years. When I hit 66 and started collecting SS I went down to 4 days a week. July of 23 my boss retired and sold the company....new owner kept everyone on. I planned working till the end of 24 when I turned 70 but had triple bypass surgery in Nov of 23. I figured that was a good time to retire.
 
Every time I go on a one day road trip, I think I would hate to drive a big truck for a living. Bless you all! I retired in 2020 when COVID kicked in. I worked commercial and industrial HVACR since '88 with the Steamfitters, my last 17 years for the PGH Board of Education, so I got the state teacher's pension and a pension from the Steamfitters. Plus I took my SS at 63. I'm happy and beat to hell and back but no alarm clock!
Also, this new to me Mustang GT Premium Pkg has made me feel 10 years younger. Twenty with the top down!
 
I hope you get to work as long as you want to. I do not regret at all retiring early to take care of Mom through her last couple years. It will have been a year since she left us on the 28th. I have managed to get out of caretaker mode and find myself again. Just got my bloodwork done for a yearly checkup and everything in the green. Keeping my mind going with working on and learning to play guitars. Life is pretty good at the moment. Hoping the same for you.
 
Had to retire from driving after 40+ years.
Did mostly heavy haul and oversize.
Interesting job.
The game sure has changed over the years.
Kinda miss the work but not the traffic , stupid cell phones made driving dangerous.
 
I retired from a utility in 2018 but renewed my CDL in the case I needed to work again. I let it expire last year. I don't miss the view from the high cab.
 
You said AC1, you meant A!C, or should have. I was diagnosed as type 2 diabetic in 1992. Fortunately all I need to keep my A1C well below 7.0 is to watch my diet. :)
 
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