EmploymentDigest.net

Boomers have discovered the joys of truckdriving.

Posted on 18. Aug, 2007 posted by Bill in Employment News

Boomers have discovered the joys of truckdriving.

When Daniel Cruz, 57, lost his job counseling HIV patients last year, he hoped to find a new job in the social services, where he had worked for more than two decades. But after several months of interviews, nothing came up. One afternoon, while hunting for jobs online, he saw an ad for a driving position with Schneider National Trucking, the nation’s largest trucking carrier. He decided to apply, though he’d never been behind the wheel of anything larger than a minivan, and joined a growing number of baby boomers who are breaking free of office life to become truckdrivers on the open road. “I don’t want to be sitting behind a desk anymore,” Cruz says. “I did that for too many years.”

At Schneider, the number of drivers 50 and over has increased by 46 percent since 2005—they now make up one third of its driving staff of 15,000. Others are starting to follow Schneider’s lead. At Watkins and Shepard Trucking of Helena, Mont., the number of drivers over 50 has steadily increased in the past few years. And hits on GetTrucking.com, a recruiting Web site that targets drivers older than 50 and minorities, have gone from 500 to about 4,000 per week over the past few months. “This is something we’re seeing across the board,” says Ray Kuntz, chairman of the American Trucking Association.

These numbers are good news for trucking companies. A 2005 study showed the industry has a shortage of 20,000 drivers—many workers have been lost to better-paid construction jobs—that will likely increase to 111,000 by 2014, out of about 3 million drivers total. By tapping into the baby-boomer market—largely empty nesters, or second-career seniors who have experienced burnout or layoffs—carriers hope they will be able to keep their rigs running.

Truck drivers over 50 are safer, more dependable and more aware of their driving limitations, employers say. Mark Brown, an instructor at the Central Transportation and Safety School in Drumright, Okla., says that older drivers follow instructions more closely and are less likely to drive too fast.

And, despite the grueling hours and physical demands, it can be a win-win situation. Cruz, who spent 20 years working in windowless offices, has driven to nearly every state. He now spends his days singing along to Italian opera, with no one to complain when his notes are off-key. Former IBM engineer Earl Gooch, 54, says the best part of his new job is that he can wear whatever he wants: “It’s easier to kick back in work boots and jeans.” Recruiters are also attracting couples like Jack and Eileen Murtaugh, who drive as a team and see truckdriving as an enjoyable bridge to retirement. “We can semi-retire in a semi truck,” says Jack, 52.

Other industries are now hoping to have the same success. In 2005, AARP launched a National Employer Program, which aims to match mature workers with companies that want them. So far 30 employers have signed up, including Borders Books, Staples and Toys “R” Us, and thousands of workers have been placed.

Cruz says manning a big rig has turned out to be one of the best experiences of his life: “I’m like a little kid in the candy shop.”

Similar Posts:

• Gary Vaynerchuk – Entrepreneur
• How old are you? To what generation do you belong
• Negative Stereotypes Facing Older Workers
• Resume Tips For Older Workers
• Mike Baumgartner founder JobCastRadio.com
• Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster – Consultants, Authors
• Ryan Martiny – Founder iResume
• Cover Letters – The Icing on the Cake
• Cover Letters – The Icing on the Cake
• Crucial Interview Tips

Tags: Employment News