Article from: Roadmasters Driver School

If you’re a mother and are interested in a well-paying job as a professional truck driver, you’re in luck. The trucking industry is in need of drivers, so there are plenty of jobs for qualified, CDL-trained individuals.

Of course, you’re probably wondering, “But can a mom become a professional truck driver?“

The short answer is Yes. As with anything in life, there may be a few obstacles to overcome in order to achieve your goals but if you have determination and a good work ethic, it’s possible.

Let’s look at the two main scenarios for women who have children and are looking to become truck drivers.

Moms Looking To Start A New Phase Of Life

For many moms in Trucking, the kids have grown up, moved out and are on their own. If you are in this group, Trucking is a great way to start that next phase of your life.

As a truck driver, you’ll experience an amazing sense of freedom because you get to travel and see the country. You can go it alone and have time to reflect and think in peace (and can even take a pet with you in many cases), or you can try Team Driving, which is where you drive with a partner (say, your spouse or a good friend) in shifts.

For mothers who already have raised their kids, though, the main concern you might have is whether or not there are any age limits for becoming a professional truck driver.

Fortunately, there is no maximum-age restriction for becoming a truck driver. In fact, the median age for all professional truck drivers (men and women), according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report, is 46 years old. And that’s just the median. Almost a million drivers (825,000) in that report are 55 or older, with 203,000 of the drivers in that group falling into the 65-or-older category.

The only age-related requirement is being in good health and able to pass the Department of Transportation (DOT) physical and drug test.

So if you’re able to meet the necessary physical requirements, then it’s not too late to enter the trucking industry and create a whole new life for yourself!

Moms With Kids Still At Home
The other group of moms in Trucking consists of women whose children are still young. Obviously, the younger they are, the bigger the challenges become. While Trucking offers its drivers a great way to go from unemployed or under-employed to a better lifestyle quickly — which is a big incentive for mothers who are trying to provide for their kids — there still are logistical problems that you will need to address. And, in order to overcome those challenges, you’re probably going to need help.

If your children are young and, for example, you are a single mother or simply don’t have the support system available to make truck driving work, then you may want to hold off on Professional Trucking. Most drivers start off driving what’s known as Over The Road (OTR), or long haul, so you’d need to be able to head out for several weeks at a time. Once you have that experience under your belt, you’d likely be able to switch to a Trucking job that keeps you closer to home so you can make it back each night. But the time while you’re earning that experience would be difficult to say the least.

If, however, you have a spouse or close family who can take care of your kid(s) while you’re out on the road, then driving a truck is do-able. For instance, if you have a husband or significant other who is able to stay home, then together, the two of you can make the time away work. Plus, knowing that once you get experience you can switch to a schedule with more home time would likely make the temporary sacrifice easier.

The Transition Into Training
Another situation that can be just as tricky (if not more so) is training for your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) test. Trying to work training into your schedule can be difficult because it is the first step to making your transition into Trucking and being away from home each day. The whole thing will be completely new to you, so it’s important to find a CDL training school that offers flexible scheduling in order to help make it all work — training while still handling any family responsibilities you might have — and get you used to the new lifestyle.

Roadmaster Drivers School, for example, offers weekday, weeknight and weekend training schedules to help you train around work or family obligations.

Fortunately, if you’re a mom who’s ready to start a new chapter in her life, or who is ready to do what needs done in order to help her family, then finding out more about Roadmaster’s flexible CDL training schedules is easy. Just start a conversation with one of our friendly Admissions Representatives.