What is the Mandatory Retirement Age for Truck Drivers

If you’ve been in the trucking industry for a long time, you may be wondering what is the mandatory retirement age for truck drivers. The good news is that there is no mandatory retirement age for truck drivers! However, there may be other reasons you have to retire from the trucking industry. Keep reading to learn more about the mandatory retirement age for truck drivers. 

Things To Know About the Mandatory Retirement Age for Truck Drivers

Though there is no official retirement age for truck drivers, you may have to stop driving for various reasons.  People getting older is one of the largest reasons for the truck driver shortage. The average truck driver is around 45 years old and the average retirement age is 62. That is not to say that you can’t continue to truck drive after that; however, there are other factors that go into truck driving that you should consider. 

Truck Driving is Hard on Your Body

Many outside of the industry don’t realize how strenuous truck driving is on your body. You have to drive long distances for hours, you may encounter traffic which is even more exhausting and you must be on high alert for other cars while also carrying tons of materials. On top of that, you’re doing this every day for roughly 20 years. The DOT has medical regulations that you must adhere to and some of those get harder to meet as your get older. Your vision, blood pressure, lungs, and more all need to be up to par in order to continue truck driving. Here are a few of the DOT regulations that you must adhere to as a truck driver. 

• Have 20/40 vision in each eye
• Blood pressure must be 140/90 with or without medication
• You must be able to hear a forced whisper from up to 5 feet away
• You must take a reflex movement exam
• Lung function assessment 
• Neurological exam
• Urine test

The urine test will not be used as a drug test unless requested by your employer. Though your truck driving school will drug test you before you enroll. Once you are done with this DOT exam you will be certified for 2 years. After the 2 years expire you will have to get all of these tests completed again. 

Regulations Cause Drivers to Retire

As the years go on, the government is getting more strict about not just truck drivers but also trucks. There are several new regulations that the DOT is expected to put in place either in 2022 or beyond. 

• Emission regulations: Many people suspect that the DOT will soon adopt California’s No Emissions mandate which states that trucks have to have 0 emissions by 2045. 
• Operating Speed Act: This act would introduce a speed limiter device so that trucks are only allowed to go a maximum of 65 mph.  
• Driver safety fitness: This law is in the works and would require drivers to undergo routine checks to make sure they are fit to drive a truck. 

While these changes haven’t been implemented yet, this may change the game for some long-time truck drivers. Some older truck drivers may have to make extensive and costly changes to their trucks in order to keep up with the DOT’s new regulations for emissions. Additionally, if fitness regulations became a regular occurrence some truck drivers would have to start taking better care of themself or be forced to retire. 

Carriers May Have to Change their Hiring Policies

As the industry changes, carriers are also being forced to change their hiring policies. In 2016, drivers 65 and up made up 10% of the industry; additionally, from 2013-2016 there was a 19% increase in trucking accidents from this age group. This is not to say that older people should not be driving but it is something to consider when looking at the statistics. 

With the average age of truck drivers being in their late 40s to mid-50s, carriers are going to also have to consider giving more incentives to drivers to keep them driving past the age of retirement. 

Other Jobs In the Trucking Industry 

Though there is no mandatory retirement age for truck drivers, if you are ready to retire but not leave the industry, there are several other options for you. The trucking industry is not just made up of truck drivers it’s also made up of dispatchers, recruiters, and more. 

Dispatchers are a point of contact between a truck driver and the carrier. Dispatchers let the driver know about traffic, weather, and more. 

Recruiters are exactly how they sound, they recruit new drivers and forge relationships with them. Mechanics are also a large part of the trucking industry. You can’t be a driver without a working truck and mechanics are always needed in the industry.

It’s Never Too Late to Join the Industry 

Now that you know that there is no mandatory retirement age for truck drivers, consider getting your CDL. If you considering joining the trucking industry, do it! No matter how old you are you can join the trucking industry. To get your CDL you must be at least 18 years old and if you sign up with TDI you can have it in just 3 weeks!

After being in business for 50 years, Truck Driver institute knows how to get people on the road. We’ve had thousands of graduates come in our doors and leave a truck driver. If you want a new career or you’re looking to make money fast, try truck driving. Starting salaries can be as much as $71,000. 

Contact us today to learn more about being a truck driver and how you can enroll at Truck Driver Institute. Start your future today!