• ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    27
    ·
    19 hours ago

    I was a programmer for 25-some years but I haven’t written a line of code since 2019. I now get my engineering jollies from the used school bus I converted to a motorhome and from the house I bought three years ago and am finishing up renovating. For money I drive a school bus, which pays about 1/6 of what I used to make but is infinitely more satisfying. As far as retirement goes, I’m hoping to die a painless death before AI replaces all the CDL jobs in the country. I think AI will work fine for school buses, mainly because kids are easier to replace the younger they are.

    • davidhun@lemmy.sdf.org
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      2 hours ago

      Ok, I had to reply because this runs parallel to my own retirement plans. What’s the easiest path to a CDL? What’s the cost and length of time instruction to actual licensure? Any caveats or roadblocks (pun not intended, but I’m not editing it out).

      I know I can look this up on different school websites, but I wanted to get a first hand accounting of the process. My currently ill-defined goal is to be a bus driver for the local transit company (rural). Some F550 with a bus body, and some actual buses.

      Do you have a Class B or C? Passenger endorsement, I’m guessing, too. Would it be wise to get a class B just in case I needed to pivot to driving something else, like a commercial dump truck for construction?

      Sorry, lots of questions, I know.