Trucking Careers · Nationwide · October 30, 2026

Part-Time Truck Driving Jobs for Retirees: A Guide for Retired Truckers

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Retired truckers who still hold a CDL can find part-time and seasonal work in holiday peak season freight, school bus routes, harvest hauling and moving new vehicles. The federal medical, licensing and drug testing rules still apply, and Social Security earnings limits can matter for retirees under full retirement age.

Many truck drivers step back from full-time hauling without wanting to park the truck for good. This guide covers common part-time and seasonal options, the rules that follow a CDL holder into any job, and questions worth asking before signing on. It is general information, not legal or financial advice.

What still applies in a part-time job

The medical card

Federal qualification rules in 49 CFR 391.11 set a minimum age of 21 for interstate commercial driving and do not list a maximum age. What matters is staying physically qualified. Under 49 CFR 391.45, a driver must be medically examined and certified again if he or she has not been certified in the preceding 24 months, and some medical conditions call for a shorter cycle. The DOT physical and medical card guide covers the exam itself.

Keeping the CDL active

The how to renew a CDL guide explains renewal limits, medical certification status and hazmat renewals. Retirees who let a license lapse and want to come back can start with the getting a CDL after 50 guide.

The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

Under 49 CFR 382.701, an employer must run a pre-employment query of the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before letting a driver who is subject to testing perform safety-sensitive work. A full query needs the driver's specific consent. Expect that step with each new seasonal employer.

Seasonal and part-time options for retired truckers

Holiday peak season freight

UPS says its seasonal roles are likely to run during its busy holiday season, typically October to December, with a set end date, and that seasonal workers may work part-time or full-time hours. On its tractor-trailer driver careers page, UPS lists a valid Class A CDL, a UPS road test and a DOT physical, and says a doubles or triples endorsement may be needed depending on location. The page describes typical shifts of 8 to 10 hours on routes that bring the driver home after each shift.

UPS says pay varies by position and location, so the posting for a specific job is the place to check the hourly rate. Its annual virtual job fair for seasonal roles, listed on the UPS events page, is set for November 6 and 7, 2026, and UPS says attending is not required to apply. UPS is named here only because its own careers pages publish these details. This is not an endorsement or a job offer.

School bus and passenger routes

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part-time work is common for bus drivers, and many school bus drivers work only when school is in session. BLS projects about 77,600 openings for bus drivers each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035, most of them to replace workers who change jobs or leave the labor force, such as to retire. BLS put the median annual wage for school bus drivers at $47,920 in May 2025.

Bus work calls for a passenger endorsement, and school bus routes also need a school bus endorsement. Under 49 CFR 383.123, the school bus endorsement requires a knowledge test on loading and unloading children, emergency exits and evacuation, and railroad crossings, plus a skills test in a school bus.

Harvest and farm season hauling

Under 49 CFR 395.1(k), the federal hours of service rules do not apply during planting and harvesting periods set by each state to truckers hauling agricultural commodities from the source, or certain farm supplies and livestock, within a 150 air-mile radius. The exact seasons come from the state, so confirm them before the job starts.

Federal rules in 49 CFR 383.3(f) also let states issue a restricted, seasonal CDL to some farm-related service employees, such as custom harvesters, valid for no more than 210 days a year. That restricted license cannot be held alongside a regular CDL, so a retiree with a full CDL would normally keep using it.

Moving RVs and new vehicles

Some part-time work moves unladen vehicles between manufacturers, dealers and buyers. FMCSA rules call this a driveaway-towaway operation in 49 CFR 390.5. Under 49 CFR 395.8, a carrier may let a driver keep paper logs instead of using an electronic logging device in a driveaway-towaway operation where the vehicle being driven is part of the shipment, or where the vehicle being moved is a motor home or recreational vehicle trailer.

Working for more than one carrier

FMCSA calls someone who drives for more than one motor carrier in any 7 consecutive days a multiple-employer driver. Under 49 CFR 391.63, a carrier using such a driver does not have to collect a full employment application, but must record the driver's name, Social Security number and license details.

Hours still add up across employers. Under 49 CFR 395.8, a carrier using a driver for the first time or intermittently must get a signed statement of total on-duty time in the previous 7 days and the time the driver was last relieved from duty. The same rule lets a carrier use paper logs for a driver who needs a record of duty status on no more than 8 days in any 30 day period. The hours of service break calculator and the ELD and hours of service guide help with planning.

How work income affects Social Security

The Social Security Administration says people can work while receiving retirement benefits, but there is an earnings limit before full retirement age. For 2026, SSA says it deducts $1 from benefits for every $2 earned above $24,480 for people under full retirement age all year. In the year a person reaches full retirement age, it deducts $1 for every $3 earned above $65,160, counting only earnings before the month that age is reached.

From the month a person reaches full retirement age, SSA says earnings no longer reduce benefits. SSA counts wages and net self-employment profit, but not pensions, annuities or investment income. Check with SSA or a qualified advisor before planning around these numbers. This is not financial advice.

Questions to ask before signing on

• What are the start and end dates, and how many hours a week are expected?
• Is the work local with home time each night, or are there overnight trips?
• What equipment is used, and is any endorsement needed?
• Is loading, unloading or lifting part of the job?
• How is pay figured: hourly, by the mile or by the trip?

To compare offers, the pay per mile calculator turns a per mile rate into weekly numbers, and more planning tools are on the trucking tools page.

FAQ

Is there an age limit for truck drivers?

Federal qualification rules in 49 CFR 391.11 set a minimum age of 21 for interstate commercial driving and list no maximum age. Drivers must stay medically qualified and pass a new exam at least every 24 months, or sooner for some conditions.

Do part-time truck drivers need an ELD?

It depends on the work. Under 49 CFR 395.8, a carrier may use paper logs for a driver who needs a record of duty status on no more than 8 days in any 30 day period, and for certain driveaway-towaway moves, including motor homes and RV trailers.

What endorsements does a school bus job need?

School bus routes need a passenger endorsement and a school bus endorsement. The school bus endorsement adds a knowledge test and a skills test in a school bus under 49 CFR 383.123.

Will part-time trucking income reduce Social Security?

It can before full retirement age. For 2026, SSA deducts $1 for every $2 earned above $24,480 for people under full retirement age all year. From the month full retirement age is reached, earnings do not reduce benefits.

Do hours from two jobs count together?

Yes. A carrier using a driver for the first time or intermittently must get a signed statement of total on-duty time in the previous 7 days, and drivers working for more than one carrier in a day report all duty time to each one.

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