I’m not many years short of that and I’m doing the career change thing also.
I don’t think age matters too much. It is your ability and attitude they will look at first. You have driving maturity which I would think is important, and many more years of road experience than a youngster.
If you’ve got a LGV licence and you find a company that needs drivers then why would they turn you away just because you’re fifty?
Hi ORC
You are right at 50 there’s still 17yrs of working life left till retirement & as you say prospective employers would likely appreciate a mature first timer. 
Regards,
Jeff. 
YorkshireJeff:
Hi ORC
You are right at 50 there’s still 17yrs of working life left till retirement & as you say prospective employers would likely appreciate a mature first timer.Regards,
Jeff.
There is no official retirement age from working - there is for receiving state pension
Peter’s ultimate aim is to get the candidate to a standard to pass the DSA test, not to provide training to assist with future assessments (although some trainers will go the extra mile).
Just want to clarify that statement. Yes, my first aim is to achieve the DSA test pass. Without that, no-one is any use to anyone! But I also consider it my job to prepare folks as far as we can for the real world. This is why if someone selects an auto for training and test, I encourage them to have an hour or so on a manual after the test pass.
But, as ROG as made abundantly clear, it doesn’t matter what gearbox you train on, there’s loads more out there waiting for you!
IMO, the sensible and measured way to look at this is to a) pass the test - so let’s make that as hazard free as we can and use auto and b) have some knowledge of other gearboxes that are out there.
Remember though, that it’s most unusual to get anything on 2 axles that hasn’t got a straight 6 or auto. Heavier rigids will be auto or something interesting. Artics are mostly auto - though there are plenty of manuals still in service.
We had our last new manual in Jan 2013. When it was delivered I asked the salesman how many other manuals he had sold that year. None, was the answer. I think that speaks volumes.
It’s also worth noting that the employer has a legal requirement to provide training on every different vehicle you are expected to drive. I know this is frequently overlooked. But the employer does so at his peril.
If anyone really wants to learn on a manual, I’ve got a yard full of them! No problem. Similarly, we are increasing the numbers of autos with the 3rd one (brand new again) coming in a couple of weeks time. In common with the logistics industry, we trainers have to move with the times and offer choice.
As I have said previously, to each their own.
Pete 
if you learn in an auto and you get a real world assessment in a manual then that is one MORE thing to worry about which might make all the difference
But why pick on gearboxes? The chances of getting the same make truck, same model, same gearbox, same length trailer, same axle configuration, same weight etc etc etc is virtually nil. By that reckoning, no-one would ever get through an assessment!
A trained assessor will assist in the differences between the training vehicle (with which he should be approximately familiar) and the vehicle in use for the assessment. If he’s any good, he’ll be able to overlook errors caused by the gap in knowledge and experience and wont penalize anyone for it.
And this is becoming more and more the case as the apparent lack of available drivers continues.
Pete
If your looking for a good training company based in Portsmouth way, then Id try Zenith LGV based at Lee on Solent… there on some old Air fleet arms air base, unless they’ve moved since…used them for my Hiab and my class 1 back in 2008…
Cheers for the info and the replies guys. Now I’ll be hoping for an automatic for the rigid. I think I’ll be giving 2start a try, I’ll be giving them a call this week.
I looked up Zenith LGV and it seems they’re not around anymore as their parent company had ceased trading. Thanks for the suggestion though. 
Praeceps:
Cheers for the info and the replies guys. Now I’ll be hoping for an automatic for the rigid. I think I’ll be giving 2start a try, I’ll be giving them a call this week.I looked up Zenith LGV and it seems they’re not around anymore as their parent company had ceased trading. Thanks for the suggestion though.
If your going to go with 2 start ask to go in the cf rigid as that is there only automatic rigid. They also have a automatic cf artic if you wish to do that aswell. My training has now finished with them and i passed my cat c and mod 4.