Highest Entry Level Pay

Do you still have a CDL?
If so, it's stale and you may have to attend school from scratch.

 

Really? You went to Graduate School, and you want to go trucking? Unless your degree is in something more-or-less useless (like Art History or Basketry..), you are certainly better off finding a professional career. Unless, of course if your degree was in Creative Writing and you're looking for stories; there are lots of trucking stories out there, and a few of them are even true....

 

After 12 mos. experience you can move into the higher paying trucking jobs.

 

Lewis Bear Company
6120 Enterprise Dr, Pensacola, FL 32505
Driving beer trucks.

 

Take a joke man. That's all that was. Just a member being funny. Don't get too sensitive, in fact, in this industry, you'll do better to give it back when someone jokes or digs at you. Sensitivity is a no-no in the industry, as it takes a tremendous amount of mental fortitude to last. Yes their is a lot of homophobia, racism, conservatism,
and a lot of backwards thinking in this industry. Stick around here on this sitelong enough, you'll see quite a bit of that.

Anyway, all of that is not important. Let's get back to why you're here. As the others alluded to, the trucking industry is in a freight recession. It isn't a driver's market at all, especially a new driver, which you essentially are. You're in Florida as well and that can limit your options. Luckily, you're on the panhandle so it'll be a little easier for you than someone who lives in South Florida. You have no experience so there really isn't a company that is going to pay you top dollar with no experience. Think about it, you got a Bachelor's and Masters and still couldn't land a top dollar job according to your initial post. One can have all the credentials, but experience matters most. We all had to start at the bottom of the barrel making peanuts. You get a year or two experience, then things open up for you. You'll have to develop some patience in this industry too because you'll get held up from time to time. Also, you'll need to be able to stick with a company long enough to gain experience and hone your skills. If Schneider is willing to take you, go for it. They may not pay the most, but where the value comes is that they are a reputable company that can give you experience. Every future employer knows who Schneider is and your time there will be easily verified. Remember, experience is the most valuable thing to have in trucking.