Does Experience mean nothing??

To the OP. You say you're now at Schneider. So you do have a job. Not the lifetime career job, but putting bread on the table. So you can afford to be picky when it comes to your next job.
JUST SAY NO to low paying jobs. What is the point in changing jobs if you are not bettering your situation?

Yes there is, I couldn't agree more. However, PAY is what puts the bread on the table at home, and pays the bills.

 

That's why you can get a driver from a cashier in 3 weeks or less. If it's easy to get into it'll never pay high wages. If drivers want higher wages they should look at segments that are much harder to enter, like heavy haul or specialized. Thank god it was easy to enter, I would have starved if it took me much longer than 3 weeks.

 

Truck driving is the 1st vocational field many outsiders think about when they need a job for those losing other jobs. Everybody drives, trucking SEEMS like just driving a bigger car for money. HVAC, welding, electrician, computer programming, etc. The entire business press & low-level politicians see the same few fields as lifeboats when their big local industry goes Tango Iniform. Trucking is what you make of it. It's decent as a "rescue career".

 

Once you get addicted to living indoors & eating food, they have you right where they want you.

 

Trucking is not for everyone. And not everyone should try it.

In my area when I was young I remember Jobs with life potential all over Baltimore Harbor. Pepsi, fishing, bay work, dominos, Natty Boh, everything. That went away. All of it. Just about.

The Docks long house was a possible as was the railroad. But you do not get to go to work if they don't call you. So you sit. It's not for me. The railroad was a path I almost took. At the time the yards became somewhat dangerous to violence which was then and really bad now. Eventually most of the yards were paved over or became state storage for the docks. One is where a stadium sits now.

 

Telling people not to work for less than $X is like solving the parking problem by suggesting everyone go park way over there. It's everyone's duty to pick a job that works for them & family. This country is already dying because someone wants to manage everyone's choices rather than have unplanned changes happen. You're only promised opportunity, not success or smooth sailing. If someone wants to subsidize my pay or pay my bills while I wait for higher pay, I'll take their advice seriously. If some newbie ignores good advice & only considers the bottom feeders he deserves what he volunteered for. It's Cosmic Justice. Nothing is more fair than getting what to asked for. Choose wisely.

 

I once saw a truck driver win on Jeopardy. It's true; I'm not joking. And this fact is coming to you from a truck driver who watches Jeopardy.

I've met some extremely smart drivers out there. Unfortunately, that cannot be said about all of us!

 

This right here is the root of the problem. Not to sound link an arse or like I am trying to squash anyone's dreams, but as a small fleet owner I can testify that it is way too easy for any Joe Blow to enter the trucking industry and drive the rates (as well as wages) down into the gutter. My industry segment, carhaul, is dealing with this right now with the explosion of online load boards and "shippers" combined with every Tom, Dick, and Harry that wants to buy a pickup and wedge trailer to haul below market rates.

 

Makes it more difficult to differentiate between the healthy and the sick.