I am a newbie trucker, although i have been in and around trucks since i was 12. My brother finally convinced me to get my cdl since i love being on the road so much. Anyway, Werner hired me right out of school after a 16 week program. I didnt really want to go with them, but i figure that im a newbie, and for the first couple of years i needed to pad my resume with experience. Like i said, ive been in trucks since i was 12, so training was a snap. In 2 days, i was doing 95 percent of all trip planning, and driving with my trainer able to get some sleep in the bunk. This wasnt a problem. Some people are natural athelets, me, im a natual driver. Dont mean to sound arrogant. Graduated to qualified driver, and was getting 2700 mi a week, and never had a late load in the first 4 months. Even got a raise to 32 cents a mile. Which is good considering my lack of official experiance.
Then the trouble started. They asked me to become a trainer. I was a bit confused. I told them that i didnt think that I should be a trainer because on paper, im a newbie. After that conversation, my miles got cut in half for the next week, until my dispacture called me and asked again if im ready to train. I reluctently said yes. So i go through the training program with no problem. Even was teaching students in school back up maneuvers. I have to admit, i find a certain pride in knowing im showing others how to be safe on the road.
Then I got my first student, and the problems began. Ended up kicking him off my truck for safety reasons. Second student was so combative and unsafe that i refused to even sleep at all while he was driving. Which of course is inturn, unsafe on my part. After I caught the third student smoking pot, I get a call from dispatch telling me that I havent graduated one student. I told them all the problems, and was told flat-out that my job is to graduate students. I had a big problem with that. I dont want anybody driving on the road that i feel is a danger to others. I will not rubber stamp students just because they want butts behind there wheels. Not really sure why they want this either.
And on a big down-side, my milage rate went from 32 to 24 cents a mile. I asked why, and they said that because of my expierance this is standard. I tried to argue that I got bumped up to 32 cents, but to know avail. Even if I dont have a student, my milage is still 24 cents. And that could be 2 weeks at a time. And suddenly, at every terminal, no students are available...hmmmmm. So Im making no money. But I start with a new company in 2 weeks. Havent told them yet, so at least Ill be able to make a few bucks in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for listening.

sounds like you are being punished for not turning out those bodies to fill those clean outs.

Glad you are standing up and not just turning a blind eye.


Trucking should not be a job of last resorts, but a profession.

I am not someone that can convey the knowledge I have on a subject to anyone very easy...I am not a good teacher and it actually take a skill to be one...

So I am truly glad that I didn't go to Werner as i would have had to decline becoming a trainer and get punished like you as well...And I would definitely not allow some ####### dopeheads to pass training either!!!!

And definitely good for you, the world does not need unsafe dope heads doing stupid stuff while driving an 80' long 80,000lb vehicle at 60MPH!!!!!!!

BRAVO

My buddy was a trainer for Werner.He loved em.Had family problems,Now EX.Wife,(sound familier?) He said they pressed trainers to graduate students ASAP. Too many empty trucks in Omaha.

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SKULL, THE INTERNET GOD!

Hey Fuzzy:

I work for Werner Enterprises in Omaha and know a lot of people, including those who would be very interested in your story.

You seem like an intelligent, thoughtful driver. If there is truth to your story, the people who cut your pay and jacked you around should be punished.

I have set up this anonymous account (I'd like to keep my job and not commit career suicide by angering the wrong person).

What I propose is that I can forward your story along with your former employee id and I'm sure the people I will send it to will look into it.

The real tragedy of this story is that Werner will continue their practices because there will always be those that do not listen to the stories of others.

I've seen it repeatedly even on this forum that noobs will come along and post in a thread just like this that they do not believe what is said and are going to go find out for themselves.

Apparently that is the kind of drivers these big companies want filling their truck seats. Leading to unsafe roads for all of us.

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geezzzzzz fuzzy.......thats a scary story!! these guy don't know what the hell their doing. if one of them dope heads wrecks and kills somebody out on the road their gonna get sued from one end to the other.

I am a "noob," but at least I can try to make a difference.

I plan to forward any information that Fuzzy provides along with his story via office mail to some VPs. If what Fuzzy is saying happened and nothing is done about it, I will blow the whistle.

I think if Fuzzy wants his story known to the VP's it's up to him to give his story first hand to them not by a third party. He still has his DAC report to protect. Besides I'm not to comfortable with someone campaigning for negative information about a company from one of it's drivers to be forwarded back to the company under the pretense it is for the good of the company.

I agree with u whispers 100% !