In over 3 years with Werner we have seen steady decline over the last 6 months, they are DOWNSIZING to the point of ridiculous.
The decent and talented folks that worked in many departments for years are being let go week in and week out, most losing their benifits, pensions, retirement funds etc.
This has reflected on the overall treatment and success of the drivers, especially the owner operators, werner pays 84 cents per mile on loads over 1000 mi., 86 cents 700-1000 mi and so on, plus fuel surcharge...this amounts to one of if not the lowest pay rate in the trucking industry, Werner is a company driver based company so O/O's have to compete for loads within the system.
Now with so many experienced and knowledgeable fleet managers/dispatchers, numerous administrative employees, payroll and saftey positions are disappearing daily. The owner operator department has gone from 12 or more staff down to 3 right now.....
These new folks don't have knowledge or patience needed, especially since werner uses a large percentage of inexperienced-rookie drivers- the turnover rate is as bad as it gets in the trucking biz...like 150% or more ..
STUDENTS BEWARE- Lately they have been bringing in new students, getting them on a trainer truck, they pay you like $325 a week to drive approx 3000 miles per week for them- then because of their downsizing and strategy changes they cut you loose just about the time you think you are going to graduate.
If you are not a team or trainer, or committ to go on one of their dedicated roll-over accounts (Dollar General-high rollover rate) then they will invent some reason to cut you loose...after they have used you up..
Go to ripoffreport.com , there are many instances where not only do they cut you loose...they have been making false reports of accidents, tickets, positive drug testing that ends ups costing the driver a lot of money to be able to drive again....
ALSO, The DOT is paid so much by Werner that they look the other way on the electronic logs, the logs department does not go by the rules, their are teams driving on each other hours, husband - wife & trainer teams are always doing split breaks because they can!
The DOT is AFRAID of the electronic logs, and most Weiner enterprises trucks get the green light by-pass signal at the scales.....lucky for most drivers because so many of these youngsters don't know how to scale a load, or they are to lazy, or they were never trained !
PLUS, Never have I seen a Werner sales rep stand up to a company for having as much as 3-8000 lbs. more in the box than what the bills say, the folks are spineless without a backbone when it comes to standing up for the drivers that pay their bills.
WERNER is BAD, I can't stress enough that you should spread the word that they lie, they decieve, they cheat, they don't care about any driver in any way shape or form.
They CLAIM TO HAVE SAFE EQUIPMENT....NOT! We were made to drive on drives with steel belts flopping around, this was our first year as company team.....the dedicated dispatchers will NOT let you come to a terminal, even if your truck needs parts or repair, not of your tires on the truck or trailer are about to blow! We were made to go by 3 terminals before we finally talked the weekend dispatcher to swap us off while the day geeks were away.....
I only hope the DOT starts looking closer at WERNER, if they do they will make even more money from all the fines for overweight and faulty equipment fines.....
SPREAD THE WORD.......WERNER ENTERPRISES is NOT for the driver like their advertising claims.......C.L. Werner was a good man, probably a good 'ol boy truck driver & he ran a decent company with the human side of business in mind.....C.L. Werner has passed the torch to his son, maybe sons, maybe the daughter.......BOTTOM LINE- They are NOT running the company anywhere like their Dad did......
HEED THIS WARNING!!!!!
Stay away from werner...or you might get BURNED!

Thanks for the info. I would have to disagree with a couple of things said but I do know the Werner drivers I have been talking to lately aren't as enthusiastic as the ones were I talked to in the beginning. One driver even told me that since the son took over it is all about the bottom line. Don't get me wrong, the bottom line is important. But those who help you hold a strong bottom line are the most important part of that bottom line.

This is really no different than Walmart. Sam Walton began a great company with a concept of strengthening the American economy. He stood in staunch opposition to selling imported goods at his stores. Now try to find something at Walmart that is made in America. His daughter has decided to push the low prices idea to the point of ruining the American economy by importing at least 90% of the goods sold in the store. Maybe it goes to show that it is not best to pass the business on to a son or daughter. Maybe there is still enough rebellion deep inside that, rather than maintaining the parent's standards, they feel they can prove their way is best.

Great reply!
I can't stress enough that there ARE OTHER OPTIONS, from hours of my research, and help from my family we have discovered there really are a few companies that do what Werner Enterprises does but they do it better!
Werner has the lowest rate of pay in the industry:
You will drive 10-15% of total miles that will not get paid, they are behind in what many other companies offer-PRACTICAL MILES!
There are many companies that know how to get you home by advanced planning, Werner's dispatch turnover along with the downsizing has more inexperience that will affect a driver getting home, and affect a driver that will get interupted from a good load to swap that load at a moments notice to repair the hometime problem- this happens frequently at werner...nobody cares about your bottom line, your well being, your rest and saftey.......in fact there are many unsafe practices that can ultimatley come back on your record!
WERNER DOES NOT CARE!!!!
THEY SAY THEY CARE....NOT!!!!!
There are some great family and/or driver friendly companies that you can make more money, more progress, and better benifits and happiness.
I have heard so many sad stories of Werner ruining promising careers, this has got to stop.....spread the word.....
If you are a werner driver......GET OUT SOON! B-4 it's 2-LATE!!!!
If you are thinking about a career w/Werner? Don't do it! This is experience talking, I care about people...WERNER DOES NOT!

is this stuff really true? especially the part about them cutting you loose after the training and just when ya think ya going to graduate? why do they do this?

I can't confirm that they would do it. But, it's a slick way to increase profits for many companies.

Some would argue that.

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Team Players.....
It's hard for me to play professional team sports. On a minor league salary.

They did not cut I or my husband loose. I do not know of anyone fired recently except several persons at the Werner Dallas Terminal but this was the worst run terminal in Werner so firings were expected.

The persons I trained with all finished training with the exception of 3 that dropped out for various reasons. My ex actually was kept on by werner after 2 at fault accidents, the only reason he was 'let go' was because he went on leave more then 30 days and was required to redo the application process and they would nto rehire him with 2 at fault accidents.

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I am a Camaro Girl because IROC!

You have unlimited chances to go too slow, but only one to go too fast.

My husband and I drove a company truck for Werner for about 4 months. He had a lot of experience as a driver but I was fresh out of school. They let him train me after his orientation and training was over, so that was great. The trouble started when MY training was over. We were re-assigned to a "team" fleet manager. He seemed to have no idea what time zone we were in at any given moment so he called us or sent messages over the Qualcom based on Central Time. One morning he called us on our cell phone at 05:45 to ask if "we were moving yet" when we had to be a a pickup point 59 miles away at 12:30! Another time we transposed numbers on a trailer pickup message and he sent a long and nasty return message basically accusing us of taking a trailer without permission - instead of just quietly and efficiently asking us to confirm the number. This are just two examples of what we considered continual harrassment. Complaints to his supervisor fell on deaf ears and we were told "That's how it is". In our final conversation with him (during much-delayed home time) he told us that sitting still was taking money from HIS pocket and food from HIS children's mouths (yes, that is a quote) and we needed to get on the road and make money for the company. We turned in the tractor that day.

Query-=- when you log, what time zone do you use? (Specific to Werner - I know that the FMCSR says)

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Keep the big doors at the back!

All of this stuff is sssooooo true about Werner!!!!!!!!!!!!! My husband drives for them now... been bout a year.... a LONG year I might add.... we are trying VERY hard to get him away from them.... there is NOTHING good or decent about Werner... if you are considering going to them.... RUN VERY FAST THE OTHER WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I simply want to ask what division your husband is on, regionals are having a tough tough time right now. If your issue is slow miles you will find most company are having the same issue these days.

Werner logs are done in CST. But loads, pickups, drops, etc are done in the timezone of the area they are going to or coming from. (AKA if you pick up in Atlanta the pickup time is EST, if the delivery is in Dallas then the delivery time is CST)

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I am a Camaro Girl because IROC!

You have unlimited chances to go too slow, but only one to go too fast.