Worked for Werner 5months and got called into safety and was fired. Why? High idle time. Ok now let me explain. I had a Kenworth with no APunit on it driving the mid north to North east states and once in a while I would get a trip to Arkansas or California. All this during the winter times. Middle of Winter and most states were 14 degrees below or worse. I received a warning for idle time in March for February. So naturally I would watch my idle, which was hard to do because it was seriously cold and no amount of electric blankets are going to warm you in weather such as the northern states.

Well I managed to get my idle time down and a message comes over the comm. "All idle times for Fleet are very good for the month. Thank You Fleet Manager." That April I was fired for idle time. I explained to the fleet manager that what did they expect me to do with no APunit and running the majority of time in frigid weather, Freeze? Hell No. How can you compare my idle time with the other units that have AP units attached. He proceeds to tell me that there is nothing he can do.

So now I have 5 months of experience that no other company will touch because of insurance wanting 6mths or better. My driver report shows I've been fired by a trucking company so other companies tell me I have to work for a trucking comapany 1yr or more before they can hire me. Well thats hard to do when no one will hire you because you don't have 6mths or more experience. Werner driver relations is a joke because they tells me "well there is nothing we can do if they have made the decision."

This has ruined my Class A driving career and to anyone out there that decides to go to Werner Enterprises, I highly recommend you find another company to start with.

Oh and be aware this all happened during the time Werner was transitioning to all team driving and yes I was a solo driver running 2500mls or better.

Sux......I hope all the new folks read this. Trucking companies will NOT tolerate you idling the truck just to keep from freezing to death. Bring lotsa blankets folks.......

I didn't know werner was going to all team drivers. Are they no longer going to have or hire solo drivers?

Sorry to here about your situation. I was wondering, isn't 5 months experience more than 0 experience that student divers have. Can you get on with another training company?

I just graduated from a local truck driving school, and werner is one of the companies that has offered me a start. However, I am wanting to drive solo after training.

Even with a bunk heater, will blankets even help at those extreme low temps? W/O an APU - this doesn't seem fair...Maybe it's right in the companies 'eyes' but seems wrong towards the driver when your not going to get ANY sleep or rest when your shivering to death (literally).....



-H

If your comapny doesn't provide you with an APU can you purchase your own and have it installed? I know they are expensive, $4,000 to $8,000. but if you could and were willing to make that investment would a company let you?

Easy to judge stuff like this based on spreadsheets and truck computer printouts when you're sitting in a comfy climate-controlled office.

I've had to try to sleep in the driver's seat while sitting in a truckstop in Champlain, NY, waiting for the warning to go out over the CB when the State troopers made their rounds, handing out idle citations. Oh, yeah. the temperature was -11F.

usa trucking kllm melton arrow trucking may trucking co there a few that hire new drivers oh tmc mavrick. just do a google on trucking jobs i to was with werner and they where goodd too me but my dis was very crapy so i walked away after 8 mos hope that helps

I've only talked with Maverick out of the above post, and they're only hiring experienced drivers at the moment, but they'd call when they start the student program again.

Not that I ain't experienced, I just haven't driven full-time in a little over 3 years.

Why would anyone want to invest that kind of money in a truck that doesn't belong to them? Get real.

As far as I know they are not forcing team. I drive dedicated and it is different there, but we always have regional and otr drivers help out when it gets busy and they are still solo guys. I have not heard any of them or anybody else saying they are going to all team.

If you do go to Werner I would try to get some kind of dedicated if possible, usually better money and home time. Not sure I could survive as a solo with Werner, but it depends on what you want or need to make.

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