Werner Enterprises, Inc. - Omaha, Ne.

Discussion in 'Report A BAD Trucking Company Here' started by lj, Jun 17, 2005.

  1. Burky

    Burky Road Train Member

    Okay, everyone seems to end up with a truck that needs cleaning when they pick it up. The first one that I got from my company, the guy before me had left it pretty nasty inside. I picked it up on a Friday and took it home and held a scrubathon inside, sucked out enough old french fries to start my own restaurant, and made sure that the truck was up to my standards. My boss told me that if I wanted it, I could have a new mattress. Once I got it, it stayed clean, and when I swapped out of that truck for a newer one several months later, I brought it home again to unload my gear, and cleaned it again before leaving it for the next driver.

    My next truck was reasonably clean, still had the original plastic sheeting over the carpet, but had been driven 300k by a cigar smoker! The first week I had it, I scrubbed, and sprayed and cleaned until I got the smell out of it. I'm a lifetime non smoker, so it was a rough week or so. The mattress was still encased in the original plastic, so it was okay because I would have changed out the mattress for that reason. I've got over 515k miles on it now.

    I don't like having to clean someone elses truck out, but it's just part of the job. I have my standards for my truck, and if a truck doesn't meet those standards, then something has to be done. In my company's defense though, it was offered both times to send the truck out to have it detailed for me, and I refused. I used the cleaning process as an opportunity to go over the truck thoroughly, and make up a list for any maintenance items I wanted looked at.

    I agree, I don't understand having to pay for a mattress though. Someone pocketed some money here for something that should have been done regardless.
     
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  3. Nickie

    Nickie Bobtail Member

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    Oct 9, 2005
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    My husband drove for Werner for many many years and he NEVER had a problem getting miles he is 1/2 million miles accident free and on time, Werner is a good company no one can expect any company to not have some down falls, He was a trainer for several years and still stays in contact with his former students and NONE of them complain about low miles or no home time, some have even become O/O and trainers themselves and are doing great! There are to many drivers out there that are cry babies, and complain about everything!!! There are alot of companies out there and we will stand behind Werener! My husband did come off the road to work in the oil field hauling water, not because of the company just to be home everynight and still make the bucks. He still refers drivers there to this day.
     
  4. ronbostic

    ronbostic Bobtail Member

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    Oct 12, 2005
    Ft. Worth,tx
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    go in and talk to your operations manager and get a new fleet manager..
    Warner is a ok company but a lot of it depends on your fleet manager
    listin to those of us that have been out here fro a while and not to the rookies..
     
  5. luvmyhubby

    luvmyhubby Road Train Member

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    Sep 12, 2005
    Sidney MI
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    I just found out last night that my sisters boyfriend who has a total of 6 months driving experience is now going to become a trainer for Werner....I am in shock but knowing what I do about some of these companies I shouldn't be. It is amazing that someone with so little experience could even be considered for such a job.
    just thought I had better WARN everyone :roll:
    luvmyhubby
    tammy
     
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  6. TurboTrucker

    TurboTrucker Road Train Member

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    Feb 23, 2005
    Rossville, Georgia
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    This is EXACTLY what I was referring to, in another thread. This is a big part of the problem that the industry suffers, and why the Government is coming down on our heads all the time. Rather than take an honest look at the problem, they try to affix a band-aid, and kiss the "boo-boo", rather than to take steps to avoid the problem to begin with.

    When the Government stepped up to the plate, and de-regulated the industry, they did this for two very important reasons. They wanted to reduce the costs of shipping goods, and they wanted to dissolve union membership, which had a couple of times, threatened the country with a hand to it's throat. The powers that be, decided that this could not be.

    This is also why they largely give lip service to all but the worst cases of lackluster attention to safety issues. I mean, let's face it....Werner had a worse safety record than Swift, by a narrow but recognizeable margin, and yet, they were a carrier that was picked to launch the paperless log program. Their driver out-of-service rate has dropped tremendously since it's inception, but their accident rates are still up there and out of control.

    Then you have the other financial aspect of the issue to consider. Recruit newbies, who are hired in at low rates of pay, keep them interested with perks, such as "promoting" them to trainer status, and you now have two newbies, making sub-standard wages, getting at least 35% more production out of the truck, and you are not paying very much more, if at all, than you would to have an experienced driver behind the wheel in that same truck.

    Throw into this mix, an environment where the Federal and State Governments kick a sizeable sum of funds your way for "re-training people for new careers", and you have a profitable formula that makes much more sense, than to try and keep safe drivers on staff, and try to wing it on trucking alone. Werner is but one of several carriers that are getting away with this crap, and they are doing well financially in doing it.

    The only problem is, they are sacrificing the lives of the public-at-large, and the lives of the inexperienced drivers in the process, and it's obscene, to say the least. It also makes me sick, and I've always wondered if one day, I'm going to get a phone call telling me that someone I love was killed by a truck with these well known companies that has no problem sleeping at night, knowing that they are taking chances with people's lives.

    As I have offered many times, there is only ONE training carrier that has consistently maintained a safety record that is in total contradiction to all the others, and on THAT criteria alone, and in my opinion, should be the ONLY carrier currently allowed to train drivers, and receive funds of any kind, to augment the costs they endure for training drivers, and that is Schneider National Carriers.

    The rest of these, including Werner, are using the highways of this nation for training grounds, and due to the immense profit potential, and don't mind weathering a civil suit or two every now and then, when someone is seriously injured or killed. They still come out ahead.
     
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  7. Civislee

    Civislee Bobtail Member

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    Oct 19, 2005
    Guthrie, Ok
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    Greetings Turbo Trucker and all:
    Is there a general consensus among experienced OTR drivers that Schnieder's training is superior, as Turbo Trucker said?

    How about the pros/cons of attending a 1 month Community College CDL school (about $1800) instead of SNI's 11 day + one week "Jump Start" classes (other than not having to work for SNI for a year to avoid repaying their $2800 tuition)? Is the accelerated training SNI gives equivelent to the month of 8 hour days? (The CC school is PITI certified, and seems pretty good. At least good at making web sites....)

    Finally -- is it a bad idea to start OTR at the beginning of winter?

    Thanks all. :shock:
     
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  8. Nickie

    Nickie Bobtail Member

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    Oct 9, 2005
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    I agree 6 months is not enough experience over all. But we all have to remember that not every driver is a dumb ###! There are some that can pick up trade and do it well enough to train people in only a little time but over all drivers do need more experience. If you ask me maybe they should beef up the drivers education for 4 wheelers!!! I've seen trainers come out of Werner that were great and some regular drivers come out of any CDL school and I dont think they need to drive a golf cart!!!!!
     
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  9. luvmyhubby

    luvmyhubby Road Train Member

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    Sidney MI
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    I fail to see how anyone with 6 months or less under their belt can have enough experience to teach other people how to drive a rig.....the person I mentioned hasn't even had a winters experience on the road. I know I am not a driver but my hubby has been for 23 years, so I guess there are somethings I can express my thoughts on. To improve the trucking industry as a whole there needs to be a special school run by an independant company NOT connected to trucking companies in any way that potential driver trainers must attend and PROVE they are qualified to train others....they should have to earn a license that allows them to train, I know this sounds just like opening the door for more governmental regs. but something has to be done. Trainers are needed,however they need to be held up to some accountability, and standards...thats the short of it. There is NO way I want anyone to train drivers that is still wet behind the ears, just cuz this guy can back to a dock and keep a rig on the road when the sun is out in no way qualifies him to train others. Everyone screams about improving the industry and public perception of drivers....maybe this would be one way to at least start.

    luvmyhubby
    tammy
     
  10. mrhcarter

    mrhcarter Bobtail Member

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    Oct 19, 2005
    NC
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    I drove for werner about 10 years ago. They had me drop a load on friday and sit till mon for a new load...three weeks straight. I warned them after the second week this happened not to do it again any time soon...stating that I preferr to sit at home making no money, instead of sitting in thier truck hundreds of miles from home...making no money. The third week in a row they did this, I deadheaded 600 miles home and called them mon morn and asked them where they wanted me to turn the truck in. Thinking back, I should have gone well over my dispatchers head, but I was new to driving and didn't think of that.

    I think all trucking companies have problems. It is the company that operates illegally and hides thier mistakes by firing dispatchers and recruiters (when a problem arrises) and then hire another person to replace them and allow this new employee to make the same mistakes until they are also fired and replaced and the cycle goes on and on. Have any of you witnessed this with Priority Transportation? I believe I have. Desperation makes people operate a business in that manner. I worked for Priority fgor 6 weeks and quit because they lied to me and didn't keep thier employment promises. I complained big time, even going so far as publishing a website with my complaints. A couple days after terminating my employment I tried to contact the recruiter who hired me. She no longer works there. I suspect somebody new will make the promises now.
     
  11. TurboTrucker

    TurboTrucker Road Train Member

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    Feb 23, 2005
    Rossville, Georgia
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    Let me clarify a couple of things.

    Schneider's training is superior to that of all the other training carriers, who offer exchanging a commitment period of working for the company for free training. It is however, quite possible and even probable that there are training programs out there that are even better than Schneider's.

    The one thing that sets Schneider above and beyond most all training facilities, is the fact that they have the "Skidpad", which is used to train drivers to handle a truck in adverse weather conditions. Schneider also retains one of the best safety records, despite the fact that they hire newbies, which again, is not something that ANY of the other training carriers can offer.

    I discovered, doing a brief period of research, that a community college in my area offered a course that required several hundred miles to be driven before a candidate would be passed. The course was designed to take 16 weeks of training, and the cost was under $500.00 plus some added fees, that drive it up to around $550.00.

    If a person desires to avoid being beholden to a carrier for a commitment period, I can certainly understand that, even if they come out ahead by being trained for nothing. I'm one of those people that would not want to walk into that kind of arrangement, without knowing whether or not I could honor it.

    The only drawback to what you want to do, is that in almost every case, individual schools, be they public or private, work with a limited amount of carriers, and you are often limited to those choices of potential employers.

    They thing I always recommend is that you should choose the CARRIER you desire to start with, and THEN arrange to train at a facility that they will accept CDL trained candidates from. It's entirely possible that some carriers will accept candidates who have been trained from any PDTI (Professional Truck Driving Institute) certified facility.

    PTDI so far, is the only accreditation that I consider worthy of consideration, because just about all the rest of the so called, education accreditation organizations, are fronts for one or more of the larger carriers, who are working through "non-profits" in Washington D.C. for funding sources for every warm body they sign up.

    PTDI is also a non-profit organization, but they have a little more credibility in my estimation, because they do offer some rather strict guidelines in what is required before they endorse a program, and they retain a little more independence and are not comprised of motor carrier groups. It's a little shady, but not to the degree that others have been shown to be.

    Is it bad to begin training in the winter? Nope. You're going to be ahead of the game, because you'll have that behind you early on, rather than to dread it over the summer months. Just use your head. If you feel it is dangerous, it probably is. Park it until it is safe again.
     
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