3 months with Werner and fired

Discussion in 'Werner' started by Funzo, Mar 27, 2014.

  1. Funzo

    Funzo Bobtail Member

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    Nov 13, 2013
    Pleasantville, NJ
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    I went through orientation in Allentown. Waited 9 days for a trainer. It was just after Christmas; probably a factor. My plan was to 'make it work' with whatever trainer I got and go straight through without a break. My trainer was a jerk. He was overly proud of the fact that he was better at driving than me. In the 3 months I worked for Werner not one person introduced themselves to me. "Hi, I'm Joe Shmoe welcome to..."

    Ok, none of that really matters. I trained on the Dollar General account. It wasn't for me. Rolltainers filled with bottled water or dog food; boxes randomly thrown on top of these rolltainers. Unloading and loading at every stop. Not for me. I did what my trainer said. If he said drive, I drove. If he said sleep, I slept. While I was 'in observation' and restricted from driving from midnight to 6am we worked 20 hour days. The basic rundown was drive 6 hours or so. Work an 8 hour or so day running between 3-5 stores unloading then reloading with empty rolltainers (which were filled with cardboard, snow & ice) then unloading these at the next stop to get to the products meant for that store then driving 6 hours or so back.

    Finally my day came when I was let out of training (30 hours early). Before I even got my own truck my dispatcher called me on my cell phone. I told him I had done my training straight through and I wanted to take a few days off and go home. He said no.

    I got my own truck. An awesome Kenworth with 300,000 miles. I really did like my truck. I got what I wanted. Dedicated account, Office Max.

    I had a bad first week. From the moment my dispatcher called me I felt rushed. Within the first 10 minutes of being assigned a truck a security guard told me to go get connected to an empty trailer. I needed to do it now because it was icy and there was a tow truck driver there now in case I couldn't get it moving. My dispatcher called me back and asked how close I was to being on the road. I hadn't even been assigned tools, bulb kit or fluids yet. But I did notice a tail light was out on my truck. I mentioned this to my dispatcher. He told me to change it myself.

    Also, none of that matters. After a few days delivering for Office Max I had my first incident. I was picking up metal for recycling. As I turned my truck and 53 ft trailer around I damaged a rain gutter on the customer's building. The rain gutter was just like one on a house. Aluminum. Stupid and my fault but it happened. Within one minute a guy appeared saying he wanted $200 not to report this. I was still in my first week and freaking out. I reported it to my company and this was my first incident. A day or so later I had to blind side back into a loading dock with about a thousand other trucks. I backed into another truck. I go out and looked and I went slow but I misjudged it no one's fault but mine. The fiberglas around his headlight was cracked and his plastic bumper was bent. The headlight didn't even break. 2nd incident - I had to report this to the company. Then a day or so later (the days had been running together now) I was trying to turn around in a mall parking lot and scraped the aero skirt on my 53 ft trailer on a pile of snow. The skirt got bent so I reported this too. 3rd incident in my first week or so out of training.

    I was ready to cry. Ready to throw in the towel and quit before I got fired. But I hung in there and worked 3 more weeks before finally getting a chance to come home. 3 months without coming home and over a month without a day off. My last 2 weeks in training we worked straight with no time off.

    My first home time was coming to an end and I called my dispatcher 2 days before it was over. He told me to go to the terminal for accident investigation. He also said I might get fired which totally ruined my last 2 days off.

    In the 'investigation' I learned that I had done just over $1000 in damage total in all 3 incidents combined. The guy who interviewed me then had me wait outside his office while he called someone in Nebraska who was going to decide my fate. A few minutes later I was fired.

    I can't blame this on anyone else but I certainly was not set up to succeed. It seems to me that my level of forced fatigue should have been considered. Maybe the fact that I drove 3 weeks afterward including through a snowstorm that killed 8 people without any problems could have been considered too. But who knows.

    Now I'm unemployed and have a CDL A that is probably useless.

    Oh yeah, once out of training I averaged $200 a week including one week with no paycheck because the payroll dept couldn't read a receipt for a lumper I turned in. I took whatever was assigned to me whether it was metal for recycling or a run from Hazelton to Willow Grove that payed $5.74.
     
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  3. pattyj

    pattyj Road Train Member

    22,474
    20,134
    Jul 19, 2008
    Sioux City,ia
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    Hang in there sweety you can do it.Don't let what happened at Werner a reason to fail in this industry.It's not easy starting out.You just need to focus more and above all get another dose of training.Don't know why Werner cut you loose before your hrs was up.
     
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  4. stevenneill

    stevenneill Medium Load Member

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    389
    Nov 11, 2013
    Weatherford, Texas 76086
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    Sorry to hear that. Don't give up. Start putting applications in.
     
  5. 08international

    08international Light Load Member

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    Nov 11, 2013
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    wow sure didn't start on a good note,, hope it gets better for you,,, but not looking to good, find a job fast before all that is on your dac report, might try jb hunt or swift or some other mega might hire you but I would also look at a small company they might be able to help you and good luck
     
    Funzo Thanks this.
  6. s36ryan

    s36ryan Light Load Member

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    18
    Nov 11, 2013
    Buford, GA
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    They're not DOT reportable ur okay. Someone will hire u. There's alot of companies out there , don't give up bc Werner sucks balls. I use to train students at Werner too , I was dedicated Home Depot. First thing never ever let them rush u , u can say no. If they throw a fit theyy have a boss to. If ur tired go to sleep, don't let these wanna be trainers push u around. Check out Celadon. Just don't lease a truck.
     
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  7. pattyj

    pattyj Road Train Member

    22,474
    20,134
    Jul 19, 2008
    Sioux City,ia
    0
    What this person needs is more training and a patient trainer.What'll happen botherwise is the op will go to another company and have more miss haps.
     
  8. X-Country

    X-Country Medium Load Member

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    Mar 27, 2014
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    isn't that the truth! mine called me at 210 hours and asked if i wanted to go ahead and test out and I said no. At 258 hours she tried to boot me off the truck in Allentown, PA and I refused and told her when 275 was up, then fine. She became irate with me and threatened that wherever I was at 275 hours, I would be kicked off the truck and if that meant taking a bus then that's what it meant, I hung up on her. I just got dumped at the Fontana, CA terminal this morning with no sleep. I was supposed to call my SDM but I decided I had nothing nice to say so I didn't.

    I went into the terminal, announced my presence and told them I was going to the motel to get some sleep and that I had been up all night. She protested and said I really needed to sit down with someone and go over my training review and turn in my trainers review and take my road and backing test, I just told her I wasn't negotiating. She relented and got me a room, I've been here ever since.

    I am taking my road test in the morning. Hope I can pass the backing, feel really nervous about that.
     
    pattyj and Funzo Thank this.
  9. Gunner75

    Gunner75 Road Train Member

    5,701
    9,071
    Mar 17, 2014
    Jackson Center Ohio
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    Dont let an ####### trainer keep you from it. Werner is far from a good company to start with. Ive got several friends who started with them and left inside of 6 months. My dad drove with them and didnt even get out of his training before they fired him. He had an accident on an overpass outside Chicago back in the mid 90s. Hit a patch of black ice while he was slowing to make a turn, couldnt stop, had an 87 Ford Faremont pull out in front of him and he slammed into the car's driver side, killed 2 of the passengers. Police said it wasnt his fault and that it was unavoidable, Werner still fired him on the spot and made him find his own way home.

    It will get better, just find the right company. Maybe van's isnt for you, consider skateboarding it, with over 300k companies, there is bound to be one that will hire you.
     
    Funzo Thanks this.
  10. s36ryan

    s36ryan Light Load Member

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    Nov 11, 2013
    Buford, GA
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    Take ur time , dont rush and if u don't feel like its good get out and look. Good luck and welcome to trucking.
     
  11. CrappieJunkie

    CrappieJunkie Wishin' I was fishin'

    3,962
    18,325
    Mar 9, 2014
    In a van down by the River.
    0
    Keep your head in the game and find something else. Those were small incidents. Only thing I would have done was tell dispatch I'm going home for 3 or 4 days after training and if they said no tell them to shove their job. Good luck.
     
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