My Werner Nightmare. Stay away from them!!

Discussion in 'Werner' started by PorkChopExpress, Jan 29, 2008.

  1. PorkChopExpress

    PorkChopExpress Bobtail Member

    2
    1
    Jan 29, 2008
    smalltown Ohio
    0
    Hi, I'm new to the forum, but thought I should pass along my story about Werner, and hopefully save someone else from making the mistake of working there.

    Straight out of Trucking school, I end up going with Werner. Why? I have no idea, I wish I had known about this forum beforehand.

    Anyways, I get thru orientation, and get assigned a trainer. The trainer was a good guy, and we got along very well, I still talk to him on the phone from time to time. Even though I like the guy, a good trainer he wasn't. As everyone else has said, He ran us as a team from day one, and Pretty much slept the whole time I was driving. Not that it really bothered me, but I didnt learn a heck of a lot during training.

    Anyways, I get thru training, and get assigned my own truck. Things are going OK, but I'm not getting any real miles, I keep getting little short runs from one side of town to the other. 50 miles here, 30 miles there, then maybe a 300 mile run. Over half of them are Live Load/Unload, and I end up sitting for 5 or 6 hours at a time, because dispatch cant seem to figgure out what my appointment times are.

    For instance, I get up after taking my 10hr break, and get dispatched a load that is SUPPOSED to at 1:00pm. Unfortunately when i arrive at the shipper, at a bout half past noon, they tell me that my appt isnt till 8:00pm, which is 7 hrs later. So by the time I get the load on, I'm nearly out of hours again, and cant make my delivery anywhere near on time. This sort of thing happened all the time, and as such, I was bringing home about $300 a week. Who can live on that???

    Now for the best part...

    I'm driving to a consignee, when the heater goes out in the truck. I deliver the load, and tell my dispatcher what's up. After talking to me like a 5 yr old kid, and asking me If i know how to properly work the heater in a truck, he sends me to the terminal to have it fixed.

    The truck is in the shop for 10 DAYS!!! No joke, I couldnt believe it. After ten days, they tell me that they know it's broken, but they cant find the problem, and are going to assign me another truck. Ok, I go get in the new truck, and check it out, and fill out all the paperwork about what's wrong with it.... It would have been a shorter list if they'd asked what WASNT wrong with it. This thing was beat to hell, cracked fenders, bend bumpers, dents, dings, The doorlocks didnt work, the power mirrors didnt work, the Qualcom didnt work, all sorts of little crap. I call dispatch, and tell him about it, and this puke starts giving me the buisness talking to me like I'm some kinda Jerk, when all I want is a Truck that works properly so I can go make some money. He says to take it back to the service department, and have them fix it.. I turn it in, and it's 4 more days in the shop. When it's done, I get in, and guess what... THEY DIDNT FIX THE MIRRORS, OR THE QUALCOM!!

    I'd had enuff. Two weeks without a truck is not gainfull enployment in my book, and more BS than anyone should have to put up with.

    I just wish I had quit two weeks sooner.

    Please, save yourself the headache, and the hassle of having to quit.... Just dont work there in the first place.
     
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  3. Iraqvet

    Iraqvet Light Load Member

    299
    61
    Oct 28, 2007
    Ashtabula Ohio
    0
    wow,I think thats the reason they dont let truckers carry guns and large knives.The murder rate of dispatchers would go from 0 to 1000 a month in a heartbeat lol...Sorry to hear about the time you had.What goes around comes around though...They will get theres........
     
  4. knightbringer

    knightbringer Light Load Member

    116
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    Aug 28, 2007
    macon, ga
    0
    Let this be a lesson to all: Beware of the SmurfMobile.
     
  5. pjw044

    pjw044 Heavy Load Member

    Better yet..
    Put the lousy dispatchers in the SAME POS trucks that they give us and
    see if their tune does not change.
    Easy to order people around from a nice cushy office with not having to worry about getting miles to get paid or if this POS truck is going to crap out on you in East Lizard Wizz, Albania or some other God forsaken remote little town that folds its sidewalks up at 3pm....
     
  6. CATFISH

    CATFISH <strong>"Bottom Fishing"</strong>

    62
    0
    Jan 21, 2008
    Greenwood,S.C.
    0
    Now thats a freakin horro story if I have ever heard one. 10 Days without a truck????? wtf?
    How do they expect anyone to put up with that?
     
  7. soon2btruckersgyal

    soon2btruckersgyal Light Load Member

    My boyfriend was hit up by their recruiter and got a good song and dance from them. Glad that you posted this. He had a question...How long have you been working for them?
     
  8. PorkChopExpress

    PorkChopExpress Bobtail Member

    2
    1
    Jan 29, 2008
    smalltown Ohio
    0
    I was with them for 4 months. They do talk a good game, and to be honest, I dont believe that many of the companies that will hire you straight outta school (Swift, Schnieder, etc) would be a helluva lot better, but I guarantee they couldnt be any worse.

    I'd recomend that your boyfriend check out Roehl. They seem to be on the up, and up, and I've heard good things from thier drivers while out on the road shooting the breeze with them on the CB.

    What was pitifull about my experience was that For the whole 14 days that I was without a truck, They had a WHOLE LOT full of brand new KW's. But they said those were reserved for drivers in a certain customers account... I think WalMart, but I don't remember for sure.

    The thing that really got me was that my Dispatcher was such a condecending, argogant, meanspirited #######. I mean, even before the truck broke down, everytime i'd actually speak with him on the phone, he gave off this attitude like he wouldn't piss on me If i was on fire.

    And when the truck broke down, it was even worse. I expected a little empathy... you know, maybe a "Man I'm sorry you're trucks broke down, I'm gonna make a call, and see if we cant get you another truck to get you rolling again."

    But nothing like that at all. Just mean, and condecending. I wished.. ooh god how I wished that guy worked outta the terminal I was at. I GUARANTEE you he wouln't talk to me like that in person.

    Tell your boyfriend to stay as far away from Werner as he can.

    That's the best advice I think I've ever given. Right up there with telling my teenage son to pay attention in school, and wear protection!:biggrin_2559:
     
  9. tame

    tame Bobtail Member

    20
    2
    Jan 28, 2008
    schenectady ny
    0
    omg.. i cant belive there are companys that get away with that crap
    thank you for the heads up..roehl looks better and better every day:biggrin_2552:
     
  10. LadyTrucker99

    LadyTrucker99 Heavy Load Member

    729
    130
    Jan 15, 2008
    Lexington, NC
    0
    If you want 150-500 mile runs--then Werner is for you unless you run teams! :biggrin_25513:
     
  11. animal control

    animal control Medium Load Member

    307
    12
    Aug 7, 2007
    Where I come From
    0
    Greetings Chopper.This is a pretty cool thing(trucker report) even though I get scolded bout my puncuation more than ever anywhere B4.I am on a continuous learning program.Although in stone age I run flatbed outa spfld.term 4Years(90-94).I even had a dispatcher die(RIP Moose)The commerce city terminal(I never got to know well enough to remeber his(Walt?)name) died of heart attack.Salt Lake(RIP Lynn) terminal manager was murdered.They all died young.Sounds like you you are learning more everyday also.Werner is the house of pain.I suggest anyone who hears any Big Trucking company is any different and believes it lower their expectations.And as horribile as Werner is,they run circles round most outfits....Welcome Porkchop......My first werner unit # 2877........Rockin-Roll WEMP
     
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