Newbie Pay working for werner

I would agree with you, except they still have the team mentality, e.g. my trainer drove those hours and slept while I was driving during the day. Granted I had some experience, but it wont stop other trainers from the same type of thing. They said the reason was, "Most accidents occur during those hours" Which may be true, I have never researched this statement.

 

The truck I had, did not have an APU, but they were talking about starting to put them back in trucks, this may have happened in the last 4 months. I dunno....

 

I chose Schneider and so should you! Haha. Seriously though, I did a lot of research and they seemed the best for me. 2 1/2 weeks and I was done. $80/day wasn't bad either. Clean motel, free breakfast and lunch. I've been to 3 of their OC's so far and everyone is friendly and helpful.

 

The only reason I went with Werner is they were the first to call me and give me a date to be at orientation. The rest left messages saying they had tried to call but there were no messages on my phone. From talking to other drivers on the road all the larger training companies are about same.

I was paid $450 a week during training. I had to do 275 hours driving, took me a couple days over six weeks, was on the way to Laredo TX when I hit my 275, about four hours later I was at the terminal, next day I was driving out with my first solo load. I was with the same trainer for the whole time. He went home twice and Werner put me up in a hotel near his home.

Only Werner company trucks that have Apu's are the older trucks. My truck has an idle shutdown that will only let it idle for ten minutes when the temp is between 25 and 75. However, if the temp drops below 25 and goes back up it will continue to idle until I move it.

I have been with them for seven months and have been running as much as I want, no problem with miles and only issues with dispatch are the clowns that work at night and weekends.

I went thru orientation with former Schneider, Swift, Stevens, and CR England drivers. They all were badmouthing the former companies. Have had drivers on the road tell me horror stories of working for Werner, so it seems the job is what you make it. I wouldn't want a career at Werner but to get the experience I need to go with one of the better paying companies they are as good as any.

 

last i heard was that newer werner trucks did not have apu's anymore but i would go with may out of all of those places and schneider second. may is a well run outfit that has decent equipment and seem to treat their drivers well. plus living on the west coast you would probably see home more with them

 

Thanks for that level headed post,I was starting to think that every company is just out to screw everybody. I need to get through school and training but some of these posts can be discouraging. I think it's true-life is 10% what happens and 90% how you deal with the first 10%. Thanks again!

 

I am getting $400 a week while in training. after taxes (i claim zero) its about $304 a week.

after training its $0.26 per mile for solo rookies
it could be more cpm if you are on a dedicated run
teams make .17 per driver starting out.

if you complete training without taking a break (or leave as they say), then you get a $500 graduation bonus (less taxes of course).

teams are offering a $7500 bonus (payable over a year).

if you want to make money at Werner do your first year, then become a trainer. you get your miles plus the students miles times your cents per mile.

my trainer and I have been running about 5700 miles a week. (he is making .34 cents per mile).

nonsense. the trucks will idle 22° F or below and at 75° F or higher.
and lol at Swift being better.

they arent buying trucks with apu's anymore to my knowledge with exception to 2 million mile safe drivers or higher (3, 4 and 5 million miles).

 

partially true.

the trainer must log 15 hours of observation time in the first week of training and an additional 15 hours in the 2nd week.

once the required 30 hours in 2 weeks is completed the student is no longer restricted to curfew driving.

 

Solos drive at night too...lol. I think a trainee should get experience driving all hours of the day and night.

 

I'm not gonna lie...the first 2 weeks I was on curfew and couldn't drive after midnight, but once my curfew was done, he's been trying to make me drive like 5 or 6 at night till 5 or 6 am (within my 11 hours). I have really been struggling with completing a full 11 hour shift when the sun is down...so far I've stopped twice to take 60 and 90 minute naps, and that still didnt get me through it.

Of course, he says I'm not getting enough sleep, but I am, I'm getting 7.5 - 8 hours which is what I need. I even proved his theory wrong by getting 10 hours of sleep and I didn't even make it to the 7 hour period the other night before I was just dead tired and shut it down. Too much sleep makes me even more tired. I have no problem getting up at 2 am or 3 am or 4, 5 or 6 am to start a driving shift, but my biological clock is just saying HELL no to going to bed when the sun is still up, and then trying to drive from 8 pm - 7 am...just not working for me at all. I never have been able to work a 3rd shift job for this same reason, I fall asleep around 3 am or 4 am on the night shift, and it's gotten me in trouble at former jobs, and I just quit because I couldn't handle the 3rd shift schedule. Last job I had like that, I gave it 3 months and tried to adapt and I just couldn't.

He doesn't seem to care though, still keeps trying to force me to do it, and when I call it a night after 8 or 9 hours, he gets all pissed and says now the load is gonna be late. I just shrug and say, not my problem, that's what you get for trying to force someone to drive during hours they are obviously and clearly struggling at.

The only way I will be able to drive at night is to leap frog it. Drive 4-6 hours, stop and sleep 2 or 3, drive a few more, then sleep for 10, and start again. But I know plenty of drivers who never drive night shift and they are OTR, and they still get their miles and good pay. Just gotta work the schedule right.