Werner training?

I think ts funny, everybody writes this or something like it. Thing is, were is a new guy (and im not) going to go and get hired right out of school or with less than a year under his belt. Everybody learned from somebody or some were. Im sure if we all think back to our first trucking job we didnt like it or it was no bed of roses and so on and so on. Point is, if they have to go some were to get some miles, let them. And if they cant put up with the crap from any of them, werner, swift, cre and so on than I think we all agree that they will not make it as a driver. Come on, slow freight, bad dispatchers, equipment problems, isnt that something that ALL of us encounter as drivers. Remember, nobody in this world does anything to us that we do not allow them to do.

 

My first trucking job was with Falcon. My first paycheck was around $100! My second, I was in the HOLE! And I was doing three round trips a week, Detroit to Delaware. And they would not let me near ANY toll roads! Man that sucked! I lasted two paychecks, took the truck back to the yard and handed them the keys!

To be honest, it was something like 10 years before I even made any real money out here, long story involving an ex with a #### good attorney. I used to be a nurse, but found myself homeless... Man those years were butt fugly, trucking at least gave me a roof and two squares a day. But the pay was nothing to write home about. But, I didn't have a home, so I was just grateful for the roof and food.

Now, I own my own truck and trailer, had a fleet, blah, blah and blah. Trucking has been berry berry good to me!

Funny thing now is, is that I am now leased to Schneider! Whod'a THUNK! But the money is good, and they do have freight. Flat bedding ain't what it used to be...

Mike

 

I've read lots and lots of posts online. The conclusion I've come to about OTR is at first it can be your worst nightmare. A good many of us are used to working 9 to 5's and not having to worry about our paychecks. All the work is done for us by payroll department. All one has to do is show up for work and there it goes. OTR on the other hand is not like that. Basically you get paid for the mileage you put in. Some weeks the mileage is good, others not so good. This can be a problem for some of us.

When the average person has bills to pay coming in from just about everywhere. A short or no paycheck not coming come in can be a big problem. I understand, but one can not expect the OTR companies to understand. In the real world it's every man for themselves. We all wish we could live in a world were we're taken cared of and one has nothing to worry about. This is just not the case here.

Companies succeed to make money, bottom line. I understand that. We can go over and over people's experience with OTR. The industry isn't going to babysit you. It's up to the individual to do what he or she has to do in order to survive. If one spends the resource and time typing negatively how they were treated by OTR. Turn that negativity in your favor. Learn and try not going down the same road again. Ask questions, get answers from more experienced truckes. Everyone has stories to tell learn from it. Information is invaluable.

 

People on this forum "Do not work for Werner, PAM, JB, Schneider, Arrow, US Express, FFE, Swift, or (insert name of any other co you might thing of working for cause someone always has a reason to badmouth)"

Reality: Who the hell else is hiring students right now? I can only think of 4 co's hiring students right now, and all four are listed above.

What you want them to come out of school and grab a local job?! How often does that happen?

Can we be realistic here? The reality is if these students WANT TO BE A TRUCKER, they HAVE to start somewhere, and it will probably be the SAME co's that every one else did.

In reality, the greater majority of people whom start school and then end up at one of these starter co's will quit. This is true. The reality is that the greater majority of these people will of course blame the company for being evil.

The -real- reality is that these people entered trucking school with rosey ideas of sightseeing the country, an RV adventure, being paid 60k+ a year, and not realizing that in trucking company recruiters LIE or EXAGGERATE. Its not normal that you go to a job and the person hiring LIES to you. But that is in trucking.

The real reality is these people thought they would be home weekly, or nightly. They didn't realize that students 99.99999% of the time end up OTR. And will be OTR for min. a year. And that OTR is usually 21 days out, 3-4 days home. Or even longer out. They can't handle this sudden idea they will be away from their bf/gf/wife/husband/kids/family/house/dog/so on for so long. If this is the case, you shouldn't be a trucker. Expect to see your house a few times a year, hope for better (most do get home monthly or bi-monthly but its better to expect the worse). But if the idea of being away for that long makes you very uncomfortable. Probably not the job for you.

The real reality is these people believed they would make 60k a year. Which is perhaps possible driving a truck, BUT NOT FOR A NEWBIE. For a newbie you are looking around 22-30k at best, depending on how often you go home and your co's miles because frankly going home cost you money almost every time in the time it takes to get dispatched to and from the house. Some people are lucky in live in a high freight area, most are not. If you cannot survive at 400 a week, trucking might not be for you. Will you make more? Probably, but 400.00 a week is a good reference point for your first few month's. Werner is VERY upfront with what they pay students. I believe it is 325 a week until they graduate to drivers.

Reality is people don't go into trucking with all the right information. You aren't going to sight see, or if you do it won't be much. You have 10 hours free and most of that time is spent sleeping because once you get on that 10/10 schedule you are going to always be tired. Trucking is not just driving. There is dealing with shippers, receivers, the general public whom generally seems to be trucker unfriendly, dealing with traffic, unloading, loading.

Werner is where I started, where I trained, and where I would go back to if I needed another job. They paid me what they said they would, I had min. issues, and they have 8-9 autos. Basically 8 gears, and the truck auto shifts to 9.

 

well I can tell you that 275 hours is your driving hours (ONly) There are companies that combine the miles or hours with the trainer. And last I knew werner had eight. I know 275 sounds like a bunch. But look at this way. You will be coming out of training better prepared for the real world. More so than some of these other companies

 

Hear, Hear!!! and well said, IROCUBabe.

Every day, there is another person here talking about how the lousy, lying recruiters set him/her up for utter failure and economic destruction.

I know that I will be lucky to make $30k year 1. I am going to try my best to blow those numbers out because I will be willing to stay out and take the load.

I am fortunate because my wife and son are helping to make this possible for me and I am going to be the best dadgum newbie on the road come November 11 (the day orientation ends and I climb aboard with my trainer).

As a veteran of the USAF, I think it's kind of apropos and I am honored to do this on Veteran's Day. Many have sacrificed and even died to give me the freedom to seek opportunities in life to do things like this.

 

94Nole,
If ya would just support the correct team, you'd REALLY be an ok dude !!
Thank You for your service !!!!!

GO GATORS !!!!

 

AAGGGGHHHH!!! You're killin' me, Jim!!! Well, we can't all be Gator fans.

It's funny, I'd like to say that I went to FSU out of some grand plan. I didn't. I went to FSU because that's where the Florida Department of Environmental Protection state offices are located (obviously, since it's the capitol).

My wife is an Env. Biologist. When I got out of the USAF, she went to work for the DEP. If their offices had been in G'ville (See, I can't even type that word...sorry), I'd have been a Gat......oh, the thought is just too much to bear. I have to go now.......

 

Iroc, very well stated. I am just starting out in this industry. I had always been interested and wondered what it would be like to be a trucker. A few years ago around July 2007, I saw this movie trailer, "Alligator on the Zipper" Anyway, that really fueled my interest and so I began to look into becoming a trucker. I decided it was what was going to do around February 2008. So it has been since then that I have been researching, planning, and preparing.

I was taught, that when you are broke and out of work, you get a job or two, When you can afford it, have enough money saved up for your first year or two, and the time is right, you start a new career.

 

i had the misfortune of driving for Werner and going through their training. worst mistake i ever made was to sign on with them. first they say that you only have to do 275 hours, but when you get them they keep you as far away from terminals as possible for as long a possible. just so they can keep paying you student wages instead of having to pay you as an A seat driver. i have talked to alot of dispatchers at their HQ and even fleet managers and they have all told me that on day 1 they are told that drivers are replaceable.

if you need to be home at a certain time, even if you put in for it months ahead of time, you will almost never get there on time, even if you have an emergency at home, like i did you probably wont get there anytime soon. i live just south of St. louis, and one day i found out that my father was in the hospital and that he didnt have much time left. so i called in, told them what was up and that i needed to get home, keep in mind that i was in st. louis at the time. i thought that they were gonna let me deadhead or bobtail home, but then i got a message on the qualcomm saying that they needed me to pick up another load, take it to denver, deliver it, grab a load there take it to kansas city, deliver it, pick up a third load and take it back to st. louis. i said you do realize that i have an emergency and need to go home, they replied that they were very sorry but i HAD to do this run, that if i didnt they would fire me. so when i read that, remember that all of this is being said over the qualcomm, they wouldn't say it to me over the phone, i stopped answering all messages and drove home. when i got there i called them up and told them that they can send someone down to my house to pick up the truck, and i quit. and i dont regret it for a minute.

ya know maybe i just had a bad experience with them, but when ever a company says that driver are replaceable, then thats not a company you want to drive for.