Werner Orientation

Well hey, I hope that's the case, my recruiters adamit on telling me I must take a driving and backing.. Maybe if you train with them, they trust ya.. I dunno. Well see.. Hopefully it works out for me, that's about all I'm going to focus on.. Well that and maybe getting a half decent truck!

 

12,000 trucks shortage yeah right

 

At Dallas,experienced drivers do have to do a road test.

 

Yeah, I figured. I'm not unsafe or anything.. I remember what I need to do.. Just I'm worried on my double clutchin.. I've been just floatin away, ya know? Why waste my clutch, when I can just get em in without touchin her, but I was a lease op for a good while as well, so I'm more used to low rpm shifting and not puttin wear on things.. Hell ill take dallas over chicago anytime..

Any specifics on the dallas driving test? Type of truck? What type of tranny( oh yeah, what do ya'll use? 13's or 9's?), any paticular spot that I should be aware?

 

You could end-up driving almost anything, Century, Cascadia, Prostar, or 387. Werner is almost all 9 speed trannies. My truck is a 9 speed where 8 and 9 are auto.

 

My husband is getting back into the trucking industry, I will try to post and tell you how that all goes when we are able to firm everything down this coming week; however, I will tell the guy that is thinking about taking the dollar general account...in a nutshell, I wouldn't. Of course, the choice is up to you and everyone should weigh all experiences and complaints, but I believe forums are a great way to give advice, opinions and information to folks that have open ears, so our experience just a couple years ago was that the account seemed to pay more than other dedicated runs, but:

* you have to load and unload roll-tainers (400-500lbs) in which they pack top heavy (light on bottom, heavy on top), clean up any spills of unidentifiable liquids, fingers smashed a lot, toes crushed a lot, if you're parked on an incline, you have to keep the rolltainers from rolling out the trailer (happened a lot), hope and pray the liftgate works when you need to unload, if a store is not set up to take rolltainers, you have to unload every piece by hand
* put up with complete loser store clerks and managers that have terrible attitudes, lose your paperwork and then tell you to "just go on and they'll fax it" HA! or call Werner and say that you were late when you weren't because they knew they didn't get to you in time (as negotiated in DG's contract w/Werner), will ask you to unload when you are out of hours and scream at you when you refuse, and then dispatch will call and try to make you unload
* back into SUPER tight spots...not for inexperienced drivers and my husband WAS put on this account having had 3 months of OTR experience total ever, including being with a trainer
* are pressured to go into extremely unsafe neighborhoods at hours of the night where you are VERY likely to get jumped, shot or your truck looted. My husband was unloading once in the morning and MS gang members jumped in the back of the trailer to take stuff...they couldn't see my husband because he was in the back unloading. He managed to scare them off and the whole time the manager of the store saw what was going on and had locked their doors watching the whole event take place. Awesome. Told dispatch what happened later and they simply informed him that if anything is stolen, it is on the DRIVER
* most important, the dispatch crew seemed to be very alienated from the rest of Werner and the culture of the company....on their own rules and in their own world. If you think regular OTR or regional Werner has sub-par dispatch procedures and dispatchers, then these guys are complete nightmares. My husband is probably the most agreeable person that I know, and he had so many problems with them
* Do not let them tell you that all stores are set up to take rolltainers - some stores cannot physically accept rolltainer unloads and must be done by hand.

My husband is young, in great shape and a hard worker (used to be a brick mason), just FYI. He really did enjoy a dedicated route and the home time it provided, he even enjoyed working for Werner as a whole OTR, but the DG acct was not worth it. We don't really think this experience is indicative of all of Werner drivers in all aspects, but it was worth posting so you can evaluate for yourself! Werner is a big company and has lots of accounts and avenues, so not to despair, hope it is helpful.

 

Ya, I figured it would be luck of the draw.. Anyone know the equipment manager in dallas? That way I can atleast talk to them he first day.. And see if I can't get what I want.. It would be nice if those are my only options.. To get the prostar.. But if there happens to be any long noses.. I would hope for one.. Well thanks! I just really hope I don't get a auto.. That would really kill truck driving for me..

 

So anyone going to be in dallas orientation wed? Ill be there,so just wanted to see if I could get a bud that way we could room together. Anyone also runnin thru little rock on the grey dog?

 

DM are you over here now? Didn't know you were not with central anymore. I am looking at werner myself for Wal-mart dedicated out of Gas City, In.

Just currious if anyone knows if Wal-mart makes werner put APU's on the dedicated trucks. I heard from an OTR driver they did, but I just wanted to make sure. Would really love to have a truck with an APU

 

Hi, are these opean book test