My Experiences At Werner Enterprises (As a Student Driver)

Sounds like you've been more than patient with all that nonsense. If it continues you might want to consider your options.

 

And this is how Werner keeps their costs low,use trainees as low paid team drivers,then kick them to the curb ASAP after testing out.You are very expendable as there are dozens more hopeful students coming in behind you each and every week.

 

You think your pay is low now, wait till you test out and are on detention pay! Once you test out, your pay will be $20 per day detention pay until you get rolling in a rig.They will probably give you a rig that needs repairs and it will be up to you to take it to repair shops;it can take more than a few days first to locate a tractor then you probably have to travel to another terminal to get it.It could be up to 2 weeks before you get rolling with a road worthy rig. And I hope you never meet Mark the safety manager in Omaha.

 

Sorry, Jimmy, I have to agree with the warning from whosedog. Mechanical problems in the truck you are assigned will be the worst kind of luck. A friend of mine who started as a rookie, tested out, and began solo driving 2 years ago - be he only lasted a few months because his rig had to go into the garage weekly, nobody seemed to know what was wrong with it; then on a big hill it totally lost power and he was rear-ended by another 18-wheeler. Werner fired my friend. It was either that, or admit they had been negligent all along. Now somebody is going to say the following, and it is probably right. "Nobody forces you to drive an unsafe truck." But when Omaha or Springfield mechanics at the terminal keep giving the truck an 'ok' after a perfunctory tweaking of this or that dang thing - what is the driver supposed to do? Take a leave of absence?

 

Well here's a tip! If they won't fix the problem, well clean the darn thing out say see ya.

 

listen my friend do not waste your time with these big companies like werner, swift western express, stephens transport, shneider, central refrigerated, they are all a joke, especially for a new driver, you gonna do 2,000miles a week for 28 cents per mile, that means you will gross 560 after taxes you looking at 400$ after money spent on the road you are lucky to make 250$ for the whole week, and what do you get out of that????? gone all week for crap pay, might as well go to mcdonalds and ask for over time will make the same but you will be home daily

 

After 3.5 months of Werner coolie pay,my son was terminated for hard braking. He landed a real job yesterday,apprentice union roofer,starts at $18 per hour,when you finish your apprenticeship the total pay package (pension # benies plus pay) = $78 per hour. Hard work but good pay and you sleep in your own bed every night. He's glad that he tried trucking but in his opinion ,truckers are so underpaid for the BS they have to put up with.He said when he's too old for roofing and can pension out, he may go back to trucking.He did enjoy hanging out and BSing with drivers at terminals & truckstops.

 

So true, unfortunatly!

 

Some people have to start somewhere.