2 Pre-Hire letters!!!!

I trained for Werner for a year, and I can tell you what my students went thru.

The pay is average, they get new trucks all the time, and they will fix anything that is wrong without questioning you, and the miles are so-so.

But, its a job, and they have pretty relaxed rules, they arent out to get anybody, they dont lash out at people, and the dispatchers are usually decent people. They do electronic logs, but they stick with the easy qualcomm ones, and you can edit anything but like 3, the new ones a super easy. I never really had an issue with them, everyone is so used to them, nobody really complains any more.

Werner has some big advantages if you just want an easy lifestyle, they dont punish for idling, and they dont give you a route, so its a lot easier to stand life on the road. I never got yelled at for driving out of route, and I went on errands and meal trips without being called out. As long as it worked with my logs, nobody said anything. I got talked to about idling, but it turns out the dispatchers are held accountable, they have to file a monthly report if you are over, so its up to them to get you to comply, you dont get written up like at some other companies.

After I was given my first new truck, I kept it in good shape and never had problems. My first truck had 500k on it, and they fixed anything I wanted fixed, but it was up to me to find it, report it, and I got paid $50 a day, so it wasnt a total loss.

But the pay is average until you get on a dedicated, youll make maybe $700 a week solo, but if you can stand training, you can make double that real easy. I made $30k the first half of the year, and worked 14-15 hours a day.

So, Werner is pretty good for guys who want to be alone and dont care too much about top pay, just kinda want to be out on the road and not get treated badly. I always thought Werner was great for "lone wolf" kind of guys, and the dispatchers love those kind of guys. They do their best for family men, but its still hard.
After seeing how other companies run, I have to say that Werner is great for the single guy with no bills, who just wants to get his year and pocket a little cash, or just loves the road and doesnt want any crap from dispatchers. You also choose your own route, so you dont have some desk jockey sending you on some road with 50 lights to save 10 miles.
I didnt realize that most dispatchers dont ask a driver what they think, but Werner dispatchers always asked if I could do something, and their macros ask clearly "can you make this on time?" and other things I havent seen from a surprising number of companies.

They also recently opened a drivers relation department, and I have called up the head of the department and given him and earful a few times. They just broke up the breakdown department and made them sit with the dispatchers, so the dispatchers can turn around and ask the breakdown guys to their face whats going on and why things are taking so long. The waiting times are really reduced...

If you are willing to stay out 5 weeks at a time, any dedicated route will take you but Walmart. The dispatchers love that kind of thing, I never had a problem getting on accounts.

And if you like to work, Dollar General pays pretty well for solo, about a grand a week. Like I said, the other solo drivers make maybe $700 a week, but they take it real easy...

Werner sure has some ugly terminals, but filled with a load of nice trucks. They arent a perfect company, but like I said, they dont lash out, they are kinda relaxed, and you have a lot of control over your work. But its not for people who want to make a lot of money unless you want to train or unload by hand.

 

So if I am understanding your post correctly the $700 a week average is for solo, non-dedicated? I though that they hired new drivers right out of school but a previous post in this thread seems to contradict that?

 

Yes, they hire right out of School. I already have a Pre-Hire from them, and have half of T/T Schooling to go through yet.

 

As a trainer, almost all of their hires are new drivers. New students do 275 hours, which is about 7-8 weeks in the real world.

And yes, the pay is about $700 a week. My solo student on dedicated is bringing home $600. I bring home about a grand a week for training. If you like to work or teach or just help people, training is awesome, but if you dont like to work.... its hell.
Training gave me a whole new outlook on life, I see a 70 hour job as so easy, its like welfare hahaha.

The way it works, your trainer will be awake with you for the first 3 days, and then observe lightly for the next 2 weeks. Once that is done, he will observe at the most important times, in truckstops, at shippers and receivers, things like that. After 3 days, you should be able to keep it on the road, and after 2 weeks you can drive nights, and so the trainer stops driving nights, and finally gets some sleep. So the last few weeks are about you getting comfortable, and him getting rested up to do the night shift and observation for his next student.
When I was training, I would get 3-4 hours of sleep when the truck is stopped, get back up to get loaded, take a short nap, get back up for any mountains or at the next big city, take a nap, get back up for the fuel stop, take a nap, get back up for the another city or mountain or whatever, take a nap... and then have to finish the last 4-8 hours of the run, then get 3-4 hours of sleep, and repeat...

So, the trainer will be there for you any time you need him, but he has to make sure the load gets their on time... so his sleep schedule is all over the place.

As a student, you will get at least 10 hours off every day. When you are on curfew, you might start at 4pm and drive till midnight, and have midnight to 4pm off for the first two weeks. After the first two weeks, you might have any shift, but you will get your 10 hour break, or more.

 

So who will be left to take care of your teen age children while you are out on the road?

Mikeeee

 

I hope your trucking skills are better than your parenting ethics.

Mikeeee

 

Good God if those were my only two choices I'd sell all my stuff and live on the street...