some werner stats

I work for Werner in the office. I'm fairly new, but if any one has any questions or complaints, feel free to post them here and I'll see if I can help.

I'd like to add some useful information to this thread if I can... first off, I will check at work tomorrow if we ever start people as low as .23 CPM, and what a regular guy stands to make when he starts. And no, I will not ask recruiting.

I hope this is not viewed as a commercial, but have you guys ever figured out what all of the bonus and additional pay adds to your check? I have personally seen people being written $600-$1200 annual bonuses along with students being paid nice chunks of change for tuition reimbursement.

I've taken the following from the Werner page and I'll let you know what I think about them:

Solo Mileage Bonus Pay

Bonus pay is a 1/2 cent to 2 cents for all paid miles during the month with qualifying month mileage varying per division.

A LOT of drivers get a monthly bonus, but I don't think it adds much to pay.
Team Mileage Bonus Pay

Bonus pay is an additional 2 cents - 3 cents on all paid miles for the month with qualifying month mileage.

Not sure about this one.
Fuel Efficiency Bonus

Earn 1/2 cent to 2 1/2 cents extra per mile with qualifying MPG ranges depending on the type of equipment, and if it is summer or winter season.

From what I've seen, this isn't a very large amount for most drivers.
Achievement Bonus

This yearly bonus is a 1/2 cent on all paid miles driven during the year.(Teams split pay)

These are pretty big checks in a lot of cases. It depends what division you work for, but usually if you get less miles, you are compensated in other ways.
Other Additional Pays

Multiple Stop Pay

If your load requires you to make more than the one original pickup and final drop, we'll pay $25 for the first, $35 for the second, $50 for the third, and $75 for the fourth.

Not sure if these are competitive or anything, but they are paid.
Hiring Bonus

Up to $3,000 depending on the division. Please contact Werner Recruiting for more details.

I've seen $1,000, but I'm not sure what you have to do to get the $3,000.
Driver Referral Pay

We offer a driver referral bonus, which pays up to $1,500 for a solo qualified and up to $2,250 for qualified team.

I'm sure a lot of drivers can get this if you know someone.
Shag Pay

For trips of 100 miles or less, you will receive your regular per mile pay plus $20 for each trip.

I don't if this is competitive and I don't know how many drivers get it.
Loading and Unloading Pay

80% of Werner freight is drop and hook, but we will pay for a lumper to load and unload the trailer. Earn $40 if you fingerprint an entire load without assistance, and $20 if you handle an entire load with assistance.

It seems to me that we should raise this a little, maybe a driver good make some good money and get out of the cab once in a while... However, I'm unsure if it is competitive compared to other companies.
Layover Pay

We'll pay $20 after the first 24 hours, then $40 each day after. Teams get double the solo rate. Long Island Pay, add $40 if your load requires you to load or unload in parts of New York City or Long Island.

Not sure about this, I hope it isn't used too much. I've never seen any figures about it, but I can tell you one thing -- this is something Werner does not want to do. We want our drivers out on the road and making money, not waiting, but we don't always get our way.

 

I'd like to add one more thing:

.94c of every dollar is spent on expenses in this company and it is being squeezed by the labor market, lower freight demand, fuel cost, etc.

Take a look at the publicly available numbers and see for yourself:

Code:

 
Salaries, wages and benefits  150,521      29.9   146,613      29.8
  Fuel                           89,085      17.7    88,646      18.0
  Supplies and maintenance       39,591       7.9    37,792       7.7
  Taxes and licenses             30,163       6.0    29,469       6.0
  Insurance and claims           24,205       4.8    19,195     3.9
  Depreciation                   42,557       8.4    41,101       8.3
  Rent and purchased
   transportation               100,215      19.9    88,019      17.9
  Communications and utilities    5,092       1.0     4,895       1.0
  Other                          (4,782)     (1.0)     (630)     (0.1)
                               --------- --------- --------- ---------
    Total operating expenses    476,647      94.6   455,100      92.5
                               --------- --------- --------- ---------
Operating income                 27,266       5.4    36,822       7.5
                               --------- --------- --------- ---------
 

 

Well it all started when I arrived at allentown PA for orentation. The second I walked into the terminal I knew this was not the place for me. They did not make you feel welcomed at all. But, I was thier and I was going to see what it was all about. The tranning was a big joke and the instructors thought the were drill sargents and thought they were all that. After orentation my tranier picked me up at the Hotel 3 days after orentaion ended. The first few hours went ok with him, but then all hell broke loose. We had a load to pick up about 100 miles away from the hotel. Right after we got the load it was my turn to drive. The tranier set the GPS for me and told me he needed to get some sleep and jsut to follow the gps. Well about five minutes after he got into the bunk he open his first beer. he proceeded to drink the whole time I was driving which ment no traning for me. This went on everytime he would stop driving, he would start to drink. I called My student driver manager to let them know about his drinking on a daily basis and they told me that billy was with the company 15 yrs and was a great driver. In a nut shell they did not want to hear the truth nor did theyt care. Well after 6 days with billy Her got into a fight with dispach and quit the company right in the middle of a load. He dropped me and the trailor of in henderson CO at terminal at 5pm on a wenseday. Well thier was no one at the termial that could help me as I sit thier will all my bags. other driver that were thier just kinda laughed at the situation. I had to call the student department so they could get me to a hotel. they told me to take a cab over to this hotel and check in and they would pay for the cab. Well I get to the hotel and the student department has not called them to get me a room, what a supprise. I took me about 2 hours to get a room. I still have not been paid for the $25.00 cab ride. Well they get a new trainer to pick me up a few days later. This tranier atleast did not drink on the job but was not much better. I could go on for hours as to all the #### he put me thougt, but the bottom line is I got off the truck in waco tx, took a cab from a flying j truck stop to the airport( wich cost me $190.00) but all I wanted at that point was to get away from werner. Got on a plane in dallas tx to fly home. so my three weeks with werener cost me about $800.00. Yes they will give you a job right out of school but please dont go. It will be hell. I did read all kind of bad post before I went and I wish I would had never gone. They do no give a #### about the drivers. Oh ya by the way my second trainer was leaving the in two weeks for another company. Also My second trainer only had 8 months behind the wheel. I don't know about you, but I want my tranier to have alot more time over the road before he or she trains me.

 

You also should know that O/O are not forced dispatch.

 

Hell, they asked me to be a trainer after 6 months.

 

Well i have no "nightmare trainer" stories to tell but i can give you some of my experience there. I went to werner with bout 6 mths experience. First of all, after orientation, they give me a truck--no driving test or nothin--just the DOT physical and drug screen. It started off pretty good for the first couple weeks--then downhill it goes. And yes they get pretty swap happy. I drove to some odd spots to pick up someone else's load. One time they even went so far to have me pick up someone's load and they was nice enough to give me the wrong directions. All in all--the miles got shorter and the waits for loads go longer--and we all know you cant live like that especially if you got a house payment waitin on you at home. Werner was real good at running me out of hours too while i was "delivering someone else's load" and then wanna punish you for violating . LOL They paid me pretty decent for 6 mths experience but the miles just wasnt there and the waits were really annoying. I never had no really bad things to happen at werner though--just too long waits and no miles became an issue--the reason i left.

 

All these stories can't be the work of a few unhappy drivers.

 

I'm sure you can do better! Avoid them!