Werner Enterprises enrolls 35,000th apprentice driver

They're not wanting to taut "retention". They are like so many others who are proud to call themselves a "training company" first, and carrier second. Like many others mega training companies, if a driver with 20+ years continuous OTR driving history and spotless records and impeccable work history were to put in an application for any driving position there, the application would be laughed at in the office and quickly posted by the coffee machine for internal laughs.

They don't even want old school drivers for trainers ... nay ... they especially don't want very experienced, "old school" drivers for trainers. That's the last thing they want infecting their "driver" ranks. My guess is, at Werner and Stevens and others, a new CDL company driver who later bought into the contractor game, and now has been there 4 years is a "very senior" driver ... that they're not sure what to do with [or how to feel about] them.

In-cab driver facing cams that many training companies have do TWO things. They help reduce their drivers from being stupid much of the time, and they keep out experienced drivers with "bad habits" who will not tolerate such a policy.

 

wrong but keep guessing.

 

How long do you think a recruiter at Werner would last if they started weeding out the people who meet DOT requirements, but are donuts? A 7k driver pool does not have that luxury.

 

I think you guys are missing the point. These are government programs. Government programs are not run to help anyone. They are run so politicians can claim to help someone. These programs are conceived by well meaning naïve freshly elected public servants They are then taken over by greedy lobbyist-owned government lifers who twist and distort everything to keep themselves on the government teet. It's all about the spin.

THESE PROGRAMS ARE A COMPLETE SUCCESS (by gov't standards)

How they spin it: (what they get to say in front of the camera)
These programs through only one of many partner companies have created over 35,000 jobs. They then get to use these numbers to create good looking growth numbers. They get to claim that the economy is recovering, They use the numbers to twist and tweak every number the gov't creates to convince us everything is ok and getting better. They spin this crap so hard they start to believe it. They believe it so much that they can justify their $80 breakfast on our tab. They believe it so much that they feel no guilt when going on exotic vacations supplied by companies like Werner. It's not a payoff, it's their just reward.

Why wouldn't Werner participate. Their mission isn't to move goods around the country in a professional or safe manner, their mission is to create profit. They receive more than just money for training these people, they get part of their salaries reimbursed and tremendous tax incentives.

So what's my point? If you think these programs are about drivers or employment or trucking or veterans or the struggling unemployed.... you are delusional. THEY ARE ABOUT USING THE SYSTEM TO MAKE THE RICH RICHER AND KEEPING US STUPID WHILE THE DO IT.

 

This isn't all that uncommon with training companies. USX is closing in on 100,000 new hires since 2009 when I got my company ID. But that also covers anyone that comes to orientation and also new mechanics and office staff. but Id bet a good 95000 are new drivers to the company. Trucking aint for everyone and there is no way to know for sure until you do it.