Back at Werner

Keep your hands on only bottom of steering wheel and turn your hand in the direction you want your trailer to move

 

That sounds difficult, I steer one handed other hanging out window, and don’t look until i hear glass break, and people screaming.

 

I have some good friends who driver team for Werner, they have been there for 3 years now on the Hobby Lobby account and love it. They tell me they could make more in other places but they love their fleet manager and never have a problem getting home time.

 

Job satisfaction means more than money to a lot of people. A lot of other people dont understand that.

 

I want to know if I'm making the right choices, I have federal job, I make 68k a year, I struggle with this pay. The benefits are great but I'm a disabled veteran, I don't need them, will I do better financially at werner on regional and local?

 

@Newbe73 --

The short answer: depending on what your disability is...and the extent of it...you can do better, money-wise.

But driving a truck is A LOT MORE HOURS. Say, "Good bye"...to a normal, 8-9 hr, 5-day-per-week govmnt routine. You will put in A LOT MORE TIME.

The opportunities are there...but it's definitely a "higher calling". Be prepared to sleep in the truck. For days. At truck stops. With other, adjacent trucks idling ALL NITE LONG.

For dry van duty, you'll need enough arm, hand, back...& leg motion/use/strength to pull a 5th-wheel release arm (approx 50-60 lbs). You'll need to be able to squat down enough to look/get under a typical 53-ft trailer. Also -- you should have enough upper body/leg strength/motion to climb up into the trailer -- while using the trailer's Mansfield bumper bar.

If you can do the above -- you could probably pass the agility test.

The DOT physical exam isn't really bad. It looks for major issues.

Do you have sleep apnea? If so, they may well ask you for a cpap compliance report. Be able to generate a good one for 90 days.

Hope this helps....

-- L

 

68k 40 hrs a week federal benefits and a pension, I'd stay right where your at

 

Agree -- you would probably soon miss the govmnt working conditions...& the perks.

If $$$ is a problem -- look for possible non-competing, side hussle opportunities, instead.

After you retire from the gubmint (with an intact fed pension) -- then you mite consider giving the CDL world a try.

-- L

 

A part time job to make up for the money should do the trick, but to quit your current job for trucking full time, bad idea.

 

You won't do better at Werner.

 

Do you live in a high cost area? $68K is pretty good money, especially when you also have military or VA benefits.