My experience with Werner, The Big Blue Screw

Actually they pay practical miles on the west buddy, not HGH. Obviously they did not like you though so they gave you the short end of the stick.

 

Did they send you that promise that they pay practical on west coast or did the recruiter tell you this??....

Most co's especially Werner if their recruiters lips are moving...they're lying through their teeth.

 

The day my wheels grind to an abrupt halt...will be the day I stop trucking...forever..until then..THEN Keep on trucking folks!!!!

 

Well....lol....


My experience with Werner is the same as many others have had. One carrier to stay away from that's for sure...

 

Does Werner train as a team or solo operation? The company I'm with trained as a solo where u drove most if not all the time and when u shut down for a break you both shutdown truck didn't keep moving. Also they wanted you to do a vehicle check every 3 hrs or 150 miles. The trainers went through training to become trainers and you needed years of otr to be one. I don't consider my carrier as a Mega carrier but its pretty big and they turn out a lot of drivers. So no not all companies aren't driver mills to what some opinions say. And your right that company is a joke if what you say is true. Either get your time in and get out or do your research and find a comapny, ask the right questions to a recruiter and find out from drivers here or at truck stops to see if the recruiter is feeding u lies. If your fit for trucking who knows but you, you have the option to make out your income and career to do what u want. Dont let them intimdate u because of anything. U don't want to kill yourself your anybody else forget the super truckers that think otherwise. Best of luck.

 

So you drive for werner or someone else?

 

It's driven as a team with Warner. The first half of training there is a curfew for the trainee no driving from I think it was 12:00AM to 6:00AM. The second half no restrictions. Both of my trainers pretty much were able to keep the truck running 24/7. I got a lot of driving time. My major complaint was there was not enough "training". I figured out how to drive the truck safely for 11 hours at a time on the freeway, I think about anyone could do that, but I sure could have used more practice backing up, and I could have used more experience driving through the narrow city streets of LA and SF ---- I think one of the worst thing that happened to me was missing a turn in SF, and driving through narrow streets hoping to god that I would not run into a dead end, the trainer he just kind of sat there and watched. It sure as hell taught me, "don't turn down a street unless you know where it goes" --- once I even stopped the truck and got out to read the street sign that was not visible.... it was one of the things that help me decide to quit trucking, I sure as hell don't like pulling a 53 foot trailer through unfamiliar streets not knowing where I am going.

 

I think driving in California is fairly easy, fun even. That might be because I am familiar with most all the freeways in the Golden State, so to me it's just like a big Disneyland AutoRama for adults! I think all the Werner Trucks were 62mph, but I think they actually went 64mph. Anyway, all the trucks pretty much go 62 mph on all the Freeways, so what I would do would go a little slower, maybe 60, and that way when I came up on a slower truck I could floor it and scream past them at 64 and not take all day to pass. Also, I would usually slow down a bit if I was doing 63 and the passing truck was going 63.5. Another thing in California is coming down the Grapevine, there is a 35mph speed limit for trucks and you better obey it, several Werner Trainees ended up with 65mph tickets --- not sure if that is career ending or not, but you really don't want that on your record.

One thing that surprised me about driving a truck, is how well the jake brakes work (at least on the Petes I drove) Pretty much, you could take any 5% grade in 9th, and any 6% grade in 8th (on the 10 speed)... just remember to shift before starting down the hill. So Donner Summit was fairly easy for me, except it is so long that it is tempting to upshift in sections, and if you're not careful you could find the hill starts getting steeper again and your in a higer gear... I could see a new driver botching that, but it's easy if you pay attention imho.