Werner Enterprises, Inc. - Omaha, Ne.

Congrats pal...if you live near a Carter Express terminal and are sick of being on the road all the time and would like to try a dedicated route with great pay and folks who treat you right...give them a try

 

I know a couple of old guys who worked for Werner for years back when the old man was in charge and they loved it there. The problem is that as long as people are willing to work for nothing things will remain as they are at companies like that. The guy who's been there for ten years probably is making a pretty good living. The 1,000,000,000 people who cycle in and out of that place out of truck driving scam, uh school, every year never will. And never will anywhere else either because of their "6 months and I'm out of here to get a local job paying $70k a year" attitude.

 

Actually he wasn't...at least when I talked to him... complained about sitting more than running. You hit the nail on the head about folks working for nothing...there is money to be made in the industry and darn good money too...for the last few years I have run less than four days a week and easy money..and know many folks like that..

 

Your last load of the week will be your home load and you will get home either Friday or Saturday. They don't load trailers on Sundays and the first loads out on Monday will be ready around 10 a.m. or so. I lived about three hours from the DG and my dispatcher would let me know Monday morning when my first load would be ready then i would head up to the DG.

 

You know, trucking is like any other profession out there. You start in the mail room and work your way up. I imagine some college grads think their first job should be CEO but they have to start at the ground floor like everybody else. We just have to pay our dues like everyone else. Now, why would anyone hire a driver with 6 months experience and pay them 70K a year. If you start with a training company like Werner, Swift, or Schneider, to name a few, get your two years experience then move on if you feel the need. Most local non-training companies require at least two years experience before they can hire you due to their insurance coverage.

 

So very true....

 

It's unfortunate you encountered a trainer like that. But, I've heard of such encounters similar to yours with other companies so I don't think it is fair to single out Werner because of this. He sounds like a very petty, self absorbed type of person and not very caring of those in his charge.

I'm an Owner Op with Werner and reading posts like yours are helpful as I will start training students next year. If everyone conducted themselves in a professional manner and respected the other guy then we would have far fewer of these incidents. As for a student eating or drinking while driving, if he can do so safely without becoming distracted then maybe. Phone, no as I don't even use my phone while driving and music okay as long as it doesn't disturb the guy in the sleeper. But like everything, there is a time and place for it and there are situations where it is not safe and all your powers of concentration are needed so common sense is needed.

 

My point is that things have changed and not for the better. It's really kind of sad.

 

I have 40 more hours to go and my training will be done. Completed orientation 5 weeks ago and should be finished in less than a week. They got me out with a trainer 3 hours after I completed orientation. I am satisfied with my experience so far except that my trainer is a know it all (a John Wayne wannabe). He is moody, hasn't used a toothbrush once in 5 weeks (the few teeth left in his mouth are rotting out) and sometimes goes 4-5 days without taking a shower. He claims he trains mostly women drivers and I am convinced that he doesn't like the fact he's been stuck with me. He sometimes speaks to some of his female ex-students via phone and his conversations are quite inappropriate and unprofessional. But outside of that everyone else in the company has been great. I'm just looking forward to getting in my own truck and being on my own. My feeling is, once I do I'll be just fine. I'm a hard worker, I don't complain and I'm not a little cupcake like some of the whiners that have written on this thread. The truck and trailers I've driven are in great condition and they have been right on top of the few issues I have encountered. No real complaints here, I'm hoping that will continue into the future. I will repost soon as to my future experiences.

 

The trainer should not be in the sleeper. He should be in the passenger seat, no matter how many years "trainee" has. it is not supposed to be a team operation, Way to go Werner