Company Overview
Number of trucks: 7,285
Number of terminals: 11
Specialty: CPG, retail, manufacturing, industrial, grocery, logistics
Labor status: Non-union
For detailed reviews, see Comments.
Truck Drivers Review Werner Enterprises
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Been training with Werner for 4 weeks now and we have stayed busy, hopefully it will stay that way.
Like any company they have rules, they tell you the rules and you follow them or you don’t it is your choice.
Thats a bunch of bull…werner is a terrible company for minorities to recieve equal fair pay as a solo driver
No they screw everyone not just minority
Hope you have some money saved cause you’ll need it.
Woody
Can you give a couple of examples of the ‘rules’ that someone might not follow?
Here’s a few examples.Be never be late to deliver a ld.Must brownnose otherwise u wont get anymiles.No idling your trk otherwise that could result in termination.Must like the miles that u get even if its a thousand miles or less a week.Must like sitting for grs and days on end waiting for a ld.Werner is a big company.Which means many dept and each dept has rules pertaining to only the drivers.So had better learn to love and obide by their rules or quit.
Hi there i start training march 15 with werner.a little before i go to omaha are u getting your loads daily and are u sitting alot.and also are they getting u home like they promise.i have 2 young kids 8 and 3 and i dont want to miss out on there growing up.please reply with truth just got done with trk school and if i dont like the company i’ll be out 3100 for tuition. thanks
If you got kids stay home..being a trucker..you will MISS a lot..going on my 16 yr…I love trucking but it has caused me to miss out on a lot of my kids lives…it’s part of trucking
Don’t go OTR, there are a lot of driving job’s where you can be home every day or night, and have your weekends off. I have over 35 years driving, it has cause me 2 divorce’s, and a lot of bill’s. I didn’t see my kids grow up and wasn’t home for any time at all, when I was home it was to sleep, kiss the wife and out the door again for another 2 or 3 months. Good luck at what ever you deside to do.
Any human being that would sign up to be a trucker with kids is not making a very good decision,unless he just can’t stand to be around his kids.
Ryan, here is my experience with driving OTR. I had a 3 year old kid at the time I started driving OTR. After 5 months my daughter stopped calling me daddy. It hurt me so bad that I told my boss that I will not be able to drive OTR anymore. A month later I got a job with Pepsi in which I was home every night. It took a while before my daughter called me daddy again.
Damn that hurt , I’m about to change soon myself
Many will complain about lack of miles or lack of home time. You have to choose your poison. Like any company … If the tires arent turning you arent earning. If you want to be home often the only way that will happen is with a dedicated route (dollar acct or home daily acct). Those who tend to have nothing positive to say wont have anything positive to say about any company they sign on with. In short, your experience with any company you sign on with will be just that… “Your experience”. Dont let others make up your mind for you. Make it up for yourself. Beat of luck.
A Non-Werner Driver.
yup most companies are like that. How do you think they got so big
Werner company policy is 10 hours of idle time a day if you are in a non APU equipped truck. Anyone telling you different is full of it.
Do you find they favor men over women when it comes to getting a load?
I worked for Werner for 3.5 years (1997 thru 200), and there seemed at the time to be no hint of favoring one driver over another based upon gender (or any other irrelevant factor). I was told they outgrew that sort of thing a decade earlier, after discovering women can do the job every bit as well as men, and that it costs a lot less to have rigs hauling freight rather than sitting in a truck stop or terminal.
What are you taking about? I get over 3000 miles a week working otr… Just don’t refuse /complain about loads or your dispatch and they’ll keep you running. Ain’t nothing bad about that, even with low mileage pay.
I disagree.as a otr driver u shouldn’t have to do runs of 30 miles. And if you don’t then they will play games with you.
Ryan & Mike
I had trained with Werner the first company I drove for. Don’t give them lip and crappy trainers. Trucking is a lifestyle, just like being a medical doctor, minus the white coat. I’ve never been screamed at so much as I have at Werner, so, take that for what it’s worth. C.R. England is worse.
As a seasoned driver who has worked for both Werner And CR England, I can honestly say that CR England is much worse than Werner. I currently lease to CR England and wished I never did! IT is a nightmare. The sad thing is that even though Werner has the lowest pay in the industry, I was happier with them than I am with CRE.
I have to agree, Werner was, and continues to be, a whole lot better than “Crash and Roll Express.”
my name is larry i am thinking about werners to but if they say they will give you a job will they?i am working on my ged right now will they hire me without it?and let me work on it on my free time you only allow 10 hours of driving thats the law?will you all find out for me and let me know the ones that work for werners i would sure presheate it if you can help me sincerlly larry parks……….
Fed states that you get 11 hours a day and 10 hours off, 60 in 7 days or 70 in 8 days.
This is the hours of service as per FMCSR 395.1(o) and 395.1(e)(2).
Well then Don’t go on to the dollar accts
Larry, my name is Pete. My teammate and I are going to Werner this week. We just quit CR England because they lied to us both about the pay. My checks from england after putting in some 60-90 hours a week were shameful! Averaged out sometimes to less than minimum wage!
If Werner delivers what they have told me my pay will triple to potentially quadrupling! I will know in the next few weeks.
Legally its 11 hrs. And as for if you could get hired without a ged or high school diploma just call the recruitment department
Am looking at three companies; Stevens, Covenant, and Werner. Would appreciate any horror stories or good information on the three companies.
My experience is that Werner is the better of the three, though I advise that you keep looking at others as well.
Where are you driving now?
Don’t go Covenant, they are a horrible company. I drove for SRT, which is owned by the same conglomerate, and we shared drop yards. Both companies have gone seriously downhill.
I trained with Stevens, and they are a good starter company, or at least they were 13 years ago. Just rememebr that any company with a training program is going to favor the students who drive cheaper. Use it to get your first year or two in, then move on to something better.
My dad drove for Werner and had no complaints.
I just recently finished truck driving school and was called to werner. I was so excited and proud of myself. During orientation, I took a drug test and failed for marijuana. They left me sitting in the hotel from Thur until Mon. Then they called me in to tell me I failed the test. I then had to find my own way home. I was devestated. In no way did I think this was going to happen. My dreams and excitement right out the window. How could I have been so stupid? I am 26 years old, I now owe a $6,000 loan and I’m sitting at home afraid to apply for another company. Are my dreams of becoming a truck driver over?? Has that company reported to a dac report? Will I ever be hired at a company making good money? How long does it take to see if that company has reported to the DAC? I have never even gotten on the road yet to start earning road hours except for my school. Where do I start now, and how do I look for companies to hire me without being afraid they will find out about what happened on my first job interview? This sort of thing will NEVER happen again, I was stupid and now I am paying for that stupidity. Do companies work with someone who made a mistake such as this? I need to start working and paying back loans and bills.
Yea its going to haunt you for a while, I have seen people in the same situation and had one hell of a time getting a driver job.
Back before 9/11 happened, the rules and regulations were alot more laid back on truck driving and drivers.
Now if you have a positive drug test for illegal drugs its like they throw that on the front page so everyone to see, the truck companys can run you threw the ringers big time on DAC. Even drivers useing prescription medication can have a heck of a time, I have seen good outstanding drivers get slammed for no reason through DAC report.
Derrick…
Don’t give up, keep applying. Some won’t check, just depends how big and demanding they are. In the meantime, stay off drugs!! You have a CDL!! Your under more pressure then someone who doesn’t have a commercial license. Your suppose to be a professional, why on earth would you even think of risking that??
Sir, you just killed your Trucking career before starting it. Those Drug “failed” reports go straight to the DOT files. No company will consider you for a “Driving job”.
Best to go to some kind of state rehab facility (( so Records of remedy treatment are established)) and then and only then……you might find a Company that will take the risk and give you an opportunity.
It is “All” ………about Insurance and Bond coverage.
Yes, you will find it very hard to get a job in trucking. With the new Pre-Employment Screening program that is available to companies before they hire, and with the notation on your CDL, you will pretty much have to go through a re-hab program for anyone to look at you. Problem is you’ll end up paying for that as it was discovered before Werner actually hired you. Had it happened after you’d been driving awhile and depending on your service record, the company may have provided re-hap through insurance. Sad for you, I’m sure the driving school had a block on drugs and alcohol screenings but maybe you missed that day. Good luck!
I drive a heavy wrecker in a state where pot is legal. It’s rough wanting to follow DOT regs on this subject. Home most nights. 4 day work week. 65 k a year guarantee.
After our move from Colorado to Tennessee, my boyfriend and I were strapped for cash to say the least. After a few weeks of searching, Sylvan got a call back from Werner Enterprises. At first it was a relief, finally we could see a way to make it, but after reading a very detailed review of the company was a bit hesitant. Upon arriving at orientation, he took his classes and was told he would have to do 140 hours of driving with a trainer because his experience was not in manual, but automatic transmissions. I am not sure about other peoples’ training experiences, but his couldn’t have been better because he was home very often and his trainer was very helpful and easy to get along with. Sylvan has had his own truck now for about 3 days and he calls his trainer multiple times a day for a variety of questions that his trainer is more than willing to answer. As far as the pay…well you def. will not get rich, but his pay during training has carried us through til now.
Overall, his experience with Werner has been alright, but here are some pros and cons;
Pros
Plenty of work- He always has a load right or soon after his breaks and he always uses all of his 11 or 14 hours.
Nice Truck- Well it probably won’t make you feel at home, but the bed is adequate enough for 2 people and a nice size of space. The seats are comfy and everything runs pretty good.
On time pay- He gets paid every week, and it’s never late without warning.
Loads on time- Most loads were ready when they said they would be.
Cons
Sometimes misleading- He thought after training he would get a 500 dollar bonus, but didn’t because he only went through partial training. (kinda retarded but whatever)
Holidays- We were told be would be off Thanksgiving (tomorrow), but with the loads he’s been given it doesn’t look like we’ll be back before tomorrow afternoon. Not sure if this is a con yet but we’ll see how it all works out.
In his words….”Werner is a good company to start off, they will take you in with no experience, it’s very easy to get a job, but not one that you would want to do for a long time.”
It’s up to you, I have read many mixed reviews, but as far as us…this is just a job for now. If you love trucking and you have no experience, I think Werner would be a great opportunity. Thanks and happy trucking=)
thanks you made me feel a little better I am a 27 year old women looking to start a new career I’ve been reading reviews about trucking company and it got my hopes down I really want to be a long haul driver. The reviews made me throw up and I mean I threw up but after reading your reviews I feel a better thanks Kemily
We had a representative from Werner at the driving school today, and I thought is presentation was pretty good. I got pre-approval from Werner, TMC, and Roehl, but are not shore who to pick. would love some input. Only thing I kind of was a little disappointing in was their pay, that they could not really give any guaranties on the pay and you could make between 27 000 to 35 000 the first year. Before i started signing up for the classes the school said that we would start around 38 000. I know it depends on the miles, but with my math then it sounds like they dont give you enough of them. and you ending up stuck in a truck 5 days at the time earning part time money, Is that how it is?????
go with TMC.
Derrick,
Yes, it will soon be on your DAC. Not good because this is a red flag to most truck companies. In your future job applications, I would deny the charge and claim it was a false positive test result. (It could happen to anyone). In filling out future applications for a job with a truck company, freely admit to the false positive test result. If your sincere enough, there will be good chances of getting another truck job. In this industry, drug tests are common so stay away from drugs. It would help your record a lot if you get on with a good truck company and stay with them for a few years.
You could also try non driving jobs within the truck industry. (Dispatcher, Safety tech, Assistant mgr, etc.).
Good luck
They will make you a regional driver such as 11 Western States, but will run you as a 48 state driver, the regional comes when you get paid on a sliding scale instead of a flat rate like most OTR 48 state drivers get paid, and they will fire you for too much idle time or for using the APU too much. Expect to sit a lot at times waiting for a load. There road breakdown is a big joke. If you breakdown on the road you can expect to sit until they decide to fix the truck, this can sometimes take days.
Hi I a am a 45 year old married male looking to drive as a proffesional truck driver in America, I have 25 years trucking expericance and have had a life long dream to work in America. I am in the process of applying for my working Visa and would like to know if you can be of assistance or can refer me to someone that can assist me. I have been with my current company for 16 years and do 24000km per month as a solo driver on a dedicated route. I live & work in South Africa.All i need is a sponser for my work visa i want to work permantly in the us
WoW Kiddo it isnt so bad yes they will prolly put that on ur dac…if so u have about 5 years before it will come off unless u go and get it fixed just google fix my dac….Now i suggest that u stop smokeing the gunji if u wanna drive a big truck…have u tried with any other bottom feeder companies yet cause thats proll if any u will get…try swift,prime,c.r.england.covenant..millis transfer..u just starting out and now have a failed drug test it is going to b hard to go anywer even the bottom feeders wont touch u i dont think….but hey it never hurts to try…oh and i advisde u to clean up for 40 days before u go and try to get with a company…and stay off of it when u do quite cause we have enough goobers out here in the trucking industry ruining our reputation……Good Luck kid!!
Am new to the industry, so anybody have news on US Xpress, good or bad. Thank You
Dont work for Werner. Pay is among the lowest. Miles are inadequate. The safety department
will automatically say any accident/incident is your fault, even if it wasnt. Worst of all, the
Paperloss Log System prevents you from cheating on your logs, which is essential on that
occasional nite you cant find a spot to park your rig, but need a few extra minutes to find a
parking spot.
Werner used to be one of the best companies to work for, I am told. Then C.L. Werner turned
the company over to Junior, then the spit hit the pan. They havent had a raise in pay in years!
If your rig breaks down, good luck! Werner is probably the worst company out there in getting
repairs done quickly. The problem is, they take HOURS or even DAYS to approve your repair.
Truck stop service department mechanics have told me Werner is very bad in this area.
Other truckers have told me Crete, Heartland Express, and Maverick are good to work for.
Try them first.
Beginning truckers-spend a day at the local truck stop counter asking truck drivers which
company is the best to drive for. Buy a few cups of coffee, have a nice long breakfast, and
tell the drivers at the counter you are a beginning driver and are looking for a good company.
Talk to as many truck drivers as you can before you choose a company!
My experience with fellow truckers is they are pretty damn honest and most are willing
to help out a fellow driver if they can. I wish I had done this, I might be a successful driver now.
Good luck!
Hey jst to give u an update, CL is back in the game. I was told his sons were running the co in the ground, so they are out of it now & CL is back correcting their screwups. The sons were running it last time I was there, that’s why I left, my truck was a pc of junk that was losing power all the time. So let me tell u, I sure was happy to hear CL was back. And I’m hoping to get back on running dedicated again soon. CL runs the company as it should be run.
@ Former Trucker;
The pay is still not the greatest, even after the owners kids were kicked out (if that’s even true) Some not all, have low values, the CEOs assistant is a complete ass. What any trucking industry fails to see is driver’s are human and have other responsibilities other than Werner. These are great Men and Women putting good effort to help them appease their customers for that ol mighty dollar, sadly they get more than u. Benefits may be suitable if u ever get to use them,otherwise your giving ur money out to a source and that effects your paycheck like the taxes on top of other taxes and stuff ur government feels u should pay out. Also some of these accounts are negligent, rude and inhuman. All of us have rights,ur not a,slave. Stand up for yourselves. They all have to understand through those pea-shell brains of theirs that with you they are nothing. The less you don’t fight for ur self the more power they have to ruin u. That’s where some of these lawyers don’t get it, it has to be illegal only through, logs or HOS violation. WRONG. There’s a subject called civil rights. The right to truth,fair pay and decency. Don’t be the crabgrass they can wipe the sh*the off their shoes, they will take advantage of you. If anyone else feels so grand by feeling special and treated so good well, u did allot off ass kissing and licking which I would never stoop low to do for anyone. As I tell anyone who thinks negatively I or any are bad, u don’t like my truth? Well I don’t like ur ignorance. End of story.
werner isn’t the best,but its way better than most.they fix any problem on their trucks.all their trucks are fairly new.all these drivers saying werners the worst are full of it.
My husband has been driving for Werner for about three months now. We are new to the industry and I can only speak about what doesnt “feel” right to me. He is part of a team. They have been given anywhere from 154 miles to 3,000 miles. They have frequently, even during this short time on the road. had to sit and wait for various reasons not getting paid. ie. sent to the wrong destination, and truck breaking down. At that time told to get a rental car and drive from Ohio to Va where they picked up the next load. These are just a very few of the reasons. NOT to work for Werner.
I agree. They are good at preaching but not practicing. They twist your words around, attack you, they like to dish it out but don’t like anyone standing up for themselves. No one should be treated like dirt. They say your in control of ur decisions of safety and when you utilize that they get upset. The company is hypocritical on everything. And its sad that people are mislead.
Friends don’t let friends driver for Werner. DON’T TEAM! It’s a joke! Their trailers are junk and never get reported for repair by other drivers. I lasted two months with Werner. Fresh out of training and I was sent to the East Coast running small loads all over the place. No place for a rookie! I switched over to King Transportation which hauls Werner freight and gives you an owner operator status without the hassles of owning or leasing a truck. I thought it would better, but it didn’t. I demanded I would run solo or quit. I had two teammates turn physco and they couldn’t handle being away from home.
I refuse to run illegal and will refuse an unsafe trailer. Werner acts like it’s not a big deal. Just hook to the trailer, gamble with getting caught by DOT, and take it in for repair. Reality check! Almost every trailer I’ve hooked on to has high point CSA violation potential. It takes up to SIX hours just to get a response via Qualcomm for repair and then it takes up to another SIX hours for the shop to get approval to do the repair. This will happen to you WEEKLY and sometimes several times if you intend to keep a clean slate with CSA.
Werner loves to have you sit. Their drop yards are ludicrous! The Dallas Terminal is a joke and is surrounded by bard wire like it’s a prison because it’s dangerous to go beyond the gates day or night.
My advice is this: Research, research, and research. Smaller companies sometimes mean better treatment. You will struggle financially your first year in Trucking. Keep applying at other companies and don’t be afraid to tell your Dispatcher how it is. You call the shots out here when it comes to safety.
I drove for Werner for 8 years on a dedicated account. I can tell you the equipment is usually very good but the treatment is very poor. Everybody in the company is overworked and underpaid and it is reflected in their attitude.
Here’s an example of the absolutely dumbass stuff you will put up with from Werner. I was given a new truck, (less than 20k miles) and had to get an oil change over the road. Werner service set it up at a Petro and they did the service while I ate.
2 days later less than a mile from my home, the oil filter failed. The truck was towed (I walked home) to the dealership since it was under warranty. However, the Warranty was voided because the Petro didnt use OEM filters. So, Werner had the truck towed to the terminal.
Now, if you’re familiar with their electronic logs. the system detects movement of the truck and will automatically put you on line 3 (on duty, driving) . Two days later, I get in another truck, grab my load and get rolling and the computer sends me a message saying I’m in violation.
I call the log department, explain the situation to them and am told….”The computer says the truck was moved and put you on line 3. we cant fix that, you need to take a break”
Poor attitudes, a complete lack of care by office staff, sub-standard pay all add up to a bad company.
AS stated, I drove for them for 8 years. When I left, me next company ran my DAC report and there was some crazy things on there that I had to “explain” In may of ’04 a “Left Turn” 0 damage/0injuries/deaths were reported but there was a “Left Turn” on my DAC In ’06 I “struck object in roadway” I can only assume this was a flat tire because I’ve never been cited for an accident.
There are lots of better companies out there. The reason Werner is so easy to get on with is because the turnover from drivers getting angry and leaving is very, very, very, very, very, VERY high.
Hope this helps.
@chris hatem;
WOW, I couldn’t of said it better. I’ve only been with them 3 mos. And seen the same asinine bs Swift pulled, I out up with Swift for 4 most. From their ignorance and abuse, it didn’t take long to see Werner behaving the same way. That crap about they CARE, is all a facade, they have no solution to how to handle a problem, no support, low level educated dweeb. They make children services County workers look smart. Hey I’ve seen cockroaches get around better and they don’t even have a brain. High fives to you.
I currently work for werner on net ops but am switching to 48 state team. In my experiance Werner is ok to get your foot in the door of the trucking industry. Have had alot of problems but it pays ok most of the truck are newish and not in terrable shape. My advice get 2 years at a company and then figure out if you want to move companys. I know alot of drivers who have hopped companys and ended up coming back to werner at lest with werner you can try diffrent things from shag driving to 48 state flatbed van reffer what ever you feel like doing at the time. One more thing iv had the same thing happen to me that chris had shop moves truck and you sigh on and be negative on your hours ALWAYS send a 49 and check your hours before you take off
oh yeah and about the idle situation……if you sit there hitting the pedal to keep the truck running…..they will eventually send you to a terminal and have the governor reduced to 62 mph to save fuel…..and after driving a truck governed at 64.6 you understand the significance of a governor being reduced to 62….you can get out and run faster…..old ladies in old beat up cars be passing you and not even be trying
I work for werner as a Reg. Driver. I started running NE reg, (aka drivers choice) did that for about a week then moved to a walmart account out of gas city, in (not by choice) I was forced to move to this account. the account is ez but the miles are low (1100-1600) I have a 2007 KW with 475,000mi on it when I got it. Its not a bad trk at all, no brk downs, no trouble. However getting things app like tier repair or mud flap replaced does take a very long time. I was never told what I was getting CPM, Never told who was my DM and so on, I had to get all this info by asking myself. new drivers get about 27cpm ld and 15cpm dh. The money sucks. I dont get any miles I take home avg $400 a week. Thats crap for living in the trk 14 days at a time. Im looking to roll with another co. That can get me home every 2 wks. I know all trucking co. will bend you over at some point and time, its all part of the game. what im looking for is a co. that will pay somewhat ok,
30cpm or more and can get me home in Northern Michigan. Any help would be app.
I worked for Werner 7 months.. I made about $225 for my seven day OTR week.. It was not uncommon for me to sit through the weekends. The company appears to be a leader in moving freight, howeve,. I could not afford to work there..
I drove with Werner for a little over three years, and I will concur with some of the negative comments that have been posted regarding low miles and bizzare treatment by the company. My Fleet Manager/Dispatcher, whichever term you use, was a fairly nice guy and I can’t hold company policy against him.
But I can testify as to the terrible handling by the maintenance division, and the logs department was a horrible joke. I’d wake up in my truck with a warning message about having been on line 3 for 16 hours straight, even though the truck had been parked for hours on end. The logs department would then argue endlessly over the corrections I would send in and tell me I was lying about being in the same spot.
I would also agree that the company went down hill after Old Man Werner gave the company over to his kids, it became a true nightmare of penny pinching and false praise to the drivers.
does anybody know about werner dollar general account? is it worth it having to unload your own tralier? im considering going otr for the first time and they are saying this account will get me home weekly
I actually like werner. Over the last 12 months they been in my corner..they put up with
a lot of things that were going on in my life.I had 2 relatives that passed on..I was late
On a lot of loads and still they managed to get me miles..and yes , I did lose it with a dispatcher
And was brought in for profanity on the quall com..I am trainer and a good one make good money
Even as a solo.I have a good dispatcher Aaron, who seems to understand . He some how manages my
Truck and my crazy life just right!!!! Can’t and won’t speak bad about Werner..
With the Dollar General account when I was on that account back in 2005-2006 it was a good account to be on. I was home almost every weekend. There was only 3 different weekends in the 4 months I was on that account I wasn’t home. I honestly was bringing home after taxes every week about $700. It was going good till it went to straight rolltainer then one day I got stupid and wore cowboy boots and the heavy rolltainer on the decline I had to part pushed me back. I ended up hurting my back pretty bad on it. After that I switched to the Kraft account due to the back injury, that was honestly my fault.
Now as far as the company goes I worked for Werner from July 2005-September 2006. My decision to switch companies was due to the low pay. When I went to the Kraft account I was running around 2800-3200 miles a week. I kept a record of all my miles in notebooks. I had a different note book for every month. All loads, miles, etc was recorded in those notebooks that I still have to this day.
Now I can’t really say anything to bad about Werner; I guess I was one of the very few lucky ones to have good luck there. While I was there I had 2 different rigs. My first semi was a 2005 Freightliner Classic which ran perfectly. My second truck was a 2005 Peterbuilt 379. When I switched to the Kraft account; after being on that account for about a month I asked my fleet manager if I could switch to a Pete 379 which he did get done for me.
I guess my only complaint about Werner at that time was the paperless logs TILL I started to drive for Interstate Dist. Co. and I started to fudge my logs way to much. Personally I like the paperless logs now cause they do keep you honest. There had been a few times that I had to drive some extra miles to find a place to park for the night, and the log department did work with me pretty well, and fixed the 15 minutes. They also fixed a 30 minute mistake that had to be worked with. There was 2 weeks I ran without the Qualcomm due to a malfunction which I had to do paper logs (Werner reimbursed me for the paper logs I bought), and my fleet manager on the Kraft account called me, and e-mailed me load information. During those two weeks I was still able to pull great miles.
With the pay they made a mistake on my check one week, and it was a huge mistake of about $300. I complained about it, and even though it took a couple months for the mistake to be fixed it was fixed, and I got the money they owed me. Remember I said I quit working for them September 2006, and last July (2011) I got a $126.87 check in the mail. I called them to ask what I got that money for. They told me it was a error that was made for money that I didn’t get paid. They told me the trip information and everything for where that money came from.
I think Werner is a great company. It’s just their primary Werner Blue color is stupid looking, but I still made great money, and was able to provide for my son, and pay my bills.
I am seriously debating between Schneider National and Werner Enterprises. I am told by the recruiter for Werner that the training is 6-8 weeks after you complete 275 hours you will receive $500 then I will go to pick up my truck and take a load home to my terminal and take up to 5 days off. Plus I can take the truck home. When I return I can receive an additional $200 for team OTR also an up front sign on bonus for team driving totaling $5,000 split $2,500 distributed over 6 months. I reside in California and I am looking for any good information available to confirm this. Thank you.
you will hav to run several lds before you can get home after training,ive been wit them 7 years,working on the png.st.louis to kc.kc.account for 4years,its a good deal hear,all 4lane.one tm.zone.mostly drp.an hook,fuel stps everywhere,plenty of places to prk.
go with schneider
i just quit werner working the net ops division from Port allen La to York Alabama and i can honestly say this SL you were horribly misinformed 1 yes the training is from 6-8wks and you will do 275hrs of training now the only way you get that $500 bonus is if you stay all the way through training which means no home time until you finish all 275hrs after that depending on which terminal you decided to go to you will either have to wait on a truck or they will have to send you somewhere to pick one up at which point you have to ask them to route you home you will not go home for up to five days you only get two the only way you get up to 7 days at home is if you stay out on the road 7weeks and no you don’t recieve an additional $200 for nothing you get a sign on bonus of $2500 but you will not get that all at the same time as a matter of fact if at place and time you or your teammate decide that you can’t hack it your sign on bonus for teams stops weather you got paid or not werner sounds out these recruiters and they will lie to get you to come work for werner had i known then what i know now i would never have gone to work for werner point blank it’s a horrible company and they didn’t even pay me enough to start paying back my student loans
Dunno about these guys. But so far Werner has been ok to me. I am a rookie in 3rd week of training. I signed up for 48 and decided to knock out my training out with no breaks like an adult not expecting to be babied like some of these guys crying about home time. I waited 1 whole day to be assigned a trainer. I guess I got lucky there as he is an owner/operator in their Eagle division. He can yell occasionally but I understand the stakes are high, hes got a rookie driving his truck and shit is serious so that’s understandable. I started out ez, shooting from Cali to the east coast on the 40. Then I went right into runs thru Chicago and New York. it was challenging but city traffic got me up to snuff shifting REAL quick. Much quicker than sitting high gear on the flat open expanses some you whiners want to waste you 275 on. I have seen little downtime. Half a day once, I spent waiting for a load to be ready and that was more the shipper’s fault than anything.
I guess I’m just lucky. I can’t say much about what things will be like once I’m done with training. I never expected Werner to be a great money maker, merely a way into the industry and so far it seems like a good one. It sounds like a lot of these negative reviews come from ppl who left Werner for whatever reason and just want to complain and burn them. Dispatchers are people too. They will #### up. Heck some of them are probably training like me. Treat em right and they’ll treat you right. That isn’t “sucking up”. That’s called being a decent person.
I am an owner op with werner and i love it, i run on sams board never leaving texas ot pays great and we have nothing but great drivers on this board the people are friendly but sam can be a dick, i have been with werner now foe almpst 2 years and have been driving for over 5 yeaes this ia by far the best company i have ever been with, but sadly to say i could make more money as a owner operator with diffwrwnt companies.y overall experiance with werner has been sgreat
Had a Great experience so far at Werner, Training was awsome! learned allot about the business. My trainer was a true trucker and tought me things like he cared about his job.
His name was Lafe Morrison from what I have observed from this guy is he really takes pride in his job and his work.
He is a perfectionist! From what I have learned trucking isnt a job as much as a privilege responsibility.
I am a graduate from FFE Transportation Training academy with road experience less then 3 months.
Offered raise and dedicated run with tuition paid for so i took the job and went to Werner and spent 1 month in training.
So far so good!
On the Dollar general acct you WILL work your butt off when you unload the trailer,
you will get home every weekend but only for 34hrs no more. If they get real busy, and need you, you will not go home. I was on the Dollar General acct in Fulton MO, The people were ok, but the trailers were allways loaded heavy and sometimes took hrs to unload. There are a lot of stores that you have to go to that are very very difficult to get to. Beware You have to unload the trailer by yourself, no help from the store people, and sometimes you have to do their jobs of puting the stuff away for them, but they will not help you. I got off that acct as soon as I could.
been with werner 2 years been good to me great 401 k ins is great great stock plan about 28 30 k = miles per week what I found in werner the harder you work for werner the harder werner works for you get me home when i ask no hassle from dispatch as long as you keep yourself ready for a load
Try Hutt Trucking in Holland, MI. I used to work for them. Made about $.34-.36/mi, 2200-2500mi/wk. I was home every weekend. They treated me very well for only having 3mo experience. Newer Century Class Freightliners. Kept me busy!
This is great first-hand information for those looking to come to where you’ve already been. It creates a transparency that would otherwise be missing if a driver was relying solely on a recruiter’s presentation to make his or her decision. If someone is willing to take all that on, then he or she will probably be better off by knowing it from the start. Thanks for the honesty!
I been with werner for 4 months now. 2 1/2 months were training the last 1 1/2 months were running the family dollar acct out of front royal, va. Werner been a good company so far. the trainers i had were awesome. my first trainer taught me everything there is to know about backing up and we practice everyday when we parked the truck. my second trainer taught me how to be a soloist and do things on my own.
Yes otr doesnt pay well but i only did one trip to get from a terminal to my dedicated account terminal. it was 800mls and it paid decent for being a split trip. Anyway my acct im on now is pretty easy for what it pays. it takes longer to unload the trailers compared to DG accounts but we get paid slighty more for it. at this monent i average between 1000 – 1600 mls a week. It not alot but u dont make ur money by just driving. U make ur money by how many stops and trailers u do a week. I personally do 3 trailers a week and can range from 6- 12 stops a week. The only downside is that were in the mountains and werner trucks are deregulated so they dont use their full potential.
Overall it a good company. If u got questions send me a message in the forums. My name is koolguy.
Trying to read through all of the reviews am scheduled to start student training with Warner in three weeks. Have my CDL already but no driving experience. Want to drive as much as I can unload as little as possible. Is this really possible?
Thanks
Did they provide you with a list of Substance Abuse Professionals as they are legally required to?
If not – you need to reach out to them and request it.
You must complete drug counseling with a DOT approved SAP. After this, you may begin the application process again. Some companies will turn you down but I believe that with diligence you should be able to work.
Remember the most important thing – you can’t do drugs and be a professional driver. Take this as a hard lesson. Good luck.
Drove for Werner for about eight months. Learned alot about trucking. Trained for two months and ended up in florida for teaming. They gave me and my team, his name is doug a new 2010 int. pro star with 15k on it. my last month i was solo, and was not that organised. There were told that I was not happy to be solo and could of put me with a new recrute. This is what they should of done but they said after 4 incidentses good by. I would go back to werner if they asked, but like people said stay clear. I say it’s what you put into it to get out of it. I put in time, I get experious. Be safe out there. Former driver
Has anyone ever been provided a pay rate schedule for driving with Werner? The recruiter told us 32 cents per mile. For teams that is split (part for per diem, part for line haul/deadhead.) First week driving solo I was paid at 33 cents then next week at 21 cents. Is there any form of compensation when the truck is being repaired, for training time or when the offloading at a delivery location takes hours? I’ve been at this for 3 months after completing truck driver school and doing the 6 weeks of student driver training. The pay sucks and I am getting deeper in debt.
to KC, don’t remember the rate, but I’ll tell you that i’ts the time you put into the job. I had a team partner that worked me hard,( no goofing off) being on time and always watch your hours. We had the older quell com so the clock always got messed up if you did not watch it. ANY new job has i’ts up’s and downs, just work past them, be curtious, friendly, and caring. Sooner then later (without gripes) some thing good will happen and the rest is gravy. Remember one day you will look back and say That used to be me. Pass that experious on. You are not along. Good luck and be safe, god bless Peter L. former driver
wWhat kind of trucks they have 9 or 10 speeds?
I’m currently in school right now and I’m thinking about coming to warner but still not sure..
Werner can only drive 62 wow that’s pretty bad
tj if you go to werner see if a trainer named joe denton is still there. he’s an o/o and trained me. Id he is still there say hello from me. He tought me alot and I still retain some of it. Werner is a good start up from company. Hopefuly you will get a good trainer. After a year then you can judge who and were to go too. Listen and learn and be safe out there. Remember ” safty is no accident” it’s up to you. Be safe out there Peter L. former driver
To Jc 12/16/2012: 63 may seem slooow, but I have found that if you plan your trip the right way you will figure out you eta to your next stop. EX my partner and I would get a run from say east coast to west coast. They would tell you the time and date it was due there. You always allow for traffic, weather, break time, (fuel, rest,) and CONSTRUTION, along the way, you add that to time as a guesstamate. When you’r driving you allow extra time. Remmber, YOU are driving not the dispatcher, so it’s up to you to be on time within reson. ALLWAYS be safe, no matter what. Safty is no accident. We were mostly on time when the odds were agents us, again weather traficc ect. Allow for it within reason, if not let your dispather know, (thats what qualcoms for. ) Be safe out there. Peter L.
63mph is plenty fast enough in these bigtrks,believe me.
When I drove for werner I had in training a eight speed with a auto nine. (ninth gear was auto). Most of them when I worked at werner were eight or ten, depends on what came with the fleet when they ordered trucks. When I left they were getting alot of volvos and int. pro stars. Unless you go into heavy contruction you will see eight or ten speeds. Good luck in your endevers. Peter L. And be safe out there.
Thats a reasonable attitude…for breaking into trucking…Endure for 1 year…PATIENCE.
It aint a whole lot of fun..try to make it Bearable….you have to put in your TIME before you can go to other companies..as a solo. Try to stash MONEY in the bank….The Road is likely your HOME for quite awhile…not much time off…..until ya get a regional or dedicated.
Patience to get that 1 year…and build a good reference for the day ya quit Werner if you do
decide to try another company..Your record follows you…..Patience and Save Money.
You had to unload the truck and stock? Thats your own fault, your not a dollar general employee no matter what your DM says or dollar general says you are NOT responsible to put there stock away for them. Unload the truck have the papers signed and be on your way. If they will not sign the papers then you immanently contact your DM.
Werner is great at one thing; it gives you EXPERIENCE. So take the experience and then after a year GET OUT!! But be grateful that someone is willing to give experience, in a lot of fields people don’t have that opportunity. It’s hard to get a job without experience, right? So it’s good there are companies that will give it. Another thing; I recommend you make sure you buy your own food/drinks and keep a cooler with ice at all times. You will spend much of your time at truck stops waiting. The prices at truck stops are outrageous because the truck stop owners know that with the new Qualcom systems you can’t move your truck to run to Walmart or a local restaurant. You are stuck at their truck stop where you will pay anywhere from 100-500% markup things you could buy at the grocery store. The truck stop knows you’re bored and hungry, and they know you have no where else to go. Be prepared. Make sure you have a laptop, another great way to kill time. Netflix is $8 a month, and you’ll get your money’s worth! If you don’t have a laptop then you should take up reading, it kills time and you will learn things (even if you think you don’t like to read-trust me, you will learn to like it!) Werner isn’t the best, but like any job, you have to start at the bottom and work your way up, so it’s good that they give you the chance. I don’t know many people that stay longer than the first year. I met a lot of great people that started driving for Werner; hope they’re doing well now.
To fuel desk girl: Like anything eles about a larg company there are alot and I mean alot of things that the upstairs doesn’t know about the downstairs problems. If werner was so bad and unsafe then dot would have to answer a lot of questions. They are self insured so they can cover up alot. Also they must know what there doing or nobody including there accounts would use them. Look at the trucking companies that arn’t around today. Some were boughtout others were shut down for reasons of safty and more. Lets say werner has a truck that involved in a serious accident that kills one of there own people. ( a werner that is) I think that would get there atention. I feeel that werner like any body eles will be around for quit awhile. It’s still there problem to be safe even if you bitch about it. I know it’s up to me to do the right thing when driving not somebody eles. be safe out there . Peter L
to T.J. 12/9/12 Keep you chin up, mouth shut, and listen. I’ts alright to ask questions, but do’nt insult the trainner,(unless he’s doing something wrong) . My trainers knew the way the company worked and complained to me to watch them. In the eight months i was there I only had to tell them that for safty reasons I or my partner wer’nt going to the city or the rought that they wanted us to take becouse of the weather of lack of experious we had. They never forced us to take any loads. It’s on the quell com so they have a record of it. Today I spoke to a driver who know me from werner, and said that things are getting better. The drivers are standing up the bad things that werner wants them to do and IF NO TRUCKS move then werner gets to PAY alot in late fees. Do’nt forget they werner have oblegations to there customers. Be resonable and use comon sence all the time. Be save out there. Peter L.
fuel desk girl: 1/15/2013 you are right about getting experience with werner. I noticeed that a lot of new drivers don’t use GOAL> (Get out and look) rule and hit things. That was one of the drilled into my head rule i was tought with werner. So i’ts takes a little longer to park but it’s better then someone pissed at you for hitting there truck. As a team driver my team mate and I had a rule. When in dought check it out. (get out and look) . Even if I had to get out of the truck during my 10hr bk , I would. It’s saves so much time and frushtration. Remember your are the driver not the dispatcher. You are in charge. you are the one thats going to get heck if damage is done. Like the captain of a ship The captain is responible for all of the ship not just the paint. Alittle time spent to prevent damage/injuries DO IT. Be safe out there. P.S> If anyone wants to taslk to me about werner tex me at this site. thx
im currently driving for werner and we only go 62 mph which is ridiculous and they just do that to save fuel and they don’t care about drivers going 62 in a 70 zone with everybody just passing you by.
dont drive with them the trainer i had was useless they dont pay good and they try to charge you with stuff that you never agree to pay for
jeremy: feb. 4,2013 what stuff?? I had bc/bs per-dium, and leagal. ( that saved me from a ticket) anything eles is of none importents. I also had short term dis. outside of that they did not charge me. I also bought some clothes from there omaha store and they told me what to expect when they billed me. Next month there it was to the penny. If they wanted me to come back I would. I dought it couse of too many incidentes. Just remember the old saying IF YOU BOUGHT IT A TRUCK/ER BROUGHT IT!!! Your part of that. Be safe god bless Peter L
My husband went to truck driving school and Werner Enterprise sent a Rep to talk to all of the driver’s and he made it sound like a dream job and the spouse could ride along, that even sounded better. The first few months went ok, got to see a lot of the US, hardly ever got to stop anywhere and visit because we always hauled high dollar loads, can’t leave the truck unless one stays inside, that really sucked. After the first few months things started really going downhill, The Dispatcher (kevin) in Omaha Nebraska was so rude and just because my husband would not kiss his ass, he started cutting my husband’s miles until my husband quit. There are two good things about Werner, The paperless logs and the advance pay. My husband made $900 one week with werner and the rest of the time, the pay was under $400 and when they got through taking everything out of his check including the advance we had to get every single week to survive, he brought home about $250 a week. My husband started driving a log truck and he makes so much more money than werner ever paid and he is at home every night instead of getting just four days off a month, yes a month and if it were up to them, you would only get two days off a month. All in all, The company is good to work for if you get the right dispatcher, want no home life or make any money.
I trained on a dedicated account that Werner has and loved every minute of it. I was issued a speeding ticket on I-80 Westbound @ Hirschdale going downhill. It was 64 in a 55. Yes I was going downhill and using controlled braking to slow the entire unit down, however it wasn’t enough and was issued a speeding ticket. I did what I was supposed to do and informed Safety. A week and half later my employment was terminated before I even received the notice in the mail to fight the ticket or have the ticket dismissed from my record or the company’s record. However, I feel that in the company’s eyes a driver is guilty until he/she proves his/her innocence. I did enjoy working for my Fleet Manager and Dedicated Manager on the dedicated account I was on. I enjoyed making friends with the other drivers. I also enjoyed the experience I have attained. The trucks are governed for a reason and that should be reason enough for the drivers. Now my speed odometer needle doesn’t break the speed limit in the posted limit. If people don’t like it they can go around. Be careful and be safe out there.
Werner has screwed me over and over. The student department is a joke. Don’t believe what they tell you in recruiting. After my training was over, I was sent to MD to get a truck that I was only allowed to keep for a month because it was sold to someone else. Though when I drove there from Ohio, the truck was broken down. I was sent back to Ohio and there was a truck there for me. So I started driving, my first load was a whopping 89 miles and I was not allowed personal drive time, so I had to wait 14 hours at the consignee for another load. I picked it up, and on my way to my next load the truck broke down. So I was out Saturday through Wednesday. After it was fixed I was sent from Cincinnati to Columbus and I hooke and unhooked to the same trailer over and over before they finally decided that they were definitely taking my load from me. The only load besides that 89 mile load might I add. So I was sent to the springfield terminal and bobtailed, wouldn’t you know, as soon as I got there, my truck broke down AGAIN. Now after all weekend that it was in the shop, I’ve waited all day for a load. And I won’t get one tonight. Don’t choose this company “Werner Cares” is the biggest joke I have ever heard. So hopefully I will get a load in the morning now that I switched to a dedicated run. I’m Werners youngest female driver, and they talk down to me like I am stupid. I’ve talked to other women who work for Werner and they’re treated with respect. I haven’t even had a chance to prove my ability because I keep getting screwed over. Trying so hard to hang in for another month so I will have 6 months experience and can get out of this crappy place. Don’t screw yourself, don’t choose Werner. This place is going to stress me out til I’m nothin. Goodluck guys. Stay safe out there.
I’m a Werner trainer I drive on the dollar general account I have been driving for a year and a half with them and I have no complants and patty you can idle or at least dollar general account can idle I’ve never been told I couldn’t idle they tell us 72 and up you can 34 and below you can inbetween 34-72 you can’t idle the pay is good for my account I make 600-1600 a week depending on my student and the loads I’ve never had to wait for a load I get a preassigned load around 12 pm everyday yes I unload my trailers it’s easy every things on carts well have any questions feel free to ask
David, my name is Carlos and I’m going to start my training this month possibly for dollar general. Are there more ups than downs? I really want to enjoy my time while gaining work experience.
Wow, Werner training, i wonder if it will ever end. I started out with a trainer and was with him for about three weeks, then HE flipped his truck on the highway. He quit. Had a second trainer for about 10 days. He had way too much family drama. He dropped me off at the Dallas terminal and went to a Family Dollar account. Waiting for my third trainer with 50 hours left out of 275.
Pre-hire for Werner …but after some research ….I can say I’m re-thinking my career path…@ .21. Cents a mile…how does anyone make money? And doing some math…just going 10 MPH fast everyday…you make 126 more bucks every 6 days…..that’s an extra days of pay your losing every
6 days…well….at this point …I’m not getting any call backs from any other company …any one with little more inside feedback would be great…
I’m sixty eight years old and considering obtaining my CDL thru Werner and driving for Werner.
My wish is OTR and I have no hesitation as to not being home much.
Not being home causes me no issue what so ever.
What is an issue is how much $$$ I can make.
So, no experiance, new driver, how many miles, how much $$$ and how long will it take?
What I’m reading is beginning to make me feel like miles are not all that easy to come by.
Some input here please.
I am the wife of adriver for Werner. Werner pays horrible. They font care about your family. And don’t try to plan any vacations. Twice I have taken off vacation days do we could go some where and spent couple of those waiting for Werner to bring him home as he requested several weeks ago. Don’t buy airline tickets or schedule anything. You will be wasting your time. They also offered him a training position. When he said he would go it they kept blowing him off. Werner is just out for themselves and not the drivers. It’s a place to start but time to move on.
Hi i work for cr england in 08 got out trucking . I got a job with sherman bro i had a great trainer.then they swich me with another trainer becouse the other trainer was having problems with his trainee so then i get him and after week a half the trainer told me he was going to back hand me if my head was in the mirror i told ask why and he told him kiss my but so he swung at me. I called the trainer coordinator Brian Grene he put me in motel next dayi got ride from another driver back Harrisburg yard i was then brought to meeting room a told my servicewere no longer needed so iwas srnt home back riverside guy on the bus said call werner i have i orientation setup but iam warrior of it happen again
I drove for Werner back from 97 to 99. They were a great company to work for back then. I ended up leaving because I didn’t like the paperless logs. But, now that 75% of the companies out there have gone paperless, I’m going back to Werner.
I recently drove for Domenico out of Denver, and I can honestly say they are the worst company I’ve ever driven for. Their trucks at all trashed, only 4 of them have AC, they slip seat, and they tell you you’re a local driver, but they run you 14 hours a day, and only give you enough time off for a 34 hr restart every week.
I’ll be glad to get back to Werner.
I have been with Werner for 7 years and have been a trainer for the last 5. For any one looking to come to Werner, please be realistic. This is the premier training company not the premier driver company. If your fresh out of driving school and looking to earn your stripes this is a good place to do it. I personally believe we have one of the most comprehensive training programs in the industry. However, if your an experienced driver your probably not going to be happy here. The pay is low for solo drivers and I’ve never understood the idea of team driving unless its with a spouse. If you want to make money at Werner you must become a trainer. I make 40cpm and run 3000 miles a week solo and around 6000. I only make that because of experience, most drivers with Werner make around 30-32cpm. Bottom line is cut your teeth here for a couple years and move on.
Hello everyone,
I have been considering going to school for my CDL and, after checking out a local school, was given several pre-hire offers, one of which was with Werner. I am totally new to this industry, trying to change careers from security, so I don’t know anything about the trucking world. I am limited with choices on whom to drive for because I have a dog that I will need to bring with me (I don’t have anyone to leave him with, I can only afford to board him during training if needed, and I will not give him up). Werner has been the strongest choice for me because of this, but all the horror stories I am reading online is scaring me. I am in such a terrible place right now with my current job that I am almost ready to just throw all my stuff into storage, give up my apartment, and go OTR for a year non-stop. I already don’t make much money ($28k/yr living in CA), but I am having a hard time trying to figure out what my pay will be initially with the pay-per-mile stuff. I know it won’t be much, but what one person considers crap pay might just be doable for me. I don’t think I am looking to make trucking my new career, just a new experience for my resume and something to give me a chance to move to a cheaper state and save up to go to school in a year or two. Is Werner that bad of a company if I am not looking for a career with them? Would they be willing to give me plenty of miles if I am willing to go OTR without caring much about home time? Can anyone tell me what the pet policy is exactly (I know there is a deposit and a “pet rent” of sorts)? Also, can anyone tell me how orientation works? What happens? How long is it? Will I go to their terminal (Fontana is closest to me) and go home before I am assigned a trainer, or will I leave from orientation straight OTR with my trainer? I have a long list of questions to ask them, but I don’t want to get the sparkly, unicorn version from a recruiter. I appreciate any advice. Thanks! :0)
Also, I forgot to ask … what about the unloading? Is that done with a forklift or will I have to carry stuff off by hand? I am a woman with average womanly strength … ain’t no way I am going to be able to go flinging tires off the back of a truck or anything.
Hello Jamie,
This is a very late reply, I don’t know if you decided to go with werner yet or not, but If I was you I would stick to the OTR. Only when you do regional or dedicated runs do you have to actually lift anything. If money is something you are concerned about I would go with a different company because werner pay is low. If you want experience, werner is a good place to start. At any point, good luck with anything that you decide! Also, My husband is a werner driver and he does the dedicated run. I have gone to work with him several times and the boxes he has to lift and things that he push are really really heavy. I’m pretty strong, but doing that all day would be too much for any woman unless you are on steroids…
What happens if someone calls and complains on you from another company? My husband works for Werner. We were trying to park and this guy started blaring his horn and telling him he needed to learn how to drive because my husband got close to his truck. My husband is a great driver and this guy was just being a jerk but a few minutes later and now our load is being split at Dallas terminal? I am wondering if it has anything to do with him and if so what would happen?
dont waste ur time with werner. if ur bound and determined to work for a large company go with Schneider. heads n tails over werner.
Im thinking about going through Werners cdl driver school in north Las Vegas. Just wondering if anyone has attended that location and, if so how was the experience?
Started there after trucking school, gotta start somewhere to get experience right ?
I am on the net-ops at night. I have learned alot for sure but its been the most stressful job I have ever had. Night after night of trailer issues that others dont take care of. Picking up loads from Denver drivers who are clueless about weight or inspections. For example bringing a trailer with no registration and plate missing too. The Omaha terminal for some reason doesnt seem to have extra tractors anymore. So you get to play tractor round robin. The shift is long enough as is without the extra junk. Dispatch thats ok at times and totally clueless at others. I have made some mistakes as well but this stuff goes on and on. If you breakdown it might be a long time to get fixed as well. To be honest I have really tried hard to like Werner but I am fed up with all the problems and rookie atmosphere. I have 14 months there and its time to go elsewhere. To any newbies I would say try to make it a year and then move on ……
Training with Werner or C R England and then become a driver with them you will become a slave during training and after you will be a the company slave no money your pay will not go over $350.00 a week every load you receive is late 24-72 Hrs and you are blamed for beaning late they do not maintained who pays the price the driver. Dispatch don’t help driver relations don’t give a shit about you and they tell you at Werner we are in it together we are here for you they mean they are here to screw you driver leave you brock with no money they will work you only the amount you take as cash advance every week and a lot more I can’t stop writing it will take 10 pages to tell you about them Werner and C.R England.
I just left Werner after only 3 months and it was the best thing I ever did. The training is horrible, The management is horrible, The equipment is horrible, The company is cheap! cheap! cheap! Werner does not care about it drivers. They left me on the side of the road in -22 below zero for over 11 1/2 hours in a dead truck with no heat and did nothing, the state police had to force tow the truck off the road. Three other times it took them over 13 hours to get road breakdown out to fix the trailers. The last straw for me was when they told me I had a load but could not locate an empty trailer for me to pick up the load. All Werner cares about is getting the load hauled as cheap as possible. Not you, Not safety, Not the public! This company is just a meat grinder, the negativity is so high at Werner you wonder why anyone stays. Do yourself a favor avoid Werner at all costs.
I have to say that My husband started with Werner back in December or 2013. He is already fed up with working there. He is on a dedicated account so he makes decent money (about 600-700 a week). That’s on his good weeks. His pay comes from his stops and unload pay (not the miles pay because he doesn’t get many of those). My husband is very unhappy with Werner pay so he is looking to move on to somewhere else. I think Werner is a good starting company for those that want the experience, but their pay is one of the lowest in the industries… with all the things he has to do to get payed the little that he does every week is not worth it. Other truck drivers that are on the same account as him, doing the same work, get paid way more. So if its for money issues, I would avoid Werner at all cost if you can.
I would have to say – werner is a good company if you are out of the gate! Meaning fresh out of training school. Yes the pay sucks & your nothing but a number to the company. But they take u with O miles ! You learn a few moves give it six months minimum and beach off. I do a dedicated account with this company. Lowes out of pittston pa ! & my old fleet manager was great ! He was professional and always made him self part of the problem. Example – my first week after training I needed to go to a dentist appointment because I had just gotten my benefits so I spoke with him & he had me home Friday night do I can make my 9 am appointment. Now he got a promotion to a new account and there’s a lot of change going on but that’s normal. He was great honestly. So what I mean by that is; it all depends on where u go in werner. Dealing with Omaha is a hassle. They never wanna spend money no matter what. I had a flat one morning and I sent my macro 24 to tell them and I was at a petro ; Omaha wanted me to travel to another location because it was too expensive. So once my fleet manager got in he approved the petro service! Got in and out. I’ll say it again if ur a inexperienced driver like my self be greatful that werner gives u a chance or any other company. Make the best of it and as soon as u hit 3-4 months fill out the resume on indeeds jobs and someone will call u.
Anywhere you go in life there can be good and bad experiences – it’s all how u handle the situation. Remember it’s trucking – a lifestyle not a 9-5 job.
Werner was a horrible company to work for.My Wife and I drove teams and rarely had a month in which at least 2 logbook “violations’ were experienced,requiring endless phone calls/etc to get fixed. We had 2 trucks break on us..not break down…friggin’ BREAK. The 1st was a poor weld on the frame from a repair previous..ever see Your rear frame wiggle at 65mph?The second was being stuck in Rogers,Mn *suburb of Minn.* for so long,in snow,that our truck froze in half…thats right..HALF. We rolled her every 12 hrs *round the lot,keep the tires round/fuel liquid*. They said they had no freight moving there. Finally, We say “Deadhead us to homeplate and get us a damnned load” suddenly We had a load available..however Our tractor separated at the cab/sleeper connection…not a lil water leak,air….open sky visible. We had to get a rental,drive to Omaha,get a new truck *with only 8mi on it..giggity* and then our next paycheck was negative 400$!They tried to charge US for the hotel/rental car…once I explained I not only had the qualcomm record,but cell phone pictures of damage,receipts,etc,they said they’d get it to us next payday.I said fine,we’ll sit here in Your truck til it shows up. We suddenly had a check waiting 24hrs later.
Equipment-decent,but if it breaks down,You’ll get a heart transplant quicker than a dam B service ffs. Most of it is fairly new,tractor wise,but the trailers?I’d rather haul an old Swift trailer than a damned Werner.
Driver Mgr’s/fleet Mgrs-THEY work for YOU,not the other way around. We had 3 diff D.M’s our first year.The others were incompetent, manipulative,and flat out lied. We finally got w/a gal named Sarah with whom We NEVER had an issue. When we were within 20mi of a drop,our new load came through before we EVER dropped. Remember,team drivers!We make the co. $! We never had an issue with “we’ve been rolling 3wks straight,we nd a restart/chill period’ and if our truck needed fixing, a call from Sarah was enough to get it next in line,done by the top mechanic,and out the door in a hurry. Gotta find someone who “vibes” well with You is the key here.
Pay-ridiculous,but it is what it is.It’s co. for newer drivers,and the pay reflects that.
Summation;Great company to get experience with. Stay a year, get some experience/miles under You,then apply for every “Home nightly’ job in Your hometown showing Your experience,ability,etc via C.V. Be prepped.Have a H6 in hand *cali 10yr report.Your results may vary* dont dress like a damned extra in the country bear jamboree,and You’ll soon have a job home every night. Remember, local drivers “work’ more than OTR. We are often required to unload/load our trucks,deal with other bus. employees,etc. It’s not a “loner driver’ type of lifestyle at home. No matter what You do,get OUT of them more than You put in…good luck/dirty side down get’s it done-
I’m gone
You guys need to stop working for all this big names, slave driving, take your money, leave you in the street companies… look for smaller companies, they will give you better treatment, more miles, more pay, more home time. Is that not what you all want? I’ve never worked for the big companies, for .25 or .27 cpm crap… I started at .33cpm, and within 2 years went to .36cpm, and by year 4 was doing .38cpm. I’ve only been driving for almost 6 years and I’m already making .42cpm driving 3000 to 3200 miles a week, on a dedicated account, and home weekly. 4 1/2 days out 2 1/2 in. Look around fellas. I am still looking for higher pay, you just got to keep looking around, and keep your MVR clean if possible, that always looks good with experience which helps when negotiating higher pay.
Whatever you do stay away from the Werner Family Dollar accounts! Unless you enjoy unloading a 53′ trailer with 4000 piece count, by yourself, by hand, one box at a time. Dispatch makes it sound like a good deal with the bonus money paid out over six months, but most don’t make it four weeks, some quit halfway through their first load.
Example: my first load I drove 1200 miles unloaded 4000 pieces. My paycheck was $291.34 not much for the amount of work you do.
I had a minor accident at the Distribution Center and was suspended for three days without pay, on my third load. Was told by the safety manager to re-move my personal belongings, get on the grey hound bus to Dallas and re-train for 140 hours. Or be fired, take my personal belongings off my truck and find my own way home. Anyway fair warning, this is the kind of stuff that goes on at the Odessa, TX family dollar accounts. Also drivers management gets paid more then you do off of your hard labor. To them you are just a driver, you mean nothing to them.
Werner cares? I don’t think so!
I Just wanted to add to the experience with Werner. I did luck out and get a good trainer, a million Miler. Did my 275 hours in five weeks, mostly mountain driving which was great experience!
The only bad part was seeing my seeing my trainers $2300.00 weekly paychecks to my $350.00 per week. He has been with the company for fifteen years however, that’s how long it takes.
The mistake I made was going to Family Dollar. I should have done 48 states.
On dec, 10, 2014 Werner enterprises wrongfully terminated me from my job without any notice or speaking with me about something that wasn’t my fault.
Werner claims I damaged the fairings of truck. I told them the fairings were already damaged and I took it to the shop to get it repaired. I reported it but the shop said that is not a DOT requirement and we will not work on something that is not required by DOT.
Then they said I have a log violation which I spoke with the log department before. My student slipped on rock and injured her wrist badly. I contacted Werner. The workers comp lady told me to take her to the hospital. I followed exactly what I was told to do for that they got me a log violation.
Night before on Tuesday the 9th, someone stole my fuel cap which I wasn’t aware of until the safety from Indiana terminal looked at my truck. Even though it wasn’t time for me to do another pre-trip inspection. They still said it’s my fault for missing fuel cap.
So, they took me out for a road test to make sure I know how to drive on an old big ken worth which I had trouble reaching the peddles. On my road test everything was fine other than I pressed the clutch and brake together at the same time too soon to come to a complete stop. Even when they were aware of I’m having hard time reaching the pedals on the kenworth, when I’m use to drive a freightliner. They said I’m going to have to fail you on this test.
They asked me to wait in the driver’s lounge 15 minutes later they came told me that they going to have to let me go. I asked who made that decision. I want to speak to that person. The answer was it’s made by someone at the corporate safety office who i never got a chance to speak to.
After they terminated me in Indiana. They would not provide me with a bus ticket or reimburse me for a rental car. I spend 30+150+488+tax+fuel+other charges on rental car driving back to Texas. This is how I was treated by Werner. Werner don’t care!
Join the club. My hsband was terminated for something that he did twenty years ago They are a buch of backstabbing jerks. Good luck to you.
I agree getting that year in is of the utmost. Don’t believe it, go thru school, don’t take anything they offer or have them back out on you like what happened to me,and just take your CDL A/B and just go out there, go ahead, search on Craigslist, indeed etc yea plenty of jobs for sure. See how long it takes for someone to take that chance on you. Some good advice; Make sure you know what your getting yourself into. Make sure you got two things down FOR SURE pay and home time, from jump street! Make sure you haven’t left room for anyone to back out of what they promised and take the offer that’s best for you and your family and just get started! God Bless ya’ll.
Any new news on Werner, Enterprise? Been thing about going back to school (to update) and wondering if they are any better since 2010? They let me go. I learned alot from them and if I go back to trucking are they better or worse? Let me know. former driver.
I retired from the Navy in ’03, been working shipyard jobs since then. I got laid off due to “Work Slow Down” end of June and have yet to get another job. I have always enjoyed driving (more so than the destination) and since my youngest is 21 I thought I would give OTR trucking a consideration. My GI bill covers the tuition and the school tells me that Werner has a program in which I can use my GI bill to supplement my first years pay in a “Apprentiship” Program. Since most, if not all ads I have read require 6mo to 1 year experience I thought this would be a good thing. Can anyone comment on the program “Operation Freedom”?
I’m somewhat in the same boat, minus the military background. I’m beginning to look into driving and I’m not 100% certain of this, but if you go through a private school and get the government (or military, not sure how it works for you) to pay, you might get reimbursed when you start driving and get tuition reimbursement. I read a comment like that on another site, so take it with a grain of salt, but if true it would be a nice way to pick up some cash, especially if you can find a private school that charges $1 million for training!! It sounds a bit far fetched and I don’t believe everything I read on the internet, but it’s worth checking into. Thanks for your service to our country, and good luck in your career.
Former driver at Werner, I learned alot from them and want to say that you get out of it what you put into it. I had to take alot of **** from other drivers who thought they knew everything about trucking. If they did they would be upstairs in the office. Since I stopped driving I still see things that I’m glad I did not do with werner. talk on the phone, or on the quellcom,. I drive for a pizza store and I still use the things that werner thought me. PAY ATTENTION when driving. Alot of people don’t. Check your mirrows, and do your pre trip. Even in your car. I can,t tell you how many times the driver call up to say I,M out of gas or oil, or worse. The same thing applays to cars. Always be safe and merry Xmas .
Swift just terminated me because i had 5 critical events in the last 6 months will warner hire me????? No accidents no tickets.. Nothing on my license
They probably will. Are the critical events even something they would know about if you didn’t tell them? Everyone has close calls.
They might? Have you called or put in a Application? Unless it was a wreak or tickets I’m sure they would.
What Werner Terminals give out KW’s? Is there one that does it more often then others? We were told if we could find a terminal with a empty KW they would switch us from a Freightliner to a KW. Does any one know?
I’ve been with werner 8 months now as a solo driver. It started out good and was getting good miles. But now I’m sitting more than the truck is moving. They keep telling me that freight is slow. I think ghat is a bunch of bs. They seem to take care to the o/o teams and trainers. I’m just trying to stick it out a few more months then I’m gone.
Werner is actually no different than any other company or job ! There is going to be B.S. where ever you are, and no matter what job your going to have to work your way up the line to actually start seeing a turn around ! It does not happen over night ! Why people think Truck Drivers are millionaires is just another crazy wives tale ! If your not cut out to work, its not for you. Plain and simple. Its hard work like any other job, you have to prove you want to work, you get small raises but do the math, it comes out to more than 10.00 an hour and if you have no jobs in your neighborhood whats one to do but go and find the work, after all its not going to come to you. Everyone starts somewhere to get driving time in, unless you can find someone to lie for you stating you have your 2+ driving years in that great for you. Of course your going to start out low as with any job, stick with it long enough and get your time and move on if you don’t like it, no need for bad mouthing companies that employ people (actually anyone) to get them where they need to be to become professional. Some of the nicest drivers work for Werner, maybe those are the one who are building a career. Sure they sacrifice their home life and maybe miss out on the first tooth of a child, but that’s the price ya pay to bring income home to your family. People can complain about work everyday, no matter what kind of work it is, you wanna pay your bills you gotta work. No matter what company you work for, your not going to be rich, your still going to find yourself scrounging for money after you deduct everything and make sure your wife and kids are getting by.
Everyone complains about Werner. Obviously they aren’t very good at holding jobs or taking instructions. They are no different than any other company that will have company rules. If you don’t watch the ideling than your being selfish and taking from not only the company but other drivers also, no need to brownose because just like any other company they know who will run the miles and who won’t, complainers never get anywhere and if your complaining here… Well that’s not looking to good for ya, just saying. As with any other company you start out and work your way up. Also there is not much brownosing with dispatch because they rotate around and you could end up having gone through 5 different dispatatch in a year. If you want to hit it rich while in breakdown, either plan ahead for mishaps or go to the casino, its no different than a different job, sometimes equipment fails and they either send ya home for the day or find piddly things to do but they don’t give breakdown pay. Everyone knows time is money being a truck driver but be prepared, your not winning the lotto. Also having kids at home, sounds like an excuse to complain . Sure everyone loves their family, if you and your family are not cut out for it don’t do it and then complain about it later, its something you all need to be on board with. In today’s economy its pushing family’s to accept what comes along with a job to keep the bills paid. You still live week to week and sometimes on an advance, its work. Just imagine military family being apart more than just a month, some people have it worse. Nothings easy, its not your average 9-5 job unless you work in your own town than maybe. So yeah, Werner is no different than others, maybe a little less start out pay but you work your way up, just cut back on the rich and famous lifestyle you were trying to live before hand .
My experience at werner:
Werner was my savior from c.r.england, getting paid basically nothing as a newbie to at least something with werner. Orientation in fontana was wonderful paul there was awesome liked it from the start did a bit more training from there was dropped off at the Denver terminal an met more extremely nice people was so cool having a blast then I almost believed the werner cares logo. I started off at dollar general in fulton as a solo driver an I am a woman so it was difficult for me but I enjoyed my two days home every weekend, hit some rough spot am decided to try otr for awhile my manager irritated me to no end at times but she an I made it work I think an finally got in a system I ran like regionally, I decided to go back to dollar general after winter was over so instead of freezing to death I’d have a heat stroke, several times I got over heated. (Them dollar general guys have a HARD job) this time I ran outta ardmore ok, an the dms were wonderful to start off I kept busy always running till my home time came I wanted home for my 2 days an I was informed we did not get 2 days home only 34 hours at this point I’m a little peeved that I took this account to get home an I only get one day with my family ya I’m sorry family’s number 1 on my list. So I called the lady back an told her I was done. Overall I really liked werner, not some of its driver managers but the company it’s self I had a hard time leaving. For New guys it’s totally worth a try can’t hurt an way better than .12 cents a mile at england. Thanks werner for your time but your driver managers need to learn they work for us an not the other way around.
Werner is the worst company to be working for. Dont go there if you love being a trucker because you will end up hate it. They have no respect and consideration for drivers.
I worked for Werner for a few months. Loved it at first,was put on Walmart surge account. Made good money for the first two months.. Then they put me on the dollar general acct.. Asked dispatcher Roger to remove me from acct he refused multiple times. I was involved in an accident,was not at fault. Driver drove under me at high rate of speed.. I requested they send me home. After they impounded my truck..and put me up in a hotel not knowing how long I would be there. They did send me home by rental car. I spent three months trying to get my last 5 trip tickets. Over 2000 miles unpaid.. Then spent days trying to get my W2 from them each time they told me they sent it after confirming address. Its now been almost two years.. Never got paid or my tax return for the year.. I thought they were pro military.I was so wrong. I wish you the best If you are considering this company.
Now werner is shoven automatics down ur throat.if u dnt get one they will let u go. one option is to be owner op.other then tht is 10speeds are the thing of the past at werner.
Curious…if they shove automatics down your throat, please share how that makes your drive harder.
I respect your experience, but do you remember “party lines [with a dial”]?
Do you have a “mobile phone” now?
Werner is a company for training only, I left them because what I was getting paid with them I found locally and home everyday and weekends off,but if you leave them be sure to have a ride home because they will leave you stranded, and will tell you they will get you a ticket home which is a lie
Found out the hard way that Werner handles all their claim in house so when a driver hit your vehicle and drives off if you don’t or can’t get the number they say they can’t do anything about it so if a Werner trucks hits your vehicle be prepared for a fight
It’s suck company. I could not leave with 400 $ per week. They gave me a load to pick up at drop yard and drive 28 miles, after that waiting for unload for 5 hours