Werner training in Dallas Tx

new trucker if u really want to drive a truck for a living the first place to start is with a positive attitude go do your training ask many questions and learn as much as you can cuz the real traning is going to be when you are alone in that truck ,good luck to u,, remember nothing come easy ,, but not impossible ,, it can be done,,

 

Trained with Werner in 2004, so my info is out of date... I liked my trainer, he was a 65 yr old indian that lived in upstate New York. Equipment was better than some companies(Trucks are well maintained, trailers are hit and miss). I waited 2 days for my trainer, and stayed out with him for 7 weeks. They offer to put you up in a hotel for your trainer's hometime, but mine was cool and let me stay with him and his wife.(Free food is always nice). Word of advice- don't listen to the other trainee's stories!!! It's like a fishing trip without the fish.... I've been here 3 days! No wait a minute, I've been here 5 days! Check this out, that guy over there has been waiting for a trainer since 1976!!! Overall they are a decent company, put you 6 months to a year in and walk away. Avoid the Dallas regional fleet, back it the day it was sliding scale and only paid .18/mile to deadhead. Heard the Dollar General accounts pay well(800-900 week) if you don't mind working in all weather conditions. I would say go for OTR because it looks better to have Mountain experience... My longest wait was being dropped off in Ohio waiting for a truck after training, took 5 days but they gave me a private hotel room. Made some cash running back and forth from the Kenworth dealer bringing back new bobtails to the terminal. Afterwards they sent me out to recover a w900 that was abandoned, covered my rental car and paid me mileage to go get the tractor. Overall, they were an easy company. Just don't whine to dispatch, they will starve you out lol...

 

Its what you make it, you must have patience or this just isnt for you we all have to start out somewhere I started with werner in 2000 so things are different for sure but they are not a super bad company just get your experience in at one place DONT JOB HOP most reputable carriers wont look at you if you dont have 1yr solid exp as far as the money goes you should still be getting paid even tho your not on the trainer trk, I know its not much but its better than nothing Best of luck to you

 

I just finished Werner training and for me it was a huge mistake. The bottom line is that that Werner's program is more about moving freight than any kind of "training". Trainers get paid for student miles, not letting you learn to back up, drop and hook or decipher the gibberish on the qualcom. Students only get credit for line 3 driving time, nothing else. The incentive for both parties is for the student to be a interstate steering wheel holder, arguably the least challenging aspect of the job. The "trainers" are just truck drivers and, in my experience, not exactly the cream of the crop. They're typical employees who, once given a title, think they're free to treat you any way they want. I'm sorry but barking out orders is not managing people and screaming at people is not training. My first trainer was a total ahole who screamed at me constantly. The second one was also an ill mannered, thuggish idiot, but I decided to tolerate him fearing the third guy would be even worse. I'm 54 years old and I've never had to endure the kind of abuse these lowlifes doled out.
Dispatch will run you team style right out of the gate. Once the midnight to 6:00 AM curfew is lifted your circadian clock will get turned upside down over and over again. Sleep deprivation will become your normal routine. You'll be awake for 24 hours and find yourself driving another 11 just to get your hours done. If you refuse, your trainer will ##### about not getting enough miles out of you. Add to this: complete lack of privacy, unable to see your wife and family for weeks or months, pay that is way below minimum wage and would be illegal in any other industry, wearing dirty clothes and going without a shower for days (depending on your trainers preference), eating disgusting and expensive truck stop food, having to take a crap in a filthy truck stop stall with another guy grunting and farting 18 inches away, trying to sleep in another guy's bed while the truck bounces over the road and sh*hole drop yards, and more indignities than space here allows for. In my case I trained in the Northeast from December thru February in a truck with no APU that would not idle so you can add near frostbite to the list. (my "trainer" enjoyed the benefit of an additional 100 pounds of body fat insulation that I don't possess and couldn't understand why I was complaining)
Werner training is not only a miserable experience it's downright dangerous. When you're inexperienced, exhausted, freezing, and driving an 80,000 pound vehicle you're likely to make mistakes. You risk your CDL, all that money for driving school, personal liability both civil and criminal, and the lives of yourself and others. I managed to get through this without any accidents or tickets but many do not which may explain Werner's lackluster CSA scores and turnover rates.
Werner training takes twice as long as many other entry level companies. Werner would have you believe that this makes their program superior. The reality is that their training strategy enables them to move more freight which benefits primarily the company, not the trainee. Driving schools, recruiters, trainers and entry level trucking companies all get paid to put you in that seat. The most under compensated party is the trainee. In the end you may or may not be a competent truck driver but it doesn't really matter. There's always another group of wide eyed recruits ready to take your place (50 at the Indy terminal the last time I was there).
If you're determined to do Werner: Go out with an OTR trainer and get it done as quickly as possible (Dollar General and Family dollar will take much longer. Do a ride along after training if you want to get on one of these accounts). Take your 10 hours on line 1 every day and don't let your trainer order you around til you're on duty (sleep as much as you can whenever you can). If dispatch is running you beyond what you can tolerate tell your trainer you're done for the day. It's not your responsibility to kill yourself so he can make a few more dollars. If he whines tell him to shove it. Bear in mind that OTR truck drivers live what most people would consider a dysfunctional lifestyle. If you have a functioning personal life; spouse, kids, house, friends etc. you may find you don't have a lot in common with your trainer. Accept this reality and persevere. Take as much private time as you can get even if it's only 15 minutes in the truck stop on the cell phone with your spouse. It'll be the best part of your day. When you've had enough, take a LOA and go home. Werner gets paid when you finish training and that's their goal. You can go home whenever you want and you won't get fired at least until you're assigned a truck no matter what they tell you.
In the end you get a crappy job that doesn't begin to compensate you for the time, money and work you've invested. In my view OTR drivers are are mostly in denial about the reality of this job. They brag about about a 4 figure paycheck but neglect to mention that they work 24 hours a day to earn it. If I can't be with my family, or sit in my recliner, or mow my lawn or drink a beer, or sell my labor to someone else, I'm working. As someone new to this business, and unfortunately without better options at this point, I've reached the conclusion that the only way to make this work is to either get enough experience to get a local job that pays an hourly wage or get your own truck and actually get compensated for your work and risk. Driving OTR for Werner or any of the other large companies is a loser's game. I'm counting the days til I can be done with Werner.

 

Its posts like this that make me want to be a trainer. I went through training with werner and had a decent experience to say it was fun would be a lie but the stories I read some of these trainers should be put in jail for torture. The good thing is that once training is done it only gets better from there.

 

I have went through werner training programs and my trainer was awesome the experience is what you make if your already having a bad out look then that's how it's gunna be the whole time I run anheuser busch and I make 34 a mile try to go dedicated like dollar general or Harley or miller light they even bass pro this mining company from minnasota they have target walmart there are alot of choices. I promise Werner is not the best company bur if you get your load there don't complain do every thing on you end right you will have no problems. By all means pm me get my number and call me I will help you out if need be. I'd you have any problems contact me