A few months ago, I was talking to a couple of my buddies who train students for Werner. They told me that they hire new drivers, put them through training, and then send them home with a "don't call us, we'll call you" type of phrase. The deal is, so my buddies tell me, is that they need to keep the trainers running, but they don't really have enough new spots for all of their graduating trainees.

I just got hired on to Crete, and I start on the 20th. My question is does anyone know if Crete Trucking is doing the same thing? Am I going to go through training and then not have a job when I'm done? If anyone knows, please tell me soon. Thanks.

-Phil

I am not going to believe that. The cost to recruit and train someone, even paying them training wages, so that them can get, what 6 weeks or 3 months, out of them is not going to be recovered to run the truck as a team. What is the cost to bring a driver, even an experience driver, onboard to a company? Remember there are recruiter's pay, background checks, drug testing, orientation, travel to orientation, etc. Also, what are the hidden costs of abused equipment, load claims, and delivery delays for operating a company as your buddies suggest.

Actually, how does a company make any money training new drivers?!? BTW, I joined the industry with Schneider in 1993(I had a CDL but no formal training). And Please don't tell it because they get to charge $4000+ to students who don't complete there training period(eg. 12-24 months).

Well I'm not really interested in debating whether or not werner is doing this, I have two seperate trainers telling me the same thing so I guess I'm going to believe my friends that I've known for years, not you, with all due respect.

What I'm interested in is if there are any crete trainers here, or people who have recently been hired by crete, who know if they are doing this.

Two words: government kickbacks.
For what it's worth, I HAVE heard of students (not just with Werner, but with Swift and CR England) who've been told that they don't have trucks available at the time. I have not, however, heard a peep out of Crete. We now return to your regularly scheduled madness, er, thread.

Werner might have a variety of trucks but i would rather go with Crete.. i heard their starting pay was near the top for someone with not much experience like around 35 cents.. But you have to stay out for 3 weeks at a time i believe

I called Crete, but they're under a hiring freeze for drivers that reside in WV (along with just about every other carrier in the nation).

Werner is usually considered one of the dirtbag outfits. Back when I went to trucking school a few of the graduates went to werner. After orientation, I know at least one of them sat around waiting for a truck. The routine was check out of the motel in the morning, go sit around the terminal waiting for your truck to come in, at the end of the day go check back into the motel. Back then the pay scale was way low, I think in the mid 20-cpm. No reason to think it has gone up.

Cretins are a mentally and physically stunted lot, but generally happy. I get the impression one sacrifices a large portion of their life to hit the magical $60K figure. A driver named evertruckerr has an interesting "blog" on one of the other boards. Seems he likes his job, but I find it disheartening to be trucking 6-8 weeks at a time.

Good luck with your decision. Right now the attitude with employers is be happy you have a job. Eventually, the worm will turn.

You should believe your friends over me; I am not insulted. But, I do question your friends integrity as they know that this business model is to use these "students" for how long(?) and dump them. Are they any better than the recruiters that will say/promise anything to get someone onboard? Do these "trainers" really care about their "students" skills development(Other than the trainer's self-preservation instincts) and future careers in the industry? It contradicts the statement under the "Driver Trainer" section on the Werner website.

Werner Enterprises - Opportunities

IF this situation is TRUE, then it really does justify the low opinion many have for Werner(and I am not one).

BTW, I have always heard good things about Crete. I applied at Hunt Transportation(I am a flatbedder) when I am out searching for my present job.

I've heard the same story several times from former and current Werner students.

Also talked with several Werner drivers saying that they have heard students being told this also.

Why would werner do this? The student gets a set wage, the trainer get's his pay --- versus paying a team wage??? Cheaper freight, more money for werner.

Thanks everybody.