Werner.. the good bad and indifferent??

[chromewheelz]

Anyone who knows the good bad and indifferent about Werener please post here. I am thinking of driving for them and having them sponsor me to get my CDL. I know everyone has said that if possible to get my CDL on my own, but in this downed economy this dead end mechanic job is getting old quickly. What does everyone know about them. Home time? benifits? pay? (average take home) employee treatment? equipment? ive read all through their web site and all but as well all know thats the outside, i would like to know what the inside edge is like. thanks in advance people!!

[Biscuit Lips]

I have never worked for Werner, and have no future plans to, but from all I have heard and read they have some of the lowest pay in the industry. Don't think they have changed their payscale since 1980 or something. Have you tried the search button at the top? You would probably come up with countless threads about Werner.

[tombestonebilly]

Better take off those continental-blue shaded glasses, son.

They're starting drivers off at .25cpm.
So let's say you average 2500 mpw.
That's $625 on the gross (if you even get 2500 miles).
Back out taxes, road expenses, meals, etc.
And you're looking at about $350 takehome.

One fast-food job and another PT gig will do that for you.
No trucking school needed.
No CDL.
No sharing a broom closet with Jabba the Hut for 4 weeks at rockbottom trainee pay of .10cpm or so.
Best of all you don't owe your soul to the company store.
And you sleep in your own bed everynight.

I know times are tight but there's certainly better options than Werner.
Such as foodstamps, government cheese, and section 8 housing.
Why not?
Everyone else is doing it: AIG, GM, Chrysler, Bank of America, and lots of other beggars wearing $2500 suits and flying around in Gulfstream jets.
It's the American way!

[buckshot150]

2500 miles.......If your lucky, My brother in law just started with them and got 1000 miles 2 weeks ago and 1400 last week.

[repete]

Better take off those continental-blue shaded glasses, son.

They're starting drivers off at .25cpm.
So let's say you average 2500 mpw.
That's $625 on the gross (if you even get 2500 miles).
Back out taxes, road expenses, meals, etc.
And you're looking at about $350 takehome.

One fast-food job and another PT gig will do that for you.
No trucking school needed.
No CDL.
No sharing a broom closet with Jabba the Hut for 4 weeks at rockbottom trainee pay of .10cpm or so.
Best of all you don't owe your soul to the company store.
And you sleep in your own bed everynight.

I know times are tight but there's certainly better options than Werner.
Such as foodstamps, government cheese, and section 8 housing.
Why not?
Everyone else is doing it: AIG, GM, Chrysler, Bank of America, and lots of other beggars wearing $2500 suits and flying around in Gulfstream jets.
It's the American way!

very well said, and so true. BTW I remember that government cheese that was good stuff!

[marcel27208]

very well said, and so true. BTW I remember that government cheese that was good stuff!

yes it was....i remember cuttin slices off the big slab myself

[Flydragon]

Depending on your location there may 2 or 3 companies that will offer you the same deal. But this is a lousy time to get into this business. Freight is short everywhere and averaging 1,400 miles a week not only won't pay the bills, you'll slowly go nuts sitting around sh*t-hole truck stops waiting for a load.

Take in that visual of "sharing a broom closet with Jabba the Hut for 4 weeks" because that's the nasty truth about going out with a trainer once you've obtained your CDL. Many a trainee has jumped out of the truck because they just can't stand living in such close quarters for weeks on end.

Then, once you're out there on your own you'd better hope your trainer did a good job because the vast majority of accidents are caused by newbies in their first year of driving. If you roll your truck by taking an off-ramp too fast or slide on the ice and hit some 4-wheeler you can kiss that company goodbye, and good luck finding another company to take you on.

If by some miracle you make through your first year you can then scout for a better gig with companies that require at least that much experience. If, by yet another miracle the economy gets rolling again you might even make some decent money.

The bottom line for you and anyone else thinking about this business is that it isn't the glamorous adventure you have in your head. It's a lot different than you think. There's the constant pressure to be safe, legal and on time, while sometimes being a very lonely experience spending weeks-at-a-time away from home. It's definitely not for everyone.

Against all that, flipping hamburgers doesn't sound that bad, now does it?

[VPIDarkAngel]

It's hard to list specifics on a company with thousands of trucks... However, one thing that I didn't catch was whether you wanted to eventually do 48-state, regional, flatbed, or dedicated. This (along with which dedicated account you get on, if you so choose, and who your dispatcher is) will determine your weekly pay and home-time. I started out on 48-state at 26 cents a mile. My weekly gross pay was in the $600 range, with take-home pay of $400-500 almost every week. If you run team, you'll probably get longer runs, better miles, more money, etc.
Let us know what you seek, and we'll be better armed to answer questions.

[thbogle]

I ran for Werner for 6 months in 04. I didnt go to their school. I ran dedicated on the RR Donnely account until the Schrock Cabinets account came open. I made .32 cpm on the RR Donnely account and .31cpm + tailgate pay for the Schrock. I was definately happier on the RR Donnely account because I had a good dispatcher. I liked it at Werner for some reasons like I got home quite a bit and made ok money. I hated it there for other reasons like the dispatchers who handled my bored whe my regular manager was out and the computer logging system.

I think I only had a good experience there because I was on dedicated. Tried to go back last year and they said I would have to go back through school and with a trainer because I was off of the road too long. (another company took me back with open arms). they were going to pay me a whopping .26 cpm for flat or .24 for van

If werner is where you want to go make sure you do your homework. If its still where you want to go make the best of it get what you need to out of them and then move on to a company that will pay you well for your time.

Best of luck

[patnap]

If I were you, I would run fast....................fast away from Werner.

Not dispatch friendly
Not safety minded
No idea how to pay

Don't even be honest with them a safety issue with the rig.

Run far far away!!!!!

Good Luck in whatever route you take

[Creek Jackson]

Anyone who knows the good bad and indifferent about Werener please post here. I am thinking of driving for them and having them sponsor me to get my CDL. I know everyone has said that if possible to get my CDL on my own, but in this downed economy this dead end mechanic job is getting old quickly. What does everyone know about them. Home time? benifits? pay? (average take home) employee treatment? equipment? ive read all through their web site and all but as well all know thats the outside, i would like to know what the inside edge is like. thanks in advance people!!

Stand by,,,,,,,,,,,, the Big Jeep should be along here shortly.

[ordinaryguy]

If I were you, I would run fast....................fast away from Werner.

Not dispatch friendly
Not safety minded
No idea how to pay

Don't even be honest with them a safety issue with the rig.

Run far far away!!!!!

Good Luck in whatever route you take

have you driven for Werner, patnap?

[P A Frederick]

I'll tell you what I tell everyone trying to get into the industry right now: Don't. Biggest mistake I ever made was quitting a 1/2 way decent job fixing appliances to drive a truck. Its not bad if you get a cushy home daily route, but most of the time you'll be out for at least a week or two, or three, or... I could go on and on.

If you're a single person with not many family ties, being gone for weeks at a time would be great, but not for me. The traffic gets worse, the nights get longer, the truck stops more crowded. Its lots of fun pulling into a truck stop at 2 or 3 AM and not being able to find a spot to park. I try not to end my days at those hours, but sometimes you have to.

Bottom line: do something else with your life if you plan on having a family and a life...

[sportster65]

The traffic gets worse, the nights get longer, the truck stops more crowded. Its lots of fun pulling into a truck stop at 2 or 3 AM and not being able to find a spot to park. I try not to end my days at those hours, but sometimes you have to.

Ah, the beauty of running teams, we bypassed many of the T/S. When we did stop at T/S for 34hr restart or just a good nights sleep, you had to compete with 10 drivers for the one available spot. Bit it was always fun listening to the VD infested drivers and hookers trying to hookup. Amarillo was the best, one Ho advertising for business on the CB, and one driver after another passing her around. Just listening made me want to take a shower.

[freebirdrfd]

Bit it was always fun listening to the VD infested drivers and hookers trying to hookup. Amarillo was the best, one Ho advertising for business on the CB, and one driver after another passing her around. Just listening made me want to take a shower.

but she tasted good

[Jumbo]

but she tasted good

I just threw up my dinner.

[sportster65]

but she tasted good

That was you at that TA?
After seeing them walking around, I was always surprised that they had the nerve to charge money.

[ERIC]

so u want to know about werner's pay coming out the gate your only going to be making 26cpm thats all and thats a fact regardless of what the recruiter told u

26cpm / 13 cpm deadhead miles = otr or regional
hometime= u wont get home they will keep u out as long as they can
what your paychecks will look like otr/regional= 2-300$ a week if your lucky


its so sad to see guys coming into werner with high hopes of making big bucks

i use to be a trainer at werner and the only reason i survived the 3 years i was with werner is because i was on dedicated paying 34cpm pretty much got lucky. the only way AND LET ME REPEAT THE ONLY WAY YOUR GOING TO MAKE MONEY IS IF YOUR ON A DEDICATED ROUTE. and even when your on dedicated u still have to deal with bs but not like otr.

im not sure how other dedicated accounts ran but the one i was on was ran different than how they run werner as a whole. u could get away with alot more stuff than with the dispatchers from ohama. alot rules were broken but it didnt matter because the account was to valuable to werner.

if your thinking about going over to werner u better ask yourself are u ready. alot things have changed
like breakdown pay is only 20$ for every 24hr day. i remember it use to be 100 on my dedicated now its 20 across werner. werner is hurting right now if u know for sure u can get on a dedicated account go for werner. if not i would stay away because i promise it will only bring u alot stress and pain making 2-300$ a wk. out of all the students i trained and these are actual figures 1 out of 20 students a had made it within 3 months of leaving my truck and the only reason that 1 guy made it is because i got him on my dedicated account and hes now gone so when they say 110% turnover rate THIS IS TRUE ive seen it for myself


if u live in the right area try dedicated thats the only way........

[FunkRider]

In school on career day the guy from Werner told us about working on the Canadian side of the company. All you do for a week is run trailers over the border to MI and bring them back. You might get close to home but you can't go home. No thanks. I don't think I could handle being so close to home every other day but having to stay in the truck.

[Skywalker]

I have never driven for Werner, and seriously, seriously doubt I ever would.... That being said.... here is what I have experienced where they are concerned:

There have been a number of times that I have gone to TA's to get a tire replaced, or have something else done to my truck or trailer. On a number of occasions, not just a few, but so many that when I see a Werner truck in the bay.... I automatically feel sorry for the driver(s).

On the most recent occasion....about a week ago, I needed a tire, and when I got to the TA, there was a Werner truck in one of the bays....front right steer was chewed all to hell and gone...tractor way out of alignment....the tire was down to the steel belting...an OOS situation, and the driver had been there for SEVEN HOURS while Werner's road service people dicked around making a decision whether or not to replace the tire. The TA had already taken digital photos and emailed them to Werner, and they were still "dicking" around..... and that is not the only time that I have seen that scenario take place...... Seems Werner has a real "aversion" to getting their rigs fixed, back on the road, and the freight delivered.....

Hell, if I need a tire.... I walk in, tell them, give them my T/O # as the PO#, and tell them what to put on, keep the carcass....and get it done. Forget that bull**** about waiting around for some moron or twit to "make a decision".....Hell...if its that difficult, I would hate to see the bonehead making a decision in Mickey D's....the menu would require "thought"........the clod would starve to death before deciding on the fries....

And what is really "criminal"....the driver is getting stiffed for the time, both on the 14, and not making a dime waiting..... Me, I get paid for the time....

Werner is a "coolie-carrier".......

Considering the costs of being on the road.....and the fact that you will spend weeks with a possibly unwashed "Jabba the Hut".... (Eeewwwww) I think unemployment, government cheese, and sleeping in my own bed is a far better option.