COVENANT OR WERNER
 

which is the better company for rookie drivers? :roll:

why kimit yourself don't be blind take those blinders off,these two are bottom feeders aside from CRE.

COVENANT OR WERNER
 

Werner - Three divisions, dry van, temp controlled, and flatbed.
Covenant - Dry van.
BOL

Werner = LOW PAY, low miles, good equipment, worthless paperless logs.

Covenant= Well, I don't know, I have never worked for them. I have heard that they are not a good company though, but that is second hand info.

C) NONE OF THE ABOVE

Both are bottom tier in terms of pay and how they treat their employees.

Listen werner is not quite the antichrist mega carrier that everyone is saying it is. You have to understand that within any organization this large their will always be good and bad. To make money at werner you must get into a dedicated account! My w-2 from last year was 53,652 otr guys will be in the 30's. Equipment is pretty good and you never have to pay out of pocket for anything. For a rookie try it for six months and keep an open mind. No matter where you go their will be problems that's inevitable. Good luck

In most cases, Dedicated is the way to go with a mega-carrier for earning more $$ than a national or regional driver. Of course you may have to prove your worth to them if you're relatively new to OTR. However, if a mega-carrier landed a new account, they may take you on pronto! :)

:lol: :lol:
You beat me to it. :P

Re: COVENANT OR WERNER
 

Actually nowadays Covenant does have a bunch of reefers....

But if you want a really good company to start out with... try CFI. They are a very good company.

I've been at Covenant one month on the team side and just can't take it anymore. I have been getting 300 to 500 dollar paychecks every week. This past week we only pulled 3,500 miles team. My codriver is leaving too. They deadheaded us 700 miles and did not pay us for it. When we asked about it, they said we had to request it at the time we recieved the assignment on the qualcom. They robbed us of those miles. We just sat at a meat plans for 2 days with no detention pay, only to carry the load 1400 miles with 4 stops spread out over 4 days. That is a solo load, not a team load. One side doesn't know what the other is doing. Communicatin is horrible at this company. Dispatchers ignore you and don't get back to you. They don't care about their drivers and they are losing them left and right. This company is dieing if they don't do something soon. They are in danger of loosing the grants they get from the government to train students. I've seen them let drivers go for no reason other than they spoke up about something they didn't like. This company doesn't like those who stick out of the crowd or think for themselves. If you're out of line they will let you go, plain and simple. Everyone needs to stay away from Covenant. Screw waiting until I get my one year of experience, I'm going ahread and going with Crete even though I have to go out with a trainer. It will be worth it in the long run.

Both of you need to go to your state labor commission and file a formal complaint against Convict ...er Covenant.

You may or may not get your money, but you can have the satisfaction of driving another nail in their coffin.

They are already under investigation by the State of Tennessee for fraud.

I agree with the previous poster....file a complaint. File it with the wage commissions in both TN and AR.

Frankly, I have never heard of a company policy anywhere that stated that "company drivers" had to send in a quallcom request to get paid for MT deadhead. Sounds like pure unadulterated horse :dung: to me.

And to think the company is run by someone who claims to be a "christian"! In fact...he said God told him how to run the company. (Not BS...he said it in an interview that was printed in the media) Makes you wonder which god he's talking about.... :?

Now....how long do you think it will take before some other person wants to throw themselves in the slime it at Covenant....? Do you realize that if you drop the "ant" from the name...you end up with "Coven".....hmmmm :?

OH :dung: Skywalker!

I just received a reply from Covenant to contact them about my application they receieved via CAD...
Clay51, thanks for the heads up about this company.

I guess I won't be calling them

You are welcome.

When I retired from the best job I ever held, and get into trucking, covanant was the second company I drove for. Lasted 4 months of 1900 miles at .19 a mile before leaving to a better job (if there is such a thing in trucking).

David Parker says God tells him how to run a trucking company.

Must be the same god that has kids straping explosives to their bodys in his name.

Tomorrow's pay check is going to be 245 dollars. Afer the advances I took it will be 45 dollars. I made more in training at Prime than I did here. :shock: Me and my codriver had two SOLO loads this week totalling about 3,000 miles. You can't make a living like this man. And I've got a son to take care of. You're better off going to Swift or Werner....Crete seems every interested in me, only waiting for my background to clear. Oh yeah, they don't put you on a bus to orientation; they pay for you a rental car. I think life is getting better....

Ive been with Werner 5yrs next month, I run dedicated. I have very few problems with the company. My 1st full year my W2 was about 47k, 2nd,3rd, and 4th 50k-53k. Company has always treated me fair, payroll has always been right on.

Fireman said:
Werner = LOW PAY, low miles, good equipment, worthless paperless logs


48 state drivers have a tougher time adapting, but they can and do adapt.

Pay will be what you make of it, better regional/dedicated.

Paperless Logs (IMHO) best think any company can do for themselves and their drivers. Paperless is one of the reasons I stay with Werner.

They dispatch you legal, you run it legal. Period.....
(If you have to run illegal for your company, or self, you are doing yourself a tremedous disservice). I know you can make as much money running legal. I also love going into a scale house and DOT doesnt even ask for my logs. Its very rare that I have to got to scale, Im usually prepassed or bypassed. Had to go around back once in 5yrs. My own stupid mistake. 800lbs over on the tandems, in a Maryland scalehouse.

I have no plans to leave Werner any time soon, I will not job hop looking for "greener" pastures, I know that wont happen. When a better opportunity presents itself (I keep my feelers out) Ill then consider it.

You can do worse going to Werner. Pay very close attention to Logs and how to work them. They will make or break you. The quicker you learn the logging system the easier it will be to manager your HOS.

You said it....your on a dedicated. I worked for Werner for 4 yrs and 2 months. 4 yrs the first time and 2 months the second time. The first time I was 48 state. This last time I was Regional. I was even a trainer for them the first time. The first time I was there I too enjoyed my employment. When I came back the second time, I got no miles. My best week was around 2000 miles. As far as the runs go, I had one run dispatched to me that picked up in Owensboro KY and had to be in Chicago. To get from Owensboro to Chicago takes around 6 hrs. I was only given 4.5 hrs to make it. I do not run illegal. When I told my FM this, he told me that it had to be there and If I did not get it there, there would be consequences. That is when I headed back and turned in the truck. Yes, you can do worse then Werner. I just don't believe that they are keeping up with the times as far as pay and such goes. Now, with that said, this is just MY experiences with them and that is what I based MY opinion on. I am happy to hear that they are working good for you. I also do not mean any disrespect to you in any way.

Fireman, no disrespect taken.

I agree with what you are saying as well. Werner is definitly behind in the pay department, and to succeed in Werner you got to find the right niche. Also have to have a good and understanding Fleet manager.

I thought about being a trainer a few years ago, almost went to Omaha to attend the train the trainer course, (I backed out at the last second).
I came to the conclusion that I am 100% solo driver. (I dont mind occassi onal passengers). I dont want somebody else in the truck with me for extended periods. Im kinda set in my ways. I also dont agree with the Werner training program, requiring the truck to basically run as a team. No thanks, I sleep alot better when the truck isnt moving.

I was a Certified Flight Instructor and Commercial Pilot for about 10yrs, prior to trucking, with about 6000hrs of teaching others how to fly airplanes. I enjoyed it alot. I know I can teach the skills necessary to make a truck driver. But, when I was teaching flight I was awake and had my own set of controls at hand, so when I had to "save the day" I could. Not much I can do laying in the bunk of the truck (trying to sleep) if the flegling driver gets in a little to deep.

When you were dispatched on the trip, were you a trainer? A trip like that as a solo sould not even been assigned to you (the FM computer would be unable to assign it without changes in the appt. time)

Yes I was solo, this was just a few months ago. I called the FM and told them that this was just not possible and he acted like I was the biggest pain in his side and said take or else. As far as how it was assigned to me is beyond me.

As far as the training goes, I quit training because I would not train "Werner's" way. I ran my truck as a solo truck and they did not like that. I did like training students though. Nothing more exciting then having a student that was having trouble with another trainer come to you and you teach them and that lightbulb comes on and they get it.

Covenant and Werner
 

I've heard almost nothing positive about this company. Covenant has consistently lost money for several years. Logically, if they are not making money its unlikely you will make decent money. That crap about being Christian run is a bunch of crap. Any company that uses that come on is to be avoided.

I have heard that Werner keeps their dispatchers behind bullet proof glass. Why would that be necessary ? I know that their pay and miles stink. And I still dont know who picked those depressing blue colors for their tractors. Looks like the color of prison walls.

Two bargain basement bottom feeders, two of many.

Covenant
 

I have been with covenant now for 4 months. I will admit to anyone coming over or looking to come over needs to look at it as if they dont have 3 months experince then you are going to make 250-450 a week. I went in with experince and I make .38 a mile, 2950 miles a week average. I am a solo driver whos on a regional board. But you know all companies have there down falls. This one has just a few more than others.

BMiller worte:

Dont know how true that is, unfortunatly I dont get through Omaha. Im
sure they are in a seperate room in the terminal. If I ran a company
this large I dont think Id want drivers milling about with the dispatchers, it
could be very distracting. I have heard though that when you are in
Omaha you can meet with your dispatcher face to face.


My dispatcher and load planner are at the same location as the
distribution center for the account I drive on. We are able to mingle sit
and talk, etc. I rarely ever need to go to a Werner terminal as my
dispatcher is also able to take care of most adminstrative needs of his
drivers. My dispatch knows my name, (doesnt need my employ #).Even
when I call him on the phone, he recognizes me by voice.

Tractor service and maintence is all done over the road, (in fact dispatch
use's all means necessary to keep us out of terminals. The account has
about 40 drivers/trucks assigned. Its almost like a small mom and pop
company within a mega company.


Dont know. I know CL Werner chose those colors very early in the
company history. But, Im sure you have noticed that the tractors have
been ordered with various colors. Some look really good, some dont. I
know this is mainly for resale ablility of the tractor.


bigdaddy wrote:

I couldnt agree more, big or small companies, Its hard to keep
everybody happy.
If you talk to an X amount of drivers from any large or mega carrier, you
will probably get more negative returns about their company than
positive.
Whenever anybody asks me about Werner, I try to focus mostly on the
positives. The longer you stay with a company, you learn how to adapt
to the operation of the company, and the easier it is to work with them. I
gotta tell you though, once in a while Werner gives me fits in some
areas, but Ive adapted. When the turn over rates are as high as they
are, drivers dont stick around enough to start to see positives. 1 year
wont do it in most circumstances.
No company is just going to hand you a bed of roses on a silver platter.
You must first show them that you deserve it.
Run hard, dont pitch a fit, and keep you nose clean. It will pay big
dividends later.

Well now- my 2ed week running team for werner(with Lorraine Ruloph-now a trainer) we did 6996 paid miles...still got the old paystub..yep -we were on 'team werner' our 2ed week LOL...found my paystub for my 13th week with Werner..(back solo- Lorraine ruptured a disc) Kick ass week including a run from Jacksonvill AR. to Grants Pass Oregon...4234 paid miles. It helped I could (and did) trick the electronic logs...but their damn macro 46 caught up with me...

I live near Jacksonville, AR...just curious, where did you pick up at?

Thats good that things are working out for you at Werner. Like I said before, my first time around was good for me as well. It wasn't till I came back the second time that things went south. Maybe it was just my DM. I don't know. I do know that as far as the pay goes, Werner is WAY behind on the times. As far as that macro 46 goes, yes it is a pain!