So, I was sitting in a truckstop last night talking to a couple other drivers. Of course, you can hear anything in a truckstop (including where Elvis and Jimi Hendrix are hiding right now) but we got to talking about hopper bottoms. Most of you probably remember when I was trying to find a hopper bottom company to pull for in my area, so I was interested a little.

Anyway, one guy says a Werner driver told him Werner was buying a bunch of Hoppers and were getting into the bulk hauling (grain, feed by products, etc). I have no idea if this is true or not. Maybe this guy was mistaken and Werner has a few for a localized dedicated account somewhere, but he swore they were going to go nationwide with them. Has anyone (especially Werner drivers) heard of this? Is there any proof, or just a lie or tall tale?

Now, I don't need the "Werner is a crap company" posts and all that. I know what Werner is. I'm not looking to go to work for them, even if they start pulling hoppers. I just wanted to know if there was any fact in this "truck stop story" (too many of them have no fact at all in them... lol).

Thanks. Keep the bugs off your glass and the bears off your... um... tail...

 

I drive for them, and I've never heard anything about hopper bottoms. Although i did see a Werner truck pulling a tanker, i had to do a double take, but yes it was a Werner truck, one of those "Fleece Ops" pulling a tanker....So i dont know about the Hopper Bottom...

 

I figured it was just idle chatter from some truckstop cowboys, but I wasn't sure. Would like to hear from a couple other drivers who have or have not heard of this. Thanks for the answer.

 

Werner, CRST and JBHunt have all got trucks pulling tankers in the midwest. Mostly animal fats and blood, but they may be setting themselves up to start serving the "Bio" industry, hauling soy oil, peanut oil, and the like.

 

yeah i saw this Werner pulling a tanker at the Albert Lea TA in Minnesota....ive just never seen one of our drivers pulling a tanker..hmph learn something new everyday haha....

 

This has nothing to do with Werner pulling or not pulling hoppers, but it did remind me that I have seen Swift pulling chip trailers. Can't remember where I was at the time, but was a little surprised when I seen them.

 

There is a daycab JB HUNT truck around my way that pulls a dump trailer.

 

Werner going back to it roots That's how Clarence started, driving a grain trailer around Ia. and Ne.

 

That was what I was thinking, but was not certain. Seemed to me like Werner got their start with Hoppers and Bull Wagons.....but was not certain.

Soy Beans, Rice, Corn, Barley, Peanuts are all "Bio" material now. Soon they will be using Sugar Cane and Sugar Beets as well.

Liquefied animal fat is being used in lubricants, as well as feed for animals. Animal blood is used for manufacturing fire ******ants...as well as for feed.

 

And add to this confusion the fact that there's a company (AR, A&R, something like that) which uses ex-Werner Classic XL's and 379's in their fleet.
I'll admit, I never heard anything about Werner hauling tanks, but I'll ask the dispatch crew about it if I can remember it.