Werner Enterprises review: Terrible experience 7

Not sure sure yet, but after reading some of these reports on Werner I have little doubt my truck driving career has been cut short by their vindictive and lying mid level management crew. First home time after going solo my Fleet Manager called on my third day off and left a message on voicemail accusing me of idling my truck while at home and threatened to document it in my file.

Calling back I told him I didn't know how he was getting his information, I hadn't touched it since I parked it 2 days ago. He stated that since calling me he had talked to several other FM's who told him 'there's something going on with the system, several other drivers on home time and the system indicated their trucks were idling too'. But no apology for the threatening phone call.

Came off home time and hop-scotched my way over to Ohio from Oregon, eventually ending up in Maine, NY and NJ for about 10 days. On those 10 days I sat waiting for a load at least 3 days. During one of these no load days I called 'Placements' requesting a transfer to Western Region, if there were openings. Nice Lady indicated there were openings and asked where I was, I stated 'NJ that's why I'm making the request.' She told me to call back when I get to Nebraska.

I stayed out 6 weeks eventually getting home three days later than when I made the request 6 weeks prior. Quallcomm message sent stating I was taking 7 days off. Another voicemail from 'The Fleet Manager From Hell', he told me I was not getting 7 days, I had not earned it and if I did not call back he would have the truck towed. I called him, 1st time he put me on hold, I gave up after waiting 15 minutes, 2nd attempt at calling, on hold 5 minutes before hanging up.

Sent quallcomm msg, I had dental appt. on day 6, also requested he not make anymore threatening calls he's interrupting my time with my family. I also made call to Placements and asked if the Fleet Manager could stop my Transfer, she stated 'no I been working here for 10 years and I've never seen that happen.' She also told me transfer was all set, the nice lady I spoke to first had set it up and all I needed to do was call when I came off home time.

Again Fleet Manager from hell called, this guy was like Jason kept coming back. This time he said if I did not call him on today he would accept that as my resignation. So I, thinking yeh right, you also said you were going to tow the truck and it's still sitting out front. Later I made a call to Placement and stated I was coming off home time tomorrow, I would like the transfer made.

Not so nice lady said to call tomorrow the day I make myself available, they would do it then. Next day came and I called Placements. I was told 'your file states you voluntarily quit you need to talk to FM or Recruiting'. Could not figure why this guy (FM) was making a big deal over this, after all, I spent 6 weeks out (twice the time normally out) and I was not going back to his board, he must be control freak.

Made call to Jason the control freak (FM), told him, 'I will drive truck to Portland and turn it in' he stated 'that's fine'. Cleaned it out that day and was going to drive it up the next morning when my wife could follow me and give me a ride home, I knew Werner would not. Phone rings about 8am, guy on other end asked if this was the Werner driver with the company truck. I said yes it is why? He was told to tow it to Portland.

I told him Werner was getting a little ###, also said I will drive it up because if he tows it, Werner will put it on my DAC I had abandoned it, he said one word, 'correct'. Well, tried starting it and guess what 'dead battery' it had dead battery when they assigned it to me, and again after my first home time. Called Tow Trk guy, told him it had dead battery, he called Portland. They were going to let me drive it up, but since it had a dead battery, they told him to tow it. He showed as I waited by the truck, gave him the keys, he hooked it up and left. I knew this was going to haunt me.

I have since filled out an application for another carrier, much smaller than Werner, no accidents, no tickets, no felony convictions every thing looks good, so they said. Starting orientation on Monday they will call me on Friday. Friday came no call, I called twice and left msgs for my recruiter, still no call. I figure it's in the DAC, something Werner wrote. I will request a copy of DAC and see for myself. Moral of story is never believe what any company reps tell you, they all lie. Time will tell, maybe he unwittingly did me a favor!

Upon further review, our Safety Dept has indeed tracked you via Qualcomm on the day in question into Canada. There is also a witness involved. You are the typical loser driver who did more complaining and whinning than driving. The DAC report is more accurate than you are admitting too here. It's very easy for any driver to post a report here, but it's most diifficult to argue against facts. Grow up and take what you deserve...*, %k8ng whiner.
:-))

i think itz a good company becuz the dm we had was excellent the pay was alright i made 368-319 a wk, i have no complaints on them yet.i knw they have to do their job so im gonna c wat happens when the police report comes in...hope i dnt get fired from werner for weather an road conditions

i had a good trainer until i had a slide-off on i-84 in oregan, mm#326.then i was suspended for 20 dys which im still on ...

Here's how you beat this. I've been reading this about trucking companies over and over again, and my uncle who is an attorney for over 20 years told me how to deal with it if they ever pull this [censor] on me.

What they are doing is called "slander" and "defamation of character".

The problem is, no one really hits these companies where it hurts. You find a good lawyer (yes this is going to cost, but in the end it will pay out, here's why)

Keep a record of every truck driving job you applied for that you met their minimum requirements and then never called you back. If you have something that is false on your DAC (like an accident, or truck abandonment etc), then you know what the problem is and it will stand up in court. For every company that turned you down, add up the estimated salary that each truck Co. advertises to it's starting drivers. Let's say 3 companies that would have otherwise hired you, were saying you'd make $36, 000 per year. 3x $36, 000 = $108, 000. You could also conceivably tack on another $50, 000 for mental anguish (economic hardship, loans you may have had to take out because not being employed etc). This totals $158, 000. That's what you will be suing for, because that is the provable earning potential the false DAC report from Trucking-Co. X, screwed you out of. It's not a fortune, but it's enough to buy you some time to get your DAC fixed and pay the bills for a year or more, until you get back on your feet.

If just 2 or 3 drivers did this, within a month's time, a class action lawsuit would result, costing these companies hundreds of millions of dollars, in case after case, judgement after judgement, made against them in a court of law. And I promise you, by the time Uncle Sam's Judicial Branch is down with their [censor], they will either fly straight or they will shutdown. Either way, you can fight these [censor], you just gotta know how, and be willing to do it.

Hope this is helpful to someone. Just remember, there is strength in numbers, and money talks. Hit em where it hurts fellow truckers. This is the US of A. We are what keeps this country running. And when it comes down to it, these companies don't really carer about our families, our jobs, and our abilities to sustain livelihood. So, we've got to take care of it ourselves, and sometimes that means kicking a little [censor].

Peace, and safe driving!

I have been trying to get back into trucking after trying something else for five years. The last trucking company I worked for was Werner and i just got a copy of my DAC today I quite them in Jan. 2004 now I know why I can't get a call back from any where I apply for a driving job. They put on my DAC that I was discharged becuse I had 4 accident/ incident on my record, It says " Equipment was involved in or act that produced death, property damage of any type, or resulted in the equipment reuiring a tow ( other than mechanical breakdown) while assigned to the driver regardless of fualt). None of this is true! if they could keep their trucks running it never would have needed a tow. How can they get away with making up crap like this and get away with it? I think we should all get toghter and fight them.

Hi Gordon,

>Well, tried starting it and guess what 'dead battery' it had dead >battery when they assigned it to. Called Tow Trk guy, told him it >had dead battery, he called Portland.

Don't be too hard on yourself. Sounds like Werner put you in a pickle. I think Werner can deactivate (turn-off) the truck using a QualComm code. Naturally, Werner will claim it's a dead battery.

Previously, you might have experienced bugs in the system.

>'there's something going on with the system, several other drivers >on home time and the system indicated their trucks were idling too'

Another strange error you experienced. Sounds like Werner was using your trucks for some kind of programming test. I'm glad you left Werner. Put simply, Werner was tightening the rope around your neck.