Werner Enterprises: Survival of the Greatest or Corporate Cockroach

With General Motors on the ropes, it seems that the great U.S. companies of yesterday are becoming burned-out shells today. The economic climate is unstable. Yet, in all this turmoil, one company has weathered the financial storm: Werner Enterprises. Some may think Werner Enterprises is handling the storm better because the are lean and competitive. If corporate survival is the only indicator that a company is “great,” survival is a poor one.

How Werner Enterprises operates:

1.Student drivers – the cheapest labor available.

2. Werner Enterprises is NOT a “diversified,” international company. Werner Enterprises has painted a mirage; freight forwarding has not delivered the profits Werner Enterprises has promised. Owners of Werner stock should REALLY research this because Werner Enterprises has pulled the alfalfa over plenty of corneas with this “Chinese freight forwarding scheme.” Werner Enterprises was and always will be a bottom feeder. The Werner Company Store makes more money than Werner in China selling rotten soy beans in a Shanghai street market.

3. As long as the Federal Government continues a blind eye towards Werner's highway "safety" (or lack of), Werner Enterprises will continue to be “successful.” A fleet of student drivers, with high turnover, doesn't bode well for highway safety advocates.

Werner's #1 Nightmare: The Union.
Consequences of Unionization

While non-union jobs have increased since the 1970s, driver's pay and highway safety has decreased. The Teamsters have little interest in unionizing Werner Enterprises, but the UAW is a strong possibility.

A strong union would benefit Werner drivers in five ways.

1. A solid, legitimate training/apprenticeship program.

2. A decrease in the 300% employee turnover. Increased employee retention. Yes, there still would be turnover, but not that high.

3. Increased pay for drivers based on seniority and NOT favoritism.

4.Better healthcare and retirement. An end to the: “I got hurt on the job and Werner fired me.”

5.Increased safety.

In some ways Werner Enterprises would benefit by becoming unionized. However, what is good for the drivers is poison for Werner executive management.

Action-Reaction

Werner executive management CANNOT work under a union model, unless C.L. and all his cronies were asked to pack-up and leave—using their corn husk suitcases. Werner Enterprises gives orders, it doesn't take them. Unionization has the strong possibility of forcing Werner Enterprises into bankruptcy.

In good or bad times, Werner Enterprises is able to generate a profit. This is accomplished solely by using cheap labor. Werner Enterprises has no problems finding drivers. Werner Enterprises—like McDonald's (see Fast Food Trucking)—is a service industry. Werner Enterprises manufactures nothing and has little intellectual property. There is nothing unique about Werner Enterprises. J.B. Hunt or Rick's Trucking could make the same deliveries. Contrasted, a McDonald's hamburger is unique compared to a Burger King hamburger or a Mel's Diner burger.

Werner's Longevity Cult

Before drinking the cherry Kool-Aid, understand how Werner operates. If you decide to worship a graven image of C.L. Werner—by placing his idol on a lofty, black marble alter in a musty, candle lite room--also include cockroaches. Cockroaches have been around since the Carboniferous period and are more worthy of your hymns.

---WernerScrews 10-4

BigBlueScrew

I found this website called bigbluescrew.com created by Starch. It was active for about five months and there has been no activity since May. Starch, please make a post and keep your blog active!

Werner Enterprises has joined YouTube with a video section. One video includes SuperBoy C.L. and steals shots from Superman (1978). I expected the boy C.L. to toss a blue crystal arrowhead and create the "Fortress of Fraud." Instead, the kid grinned like he was crushing a grasshopper into the ground. View for yourself, but have a barf bag handy. Something to be proud of.

Thankfully, other drivers have answered the director's call and filmed Werner. Here are a few:

Big Truck -- What Werner does best!

Werner truck on rock -- Say no more!!

Werner recruitment ad -- It's true, funny and it hurts!

Stay safe and give Werner a holiday gift--your resignation.

---WernerScrews 10-4

Filling the Ranks & Pesty Overpasses

Larry is not giving C.L. a break. First, he exposed the unsanitary conditions of a Werner truck driver. Now, he takes on the equally filthy corporate office. Werner has been cheating drivers since 1956. In the past ten years, C.L. Werner has hired the finest minds to make his recruitment process a shiny paradigm of perpetual chicanery. Drivers/Student Drivers are lured to Werner with empty promises. Larry writes a thought provoking essay with wit and humor.

We think of the topic of “Shanghaiing” as something from the U.S.'s past--War of 1812. The reader will quickly discover that “Shanghaiing” is current and only the packaging is different—blue trucks instead of wood boats. Werner is up to the same antics.

Meanwhile, a Werner driver and a Swift driver were aiming to destroy the same overpass—on the same day! You cannot make these things up!

---WernerScrews 10-4

Big Blue Finger

Go ahead...take a peek. This is the closest an average person will get--made possible by a Werner driver's sweat and under-employment.

Werner Visit May 10, 2004 02:00 PM

"And, if you thought the exterior was special, catch a load of the interior. Walls in leather, mahogany, and marble. Apparently, the interior of the van is decorated exactly like C. L. Werner's office."

Looks like C.L. Werner knows how to spend your money.

Drive safe.

---WernerScrews 10-4

Werner Enterprises--Big Blue Baby

A few months ago, UPS discovered a way their drivers could save money—make as many right turns as possible. Here is a company that put some brains into saving fuel—instead of complaining.

What did Werner Enterprises do? C.L. Werner and his family cried to Senator John McCain. C.L. Werner got on his knees and begged McCain for lower fuel prices. Naturally, McCain told C.L. Werner to pay his drivers LESS money. Call me an *ss*ole, but I would rather see $80 a gallon for gas and Werner go bankrupt.

In 2000, Werner Enterprises had decent, newer model trucks; Werner Management was bad, but the trucks were in good shape. THAT HAS ALL CHANGED. I am hearing horror stories about trucks in disrepair. Without question, Werner is cutting every angle it can—shaving off as much money as they can. Driver and highway safety are being nickel and dimed. Beware.

And some good news. Lady Trucker, finally, received a settlement after suing Werner. Lady Trucker was seriously injured and Werner Enterprises immediately terminated her. Her blog tells the story. Way to go Lady Trucker!!

Word is spreading about Werner and Lady Trucker wouldn't go down without a fight. Times are changing for Werner Enterprises. Serious safety issues could balloon into a public relations nightmare for the Big Blue Screw. But, it is Werner's drivers and the public who are really screwed.

---WernerScrews 10-4

C.L. in Shanghai

Set your browser for Chinese Language Encoding. Here's Werner's first Chinese (Mandarin) lesson.

Chinese Lesson One:

Playboy 花花公子 (hua hua gong zi):
Most Chinese know this English word. Playboy is a famous name brand of women's and men's shoes. Greg, Dad is hunting some low-mileage women; keep the business on track as C.L. has himself a good time with the little chicks 妓女 (jin nu).

Cheater 骗子 (pian zi). Certainly a word every Werner knows.

C.L. will have it easy in China--only one party to bribe 贿赂 (hui lu). He learned all the tricks when giving "campaign contributions in the U.S."

Another old, horny American businessman with Yellow fever hitting the streets of Shanghai. C.L. your actions reflect Americans so--honestly--keep your yin jing 阳物 in your pants.

---WernerScrews 10-4