A Million Screws, Boy Scout PR and Werner Vacations
A trio of Werner news:
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1. OMAHA, Neb. -- Boy Scouts across the Omaha metro had an early start on Saturday collecting food for the Omaha Food Bank.

The scouts' annual Scouting for Food Drive started a week ago when the troops left bags at homes asking for donated food items.

On Saturday, the boys collected those bags full of food and Werner Enterprises helped out by donating a truck to make the delivery.
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Werner Cares; Werner donated one truck to help feed the hungry! The name WernerScrews no longer reflects Werner's new business practices.

2. Million-Miler Marker
My hat goes off to Mr. Bill Jefferson. He worked ten years for Werner and received--"...a plaque in honor of the feat; Jefferson also received patches, stickers and a gold watch." The biggest accomplishment is, of course, no accidents. A good driver that any respectable (or un-respectable) company would be honored to have.
Here is another interesting statement:
"He and his wife have talked about him finding a new line of work by this fall."
A bright future at Werner's Omaha Office? Or another field of work? Who knows? Unfortunately, not all Werner's employees have a similar experience as Mr. Jefferson.
Has Werner turned over a new leaf? Has WernerScrews been too hard?
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3. April 18, 2007 -- Werner deletes infamous rural route from system

A driver for Werner Enterprises Inc. survived after his rig got stuck in rural Oregon this week. His truck, however, didn’t fare as well.

The driver – Ricky Johnson, 44 – was heading west from Interstate 5 to Brookings, OR, when his tractor-trailer got stuck on winding Bear Camp Road, according to KOBI-TV. The news station reported that the driver’s tires began spinning as he tried to accelerate the truck free, causing the tires to catch fire and eventually destroy the trailer and back of the truck.

Bear Camp Road made national headlines last year when the Kim family became lost and trapped on a nearby unpaved side road. The incident resulted in the death of father and husband James Kim, who left his family in the car to find help after being stranded for nine days.

The road was recently deleted from Werner’s company system, KOBI-TV reported.
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Werner quickly removed this bad route (after two reported incidents); most removals take five years! Thankfully, no one was hurt--only Werner's trailer. Imagine Werner Vacations--where Werner plans a "perfect vacation" for tourists. Mark my words, after Greg or C.L. reads this blog, they will consider this new line of business.

--- WernerScrews 10-4

Life in the Fast Lane
Where did Werner Enterprises find this nut-case? How about a background check? How about a hair follicle check? (According to internet research, meth use is detectable for 90 days using a hair check.) Folks, Werner will never perform a hair check and will continue to hire crackheads (or related substance abusers) because working for Werner will rehabilitate them. Meanwhile, if a Werner drug test finds an a non-user guilty—Werner will not bother with a re-test.

Werner: Let's just find a guy doing meth and hire him.
C.L.: Sounds good to me. As long as he works cheap.
Werner: Okay C.L.

My only question, where does a substance abuser find the money?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Officers cleared in trucker's 'delirium' death
Coroner cites meth as cause
Thomas Clouse
Staff writer
April 6, 2007
An investigation into the death of a methamphetamine-injecting Texas trucker, who later died during a scuffle with Spokane police last May, has cleared officers of any wrongdoing.
Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker said the May 24 death of 40-year-old Roger D. Hanks was an "excusable homicide."
Hanks died just moments after two Spokane police officers pulled him from the cab of a tractor-trailer, handcuffed him and placed him on his belly.
"It was a felony stop, so (officers) were authorized to use force to take him into custody," Tucker said.
Dr. Marco Ross, of the Spokane County Medical Examiner's Office, determined the cause of death to be "cardiopulmonary arrest associated with a prone restraint position during a methamphetamine-induced excited delirium."
Though the city has begun to train first responders on how to treat patients suffering from "excited delirium," the mainstream medical community has yet to recognize it as a scientifically accepted diagnosis.
In most of the medical studies used in the training, the people exhibiting excited delirium were found to be under the influence of meth or cocaine. About 10 percent had a mental illness.
Medical Examiner Dr. Sally Aiken used a similar diagnosis for the cause of death of Otto Zehm, who died March 20, 2006, after a confrontation two days earlier with Spokane police in which the mentally ill janitor was hogtied, placed on his stomach and had a plastic mask placed over his face.
Local and federal investigations into Zehm's death have not yet been completed. But Tucker said the Hanks investigation landed on his desk about two weeks ago.
Hanks' 32-year-old girlfriend, who was a passenger in the truck, later told investigators that for several days prior he had been injecting himself with large amounts of meth.
Hanks and his girlfriend had stopped at a Broadway Avenue truck stop just off of Interstate 90 in Spokane Valley to rest. Just before 3 a.m. on May 24, Hanks began erratically driving westbound on I-90, police said at the time.
Hanks, who was driving a Peterbilt truck hauling a payload of Gatorade, then took the Hamilton Street exit and entered the Gonzaga University area.
He appeared to be trying to run people down, police said at the time. Witnesses said they heard a woman screaming as the Werner Enterprises truck passed them.
Hanks' girlfriend jumped out of the cab after it backed into a parked van near Sharp Avenue and Columbus Street.
Officers responded at about 3:06 a.m. and began pursuing the truck, which never exceeded 25 mph. During the pursuit, Hanks tried to ram at least one car, police spokesman Cpl. Tom Lee said.
The slow pursuit finally ended near Riverside Avenue and Division Street, but Hanks refused to come out of the cab even after officers sent in a canine and had his girlfriend attempt to coax him out.
---WernerScrews 10-4

Same 'Ole Screwing

Werner Enterprises has some pretty slick salespeople and prospective drivers think they can get something out of Werner, so they sign. Reading the latest Rip-off reports indicates nothing has changed at Werner for 7 years. And why should they? Werner's profits are high and if driver causes "trouble" they can be replaced; Werner has NO interest in keeping drivers. Truck driving can be a rewarding career, but slaving for Werner doesn't help the driver or industry. Stand up and walk away from Werner.

---WernerScrews 10-4

All in the Family

Greg Werner is the new Screw-O-Matic King for Werner Enterprises. Expect no positive changes as C.L. will keep his eyes open and his wallet tight. Safety will be last!

And Werner is in China now. Werner has screwed U.S. drivers so good, that Werner will try to cheat Chinese drivers as well. With no hours-of-service in China, Werner can run a driver for 24 hours a day and pay them about $100 a month--or less. No joke when WernerScrews wrote: World Domination...Werner's SS World...Screw 'em.

A DEBATE ON SAFETY GROWS

This is a good article by Stephen Labaton and the Amherst Times that discusses safety and the unholy alliance between the Feds and Werner.

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A Family’s Lawsuit

After Ms. Edwards’s death, her only son, Steve, a professional musician in Chicago, sued the trucking company, Werner Enterprises of Omaha, and the driver involved in the accident, John L. McNeal, 36. Mr. McNeal was dismissed shortly after the accident.

Mr. McNeal said in a sworn deposition that he had been tired from driving all day from Tennessee without a break. He had been in the cab for about 12 hours, including about 8 hours at the wheel. Because he had been driving trucks professionally for only a month, he was assigned a trainer, who had slept much of the trip.

After Mr. McNeal acknowledged he was at fault, Werner Enterprises settled the lawsuit for $2.4 million. Werner’s general counsel, Richard S. Reiser, said that the company had a strong safety record and that its training program far exceeded the federal requirements.

[That's a sick joke.]

Mr. Reiser said that Mr. McNeal was in compliance with both the old and new work hour rules but acknowledged he was unfamiliar with the proposals by safety groups that would have prevented the driver from working as long as he did that day. He also said that any driver who was tired should stop, regardless of how long he had been on the road.

“The driver should be the one who says, ‘If I’m tired, I should pull over,’ ” Mr. Reiser said.

[How often have we heard that lie? If a Werner driver pulls over and sleeps, they will be terminated or forced to quit.]

Mr. Edwards, though, thinks responsibility for safety goes beyond individual drivers, and links his mother’s death to the Bush administration’s decisions against imposing tighter driving limits. “These drivers are working hard every day on the road to make a living,” he said. “They are overtired and underpaid.”
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WernerScrews 10-4

Makes you Think

This article from the Dallas News finally hits a nerve and provides several reasons why Werner Enterprises places last for safety and employee retention.

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Trucking companies make no bones about their willingness to hire ex-convicts. Werner Enterprises of Omaha, Neb., one of the nation's largest carriers, rejects applicants with drunken-driving convictions within the last five years but doesn't exclude other criminal convictions, according to its Web site. --------------------------------------------------------
The article goes on to describe the incentives Werner receives from hiring convicts and the consequences (safety issues) from this practice. Everyone deserves a second chance, but working for Werner--Corporate Criminal from this blog's eyes--one reformed-right (convict) and one wrong is not an ideal partnership. The Dallas News should investigate Werner Enterprises next

--- WernerScrews 10-4

Take a Hint
According to the Omaha World-Herald, Work for Werner--forget the holidays and extra pay...
Just another day working for Mr. C.L. Scrooge and Werner Enterprises.
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Dec. 26--Being on the road on Christmas Day is the norm for Walter Brathwaite.

"I've worked so many Christmases in a row . . . I really don't mind it," Brathwaite said Monday morning as he was leaving Sapp Bros. truck stop in Omaha after refilling two huge coffee mugs.

Brathwaite, a truck driver for Werner Enterprises, said family members -- his wife in North Bonneville, Wash., and mother in North Carolina -- would rather he was at home, but he understands and has accepted the demands of his job, which took him to Rapid City, S.D., on Monday.
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--- WernerScrews 10-4

Werner Does It Again

Folks...that was an armadillo and that's a Werner Truck. You can find anything on the web. Werner and roadkill.

Hello Friends & Werner

Been a while since I posted. I found an interesting article written by TurboTrucker on 10/25/2005 over at the Trucker's Report. Stay smart.
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Quote:

I guess my question is this, I here allot of Negative stuff about Werner from truckers on forums and positive from truckers I meat in real life. Are the truckers in forums the winners and complainers of the industry?

Without question, you're going to read personal testimony that will be on that level. But here's the thing; You have to recognize the fact that through all that you read, the names of several carriers pop up over and over. As I've offered many times, one complaint is easy to overlook. A dozen? That's a little harder to ignore. A hundred? Well...something's got to be wrong somewhere.

Werner is like Swift. They've gone through untold numbers of people, and the sizes of the companies lend to them probably getting more attention. Yet, at the same time, there are literally dozens of other carriers that rival in size, that are never written about.

You have to sort through the various complaints to arrive at a conclusion as to what may be truth, and what may be contrived. Do you read repeated complaints about the same thing? The answer is yes. I know I have.

Quote:

We had a Werner rep come in. I read allot of negative stuff on Werner. However there is a woman in our class who's son went to the program last year and works for Werner. She said her sone loves it so far and one of the PTDI guys said don't believe anything you here and only half of what you see. He also runs a school in Pittsburgh with about 250 students. He was a trucker for 25 years.

The PTDI representative has a vested interest in seeing that there are motor carriers supporting their efforts. Now, I wouldn't go so far as to totally negate his position, but you have to understand what his motivation might be, in order to understand why he might say this, and then decide for yourself how much truth there is to it.

PTDI receives money through legislative efforts in Washington, specifically to further training and education. They work with training facilities, motor carriers, insurance companies, and financing institutions. Collectively, they take a bite out of every dollar for their "expenses". They have gone to great lengths (honestly) to improve the training standards of drivers, and have set up some rather strict guidelines that must be met, in order to lend a training facility it's stamp of approval.

They bring in motor carriers to hire the trainees. Without them on board, who's going to hire the graduates? Now, understanding that they have to convince the motor carriers that graduates of their training program is more advantageous than those of other's, and there are many groups in Washington doing this very same thing, and it leads to alot of immense butt kissing, if you'll pardon the expression. Of course, they kick a few bucks their way to grease the wheels as well. It's all legal and proper, but hardly without bias.

The bottom line to all of this is simple. For each warm body they sign up, there are several thousand dollars of taxpayer funds dispersed to several entities, when that warm body makes it into a truck. It makes no difference to PTDI which company that is, nor do they really care if the company is good to their graduates. They want them in the classrooms and graduated. The more people, the more money that can be milked from the taxpayers.

What has happened, and what is rarely revealed to the public, is that there are several companies out there, that are practically if not literally, making more for hiring drivers for any period of time, than they make from doing any actual hauling of freight. Werner is but one of them.

In the midst of all this, are people that are hoping for a new career, who are considered to be nothing but chattel, and whether or not they are content with their jobs is of no concern to anyone involved in the process. What is also happening, is that these people are being roped into some rather sordid contracts, complete with predatory lending abuses built right in, and hounded like #### if they default on their agreements. The only thing missing from this rodeo, is a firebranded stamp on everyone's hind end that is roped into all of this.

To be fair, PTDI is the only non-profit where they are a bit more careful in
holding their institutions to tighter line in areas of pricing structures, and training criteria, but they are hardly without need of due criticism for their motivations, and integrity. They truly turn a blind eye to the reality of the situation for the sake of cash.

To illustrate the problem, let's use General Motors as a counter to all of this. They have twenty times the employees that Werner has, with almost ZERO turnover. Someone dies, retires, or screws up in order to have a need to replace an employee. The applications are as high as the Empire State Building, from people willing to work there.

When you have a company, despite the national average figures that are constantly offered to defend turnover rates, that exceeds 100% of it's workforce in a year's time, something has to explain the reason that people leave their jobs and seek another. Translated: When you read all the bad things out there on Werner, there HAS to be some truth to them. If there wasn't, then why the constant need to hire drivers?

Quote:

Dose Werner really suck - or do the people that complain about Werner do something stupid to get treated as such? now I wonder about all the negative stuff I have heard on all the companies

It would be easy to just say that Werner sucks, and leave it at that, but I like to be honest. Trucking can truly suck and for some people, it wouldn't make any difference where they worked. They'd never be happy in a million years.

That being said, the only true way you will find out if Werner is worth a shot, is for you to give them that chance. People do it every day, I suppose. Why? I dunno.

Would I ever submit an application to them? No. My reasons are as long as my arm. I do not care for their attention to safety. Their safety numbers are horrible. I don't care for their obvious turnover rates, and this alone is enough to tell me that they have a problem keeping people. They are consistently in need of drivers and advertise for them all the time. I don't care for their dispatching system and their hometime policies. And quite simply, I don't care for their reputation. It's not my kind of place.

You have to set your own priorities, and make your own decision. In agreement with the PTDI rep, DON'T believe everything you read. Don't believe everything you hear. I know I don't. But, I do trust the wisdom, insight, and integrity of people that sufficiently lay out a case of complaint, and when their complaint is supported by that of other people repeatedly, then I can certainly begin to understand that there might be a little fire hidden somewhere underneath all that smoke.
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---WernerScrews 10-4

They don't trust Werner. Should You?

An alert reader brought this article to WernerScrew's attention.

When a company moves it's data center to a new location, an eyebrow or two should be raised.

“[Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nebraska] was also concerned about the data center's proximity to highway I-80, where the risk of contamination from an overturned truck spilling toxic chemicals into the air was deemed too high.”

Hmm? Omaha, NE is Werner's Headquarters. If a national health insurer thinks there is a risk, there is a risk. Blue Cross/Shield insures all Werner's drivers. They know Werner.

---WernerScrews 10-4

Your Trust in Clust

Google is a bad habit that needs to be nixed. In the past, Google gave unbiased web rankings. Seems that's not the case anymore. Google went public and commercial interests have a way of creeping into search algorithms, meta tags and a variety of proprietary web ranking technologies. Yes, habits can be changed.

Thankfully, no one is forced to use Microsoft, Google or Hotmail. Find an alternative and give it a whirl.

Two search engines that do a better job than Google:

Clusty.com and Gigablast.com

---

Is Werner paying its drivers more? More drivers are finding positive things to say about Werner—great miles, good dispatchers, great pay, etc. On the other side of the coin are the negative comments. I have not heard enough “good things” to offset the negative. At the very least, Werner is bowing to current market conditions. There is a saying down South, “Ride Bulls, Meet Nurses.” It seems appropriate, “Drive For Werner, Meet Lawyers.”

---WernerScrews 10-4

Get Real

This Detroit News article is very funny. Especially these quotes:

"...truck drivers are becoming as heavily recruited as Ivy League business majors."

"Companies are offering new drivers financial incentives like first-year pay of $16 an hour plus overtime, profit-sharing and sizable 401(k) matches."

"[A driver at Werner Enterprises] makes slightly less than the average wage of $35,000."

Karen Dybis, of The Detroit News, is a Mold-O-Rama business reporter who wants her readers to feel good. She will never drive a truck or interview a driver with a different opinion. This is sad, but there is no debate in her article--just a warm feeling that the "good times" have returned and that the trucking industry will be the next Gold Rush. I was expecting to read that a truck driver, who works hard, can move into Management; the same hard work will get a driver, now a manager, into the Executive Suite. Opportunities abound--the fountain is overflowing with Hope!

Wake up. I don't see no "pay increases." A company will jettison a higher wage earner as soon as possible. This triple jackpot, money-on-trees chimera will vanish like a mirage in Death Valley. The buzzards will drop dead before Werner Enterprises will pay a proton of a cent extra.

---WernerScrews 10-4

Longing For the Good Ole Days

The real issue is what happened to change the relationship between the Omaha World-Herald and Werner Enterprises. Two negative Werner articles were given Editorial approval. WernerScrews doesn’t buy into the notion of Freedom Of the Press. In a smoke filled, up scale Omaha hotel—or a facsimile thereof, Werner screwed someone over at the Omaha World-Herald. Werner Enterprises was a primary source for Omaha World-Herald's warm and fuzzy business reports. This is a departure from the fluff.

First Settlement Reached—June 26, 2004 Omaha World-Herald article

Want to work for a company that will fire you for going to the hospital? The jury has decided against Werner. You can argue pros and cons about Werner, but this case speaks volumes about of Werner's Management during the time Mr. Phipps and I were employees.

WernerScrews is extremely happy concerning the outcome of this case and it is a positive step forward. However, not everyone goes through the ordeal Mr. Phipps had to endure. He is to be commended on his perseverance to pursue what was legally his and to obtain justice.

The second consequence of this legal decision is that it puts a case on the books. Werner failed to act properly legally, humanely and ethically concerning Mr. Phipps. Certainly, he is not alone.

Losers are Users and Users are Losers—June 25, 2004 Omaha World-Herald article

Just like I learned in Schoolhouse Rock and the crime fighting McGruff--drugs are bad. The second Omaha World-Herald article focused on Curtis Werner’s purge from C.L.'s Camelot. Fear not, Clarence will loan his son money to start a new business, but the loan will have a high interest rate. It is good to hear that Werner’s Executive Management only has a substance abuse problem.

Stay Safe and Drive Clean.

---WernerScrews 10-4

Working For Werner

Opinions are usually based on facts. The conclusions (or opinions) that are contained at WernerScrews are no different. Research is not rocket science and personal experience plays a big part in forming a conclusion.

One criticism received is that WernerScrews is bashing those poor-little-old large trucking companies. However, large companies like UPS and Federal Express demonstrate safer DOT records than Werner Enterprises. Something is clearly wrong at Werner. Could it be the GPS system?

Not all companies are buying into the GPS system. BostonCoach is one. Other models can and are used. Eweek article.

Werner Enterprises internal politics are uninteresting. It is the usual, legendary Werner infighting that is the foundation of this “great” company. The shockwaves from this attitude move down the food chain.

JayB presents an interesting analogy with inmates running an asylum--one I don’t fully acknowledge. An executive should make executive decisions. However, a Werner truck driver needs to be in complete control over her truck and NOT be coerced by a Dispatcher to exceed her limitations.

Another law firm is on the Werner Watch and is offering statistics galore. Werner is fertile ground.

JayB has decided to work for Werner and that’s his choice. Maybe he’ll find a satisfying career. The alternative is what Werner does best: screw.

---WernerScrews 10-4

SafeStat Data

Many thanks to Tony TurboTrucker over in Google Groups for bringing this site:

http://www.safersys.org

to the attention of the public and drivers.

Read TurboTrucker's post for more details and carrier rankings. Werner's DOT # is 53467 or go here:

http://ai.volpe.dot.gov/SafeStat/CarrierOverview.asp?DOT=53467&WhichForm=safer

Werner ranks "Deficient" with a score of 94.6--having "Extensive Available Data." As TurboTrucker warns:

[ In this game, the higher score is not a winning score. It is an indication of a losing proposition. Take the time to view all information of a prospective carrier you are considering, or one that you already work for, and use this tool as one means to determine your destiny. ]

Outstanding advice. Stay safe.

---WernerScrews 10-4

An All Time Low

On August 11, 2003, Werner Enterprises was ranked near the bottom in the Customer Respect Index. Seven months later, they exceeded all expectations and finished last with a ranking of 1.6. Need two signs? Look at Werner's website; the site has been unmodified for over three years. If Werner doesn't respect their employees, why should a customer be different? Nothing new under the sun.

---WernerScrews 10-4

In the winter of 2001, I was waiting for my next trainer in Allentown, PA. Jason, from Knoxville, TN, was a few years younger than me; he had an outstanding personality, excellent hospitality, and a strong confidence. Jason was not the best trucker, but his excellent personality replaced any deficiencies.

I would have liked to stay on-board with him, but I had to cash four Werner checks. I told him I had a personal emergency and needed to go home.

I hope Jason left Werner. He was a hard working and loyal employee and he would give you the shirt off his back.

Werner has a lot of good drivers. These drivers will go all out to keep Werner happy, but Werner’s Management is flawed. The computerized dispatch has created far too many problems. Sometimes it’s not the drivers who are driving—it’s the Dispatcher using the QualComm. There is little or no driver-dispatcher arbitration in Werner’s current system. Currently, Werner’s profits are high and the NHTSA is happy with Werner’s compliance. Does this mean there isn’t a serious problem? Too many lives hang in the balance. You may not drive for Werner, but you may share the road with a Werner. This puts everyone at risk.

The WernerScrews site has been updated. This is the place for the other story—the story untold on Werner’s site.

---WernerScrews 10-4

Werner Valley Ranch

Background: Werner Valley Ranch is a privately owned wildlife retreat owned by Clarence Werner—CEO of Werner Enterprises. Several hundred acres of Nebraskan prairie provide marksmanship practice, hunting and other leisure activities as prescribed by Mr. Werner. Werner Valley Ranch also serves as a VIP guest resort for Werner Enterprises. Like a mounted white bison, inside Werner's Omaha terminal is a plaque listing Werner's deceased drivers.

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A benchmark study written by humanitarian Dr. Albert Schweitzer correlated, with causality, that animal cruelty developed into human cruelty. "Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives."—Dr. Albert Schweitzer. The sagas played out at Werner Valley Ranch have a profound influence in Werner's boardroom and, in turn, are passed down to Werner Management.

Hunting for subsistence differs greatly from hunting for sport. My Native friends have the utmost of respect for the animals they hunt. It is in their traditional beliefs that the hunted animal offers its spirit to the hunter. The implications of this simple relationship form a rich cosmology where the distinction between man, animal and nature are often intertwined.


Hunting for sport is a different mindset. Some hunters see a mounted nine-point deer as a supreme accomplishment. Other hunters enjoy impressing friends and acquaintances with their hunting prowess. Essentially, there are no clear distinctions. Some hunters are only sport, others for subsistence and the rest are a combination of sport and sustenance. From my communication with over 90 Werner employees, there are strong indications that Werner Valley Ranch is aimed at the sport of hunting. Werner Valley Ranch is well stocked with deer and other wildlife to afford Clarence Werner’s guests a remarkable time. The animals are confined with no means of escape; it could be argued that this is not fair sport. Werner's hunting principles are:

• Hunt the weakest

• Use fear and scare tactics

• Herd the wildlife together and offer them no escape

• Use diversionary tactics

The herd is culled; hunters are evaluated and pats on the back are rewarded. A guest will leave Werner Valley Ranch with hints how he can improve his hunting performance along with camaraderie and euphoria that sets Werner Enterprises apart from other corporations.

For top Werner employees, keeping their hunting skills sharp—at the corporate offices—would be a difficult proposition, but Werner encourages this behavior.

• An ex-Werner truck driver made a post at WernerScrews explaining how she was terminated because of an injury. Here is a sample of her post:

“Now I am 1200 miles away from home and worker’s
comp says find a doctor where you are at. So, I did. I was
then taken out of work. So Werner (DMI) says I am to drive
my truck to a terminal, even though the doctor said, ‘No.’
It gets better. Werner leaves me stranded 1200 miles away
from home with no where to sleep, no money and no car. Once
again, I was told take it up with worker’s comp.”—Tifa
(WernerScrews post)

Tifa never drove for Werner after this incident. In addition, several e-mails confirm similar actions. A truck driver that can no longer be a part of the herd must be culled.

• A dispatcher holds the power of a Werner driver’s mileage and paycheck. Running over hours and driving when tired are common occurrences. The ability for a driver to make decisions becomes reduced because it is the dispatcher, and dispatcher only, who control the truck driver’s position. The fear and anxiety caused by a dispatcher has grave consequences. The official Werner statement: driving is the driver’s responsibility.

• Werner drivers are often herded together and placed in a motel. Often the relocation circumstances are puzzling:

“I waited at home for five days, calling every morning,
(at least I was getting paid.) Finally I got a call, I was
told to be at the terminal in an hour and a half--they were
sending a couple of cars up to the Omaha, NE terminal. One
hour later, I was in Lakeland putting my stuff in a rental
car. They sent three rental cars with three people each up
to Omaha, NE, because we would be able to get a trainer faster
if we went up there. When we left there were still at least
25 people waiting on trainer at the hotel, one that had been
there almost two weeks. Like I said before I was a lucky one.”—Sanslogic
(realdrivers.com)

One explanation for this relocation is psychological control. Once a driver is away from home, Werner believes they have better control.

• Smoking mirrors are a Werner hallmark. When I was a driver, I was told to call so and so and later call this person. The calls made no difference. Confirming my experience was a post from WernerScrews.

“He was with them [Werner] for nearly a month and the
only checks that I received were void. Werner claimed he was
not given any miles because loads were thin around Thanksgiving
and that they would improve afterward. The real reason was
he was given a brand new Peterbuilt and there was a problem
with the paperless log. He told them that he was not about
to move until they got it fixed because he knew that they
would blame him and he would be sent through more safety meetings.
He argued with them to get it fixed every day and they said
that they were never told about the problem.”—Tammie
(Wife of a Driver)

When a Werner driver displays initiative, Werner Enterprises obfuscates responsibility and enfeebles issues.

Werner Valley Ranch extends far beyond the recreation and amusement it provides. There is compelling evidence that Werner’s cruel hunting strategies are used in business; the lessons of the hunt are incorporated into Werner’s management and the treatment of their employees. Just as wildlife animals are tagged, Werner's adoption of computerized dispatch has provided tighter control of their drivers. The precipitate of the dominance/submission paradigm are hostility and fear. In short, the integration of new ideas or techniques—from the bottom-up—will be diminished leading to the eventual extinction of the company.

---WernerScrews 10-4

WernerScrews received information concerning a fatal collision that took place on June 19, 2001. According to the Tri-City Herald in an article written by Mr. John Trumbo ( jtrumbo@tri-cityherald.com ), a Werner Enterprises driver crossed the center lane and collided with a Chevy Astro Van. James and Kathryn Johnson were killed. This link provides the scanned article.

---WernerScrews 10-4

Happy New Year from Werner Enterprises!

Pay drivers more? C.L. laughs!

An alert reader brought this story to my attention from LandLine.

Drivers, don't expect a raise at Werner. Not this year--or the next, or the next...

Make a resolution: leave Werner Enterprises.

---WernerScrews 10-4