Question:
Hi
well my b/f is almost done with his training at werner.His new trainer is so much better and he learned alot.Today the trainer told him,that he should be ready for his own truck by next saturday
Anyway,,he knows he still has to pass a test,,,,so here is my ?? how hard is the test?
Anybody know?
take care and drive safe
sandy

Answer:
Test?
What test? His trainer will give him his final road test and fill out the form - either approving him or not. Dave is actually taking his test right now.
The rest is some paper tests back at a terminal - all open book I believe. The one thing he should make sure he really knows for these stage in the porcess is properly creating accurate, legal paper logs. That particular test is a little tricky, and they won't let him go until they're sure he really knows how to log legal.
But except for that -- he's there. Congrats! Hope he likes working for Werner. If he just does what the QualComm says and uses good judgment about everything but mostly SAFETY and driving responsibly, he'll do fine.


Answer:
Thanks for answering me.It helps to get answers from people who been there and know.
He is still a lil nervous about the booktest,but
i'm sure he will do fine.
stay safe,,,,,,
sandy

Answer:
There is a little more to it. Yes, there is the book test and some find it tricky, but read everything and it is not hard. They give you plenty of time to take the test.
Then there is a driving component and supposedly a pre-trip. The terminal safety rep will usually come out and give the driver a road test before they are allowed to be assigned a truck. Now they usually don't make anyone do a pre-trip test because it is too time-consuming. But I have seen many students - myself included - take a road test before getting assigned to a truck. You must understand that Werner has hired students from truck driving school and they have been out with a trainer for 6-8 weeks, but the safety department must be satisfied that these students actually have learned how to drive the truck before they are assigned to drive one solo. Insurance companies and Federal laws governing motor carriers require a road test of every driver.
The road test is simply go out of the yard with the safety rep and do whatever he says. If he says turn right on Elm Street, do it, for example. They are looking for just basic knowledge of the equipment, the gears, maneuvering the truck, using signals, and obeying traffic laws. Keep a watch of the road signs because safety might ask "What did that last sign say" to make sure you are paying attention. At the end, they might have you back between two trailers or into a space in the back of the terminal yard. Probably into the same spot where you got the truck in the first place. Remember if you have to do a backing test to GET OUT AND LOOK and BLOW THE HORN before backing and USE FLASHERS when backing. Those are the main things they are looking for. Other than that, just don't scrape anything and you'll be fine. You can pull up as many times as you need.
Once this is over, they will let you know if you passed by giving you paperwork to get a truck, either on the yard or in some other location. If it is in another location, chances are some other Werner driver abandoned it there and quit their job. Sometimes they even send drivers to Omaha to await trucks at the main terminal.
If you do not pass the tests (which is unlikely if you completed training), Werner will give you the opportunity to train some more and fine-tune those skills. No need to worry. Any more questions, ask away.

Answer:
Hi
My b/f is in Omaha right now,testing :
He started this afternoon,,,,and i'm keeping my fingers crossed.
He hopes he gets a regn. run,when he is done.
His last trainer was just great,wish he had him for the whole 8 weeks.
Thanks to all of you,for your answers.
Stay safe,,,,
sandy

Answer:
If you want to know about regional at Werner, I drove for Southeast regional for a time.

Answer:
Hi,,,
Yes i have a few ??,
how long did it take you to get a regional run?
He would like it up at MI,OH,ID area.(3 state)
Jobplacement told him he would get it.Which did you like more,,OTR or regional
Thanks for always answering me.
Stay safe,,,,
sandy

Answer:
You're welcome...
And if Werner's job placement says he can have that regional, he will probably be right in after training if he wants. Werner must have openings. Basically, the run that you are referring to is called Midwest Regional.
I would say that on regional, a driver usually gets home every weekend. Now, you will not be home for any more time than if you are OTR. I'll explain. In OTR, a driver is usually out for two to three weeks, and is home one day for every seven full days out. This is how Werner likes to run things OTR. Now, as a regional driver, my experience was that I got home every weekend, but usually only for just one day, and once for only eighteen hours. So it is really not much more actual time spent at home, just home more frequently.
Some stipulations to this. First, if you live in an area that is central to the region you are operating in, Werner may be able to get you home more. Also, a driver may opt to be out for a weekend if they want to, just depends on their willingness to run. I did not come out ahead running over the weekend since there was not much distance on the loads. I spent a large amount of time sitting around waiting for Monday morning to roll around, just too far away from home to go. Basically, it is the driver's choice. Now since you will be coming home frequently, you will do best if you live close to a terminal or approved Werner drop yard on regional. You will often come home under a load, and Werner wants that load to be secure while you are at home. The closer you live to a secured drop yard or terminal, the better it is for you as a driver, and the more time you will be able to spend at home.
On regional, you will get to the same customers repeatedly, but be prepared to end up as basically a shag driver most of the time. In your area, you will be constantly picking up loads from drivers who have to go home. Werner has something like 8,000 drivers, so there is ALWAYS someone who needs to get home, so they will drop their load somewhere (like at a terminal) and you will be switching out and delivering their load for them. All told, more switching trailers, backing, delivering, waiting at customers, and less time spent driving. Far fewer miles than OTR. Now Werner pays more per mile for regional drivers than OTR drivers to compensate for this, but it is a stepped scale. More money per mile for shorter trips, and less money per mile for longer trips. In all, I figured that I made about the same regional as I did OTR, but if you like getting in the truck and cruising down the Interstate for many hours, regional is not for you. Like I said above, most of the runs are relatively short (less than 300 miles). And sometimes you will be just be a city shag driver.
On the regional account I worked on, Werner had more driver-assist unloads than usual on OTR. I don't know if this is true of all regional accounts. Doing Southeast regional, Werner also has insulation loads, which the driver must unload. That was a definite drawback.
Usually at Werner, your dispatcher is out of Omaha. But on regional, your dispatcher is out of the head terminal in that region. It is easier for the driver to know the dispatcher.
Overall, there are positives and negatives to regional. Home more often, same roads over and over, more switching of trailers and loads, more time waiting at customers, sometimes driver unloads, short trips, city shag work, fewer miles of uninterrupted driving, frequently going home under a load. So it's whatever the driver prefers. My advice would be to try both and decide.

Answer:
Cadillac Jack said...
The terminal safety rep will usually come out and give the driver a road test before they are allowed to be assigned a truck
They changed that a few months ago. Trainers now give the road test. The majority of NEW drivers are no longer road tested by management. A safety supervisor tests a small sampling of stuents to make sure the newbie's skill level matches the trainer's report....but that's about it.
I have mixed feelings about this change. Werner now says the trainers are best qualified to evaluate students -- and I suppose that's very true, especially since many otherwise acceptable students get so nervous they blow their road test. But this new procedure doesn't account for hack trainers passing students that aren't ready, and I'm not convinced testing a small sample necessarily identify these trainers soon enough.
Anyway....that's what they're doing now and the only new hires routinely tested by management these days are those with previous experience going straight to a truck without a trainer.

Answer:
HI,,,,
Another ??,,(again)lol
What states are considered southeast regional??
stay safe,,,,,,,
sandy