WERNER TRUCKING PAY | Income Review After 3 Months | New OTR Driver Earnings 2021

Werner Trucking Pay. Income Review after 3 Months of Paychecks. What kinda money can I expect to make when starting a truck driving career in 2021? Subscribers ask about earning potential at Werner Trucking. Kevin gives a three months review of what he has been paid as a brand new driver running OTR solo for Werner Enterprises. He'll mention mileage, guaranteed pay, and his actual numbers. If you are wondering if trucking or specifically starting with Werner Enterprises is a good choice for you, listen in.
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If you are interested in learning about trucking or just want to come along for the ride, join us at the Joy of Trucking. Our goal is to empower and entertain you by sharing our experiences with you!

[@HotOneRecordz]

Love these videos! Straight to the point and no junk fillers. Really appreciate it. Thanks!

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Thanks!! Glad they are helpful!!

[@JuanGarcia-fw4bn]

Werner has improved a lot,it was a good company,then went to the shits when the daughter left and the two boys almost destroyed the company. I worked for them in the early 90s,bought my house and my 1st truck with them,they were good,but never this good of 1k guarantee. Anyhoo,I m glad is back to being a decent company,I think I used to get .26 cents a mile back when I started.

[@christophergaudreau9265]

SO GLAD you get right down to the money $ $ . . . . Companys & People that cant give REAL TALK get DISMISSED by me immediately. . . .Love your channel

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Thanks!!! No filler fluff here!!!

[@meas7390]

Good video…very informative and accurate.I been driving for almost 2 years and I started off with Werner.I first did there dollar general account.Great money but I felt like it was not worth the risk at the time especially with no experience.Then I went over the road.The miles are there,you just have to be willing to run hard.I average 2500 miles a week and never denied a load.Now I am local and I’m making a 100,000 a year delivering to wawa in the Nj/Pa/De area.I don’t even really have to back only in the yard.The money is out there you just have to stick out your first year.It will be hard but worth it.Good luck everyone.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Well said!!!! And good for you!!!! Happy for you!!!!! Thanks for watching!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

[@desiral.hagger3950]

I'm feeling you about Amazon, I'm doing the same except with Prime inc,. You guys have a wonderful channel.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Thanks so much!!! Best of luck!!!

[@alimungirimohamed8034]

Thank you good people. Am riding with you almost every trip.,although not live mostly. Am in Saudi Arabia working with globe logistics. Am a truck driver too. One again thank you so much my friends

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Shukran!!! We are happy to have you along! Thank you for watching!! Do you drive long distance? Kevin has spent some time in Kuwait, Jordan, and Beirut. We hope to visit Saudi Arabia one day! Inshallah!

[@j.pitkin2883]

Whoever you drive for, stay there. The grass is not greener someplace else. There will always be something to hate about any trucking company. The job is what it is.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

We think that with some experience there are many more opportunities. Not all trucking companies are the same. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@gregsinclair6385]

3 years ago i was at werner and never saw a thousand dollars. I saw 800 max at 43cpm and they never gave me more miles when i asked for it. Everyone has different experience with werner. And I've never ever had an accident till this day.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Hey there! Thanks for watching and commenting!!! It's actually amazing that you were making 43cpm three years ago. Kevin started at 41cpm a year ago. Now they are up to 47cpm. But, with breakdowns, live loads, and general delays, it's hard to make the paychecks we had envisioned. And you are right, Werner is a big company with many different things that can affect a driver's experience...fleet manager and equipment being two of the most influential. Thanks for watching and commenting!! Congratulations on your safe miles and hope you found a company you are very happy with!

[@king4916]

I'm actually working at a Amazon fulfillment center on 3rd shift. I've been here about 11 months. I went to Roadmaster yesterday to get my CDL. I'm definitely looking forward to trucking and Werner is at the top of my list. I appreciate your insight on the trucking industry.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Awesome Michael!!! Are you doing the Amazon Careers Program where they pay for your CDL school?

[@king4916]

@@TheJoyofTrucking I was told that I would have to be there a year before I could go through the career program. I'm just tired of the fulfillment center and ready to begin my trucking journey. I'm just going to go through Roadmaster and let Werner pick up the tuition tab. I know that I have to pay back the tuition but that's fine with me at this point.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

@@king4916 Good for you!! We understand! Kevin had enough after 10 months and made the move. He didn’t want to wait any longer either! We look forward to meeting you someday! Best of luck with school!!!

[@king4916]

@@TheJoyofTrucking Thank you, looking forward to meeting you two as well. Be safe and keep on trucking 🚚

[@jerzeywolf76]

Awesome man! I am getting my cdl through Amazon as well and I might consider doing Werner down the road

[@stefank7144]

as a Owner Operator that seems very low pay, but I also started back 13 years ago like that, but my company I work for, under their authority pays up to 60 cents a mile, i guess you need many yetas to get that... i take $4000 average a week... mage $160000 last year and worked only 7 months... cant go back

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

We are happy things look for you!! But we don’t understand the math. How can you make that amount with 60mph?

[@stefank7144]

what i meant is that i make what ever the load pays minus 15%... but the company i work for as OO also has own truck and pays 60 cents to some of their drivers

[@geddon436]

As an o/o how much of that 160 went to your truck maintence/repairs?

[@stefank7144]

about 30,000..... switched to sand now, much more money, less driving... my friend made over 300,000 last year... frac sand in pa

[@couponuniverse1071]

Good choice Kevin. Was OTR. Now transferred to bass pro account dedicated from macon GA

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Awesome! Let us know how you like it!!

[@alexanderdoorknocker]

$.42 per mile is minimum wage for OTR truck driving. I was making $.32 per driving for Swift Transportation back in 2007. I drove 2 years for Swift. Then I drove for Crete Carrier Corporation/Shaffer Trucking and I made $.42 per mile hauling refrigerated cheese in 2009. It was super easy work and I got really good home time. A lot of OTR drivers don't know that you get $50 per day tax write-off for having to sleep away from your home address. So at the end of every year, I would get around $7,000 tax refund every year. With OTR the Tax write off are excellent! Always remember - keep your CDL clean with no violations. If you have to chain up because of snow I recommend that you message your driver manager and tell them that its too dangerous to drive and that you need to delay the trip. If there is fog I recommend that you never drive in fog because you cant stop your truck and trailer in time and you will rear-end someone - guaranteed... And If you're driving down hill use your engine brake and low gears to the fullest!! I've seen drivers cook their brakes and their Truck fully catch on fire and destroy their truck and trailer. And don't lie or cheat on your log books you will get caught, no bs you will get caught. I've been Log book Audited by CHP and my own employer several times, so don't lie on your log book. Other than that It's pretty much easy work. Just save your money and enjoy the ride.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Thanks for sharing your experience and insights with this community!!! And thanks for watching!!!

[@alexanderdoorknocker]

When I went to file my taxes with a Tax CPA in year 2007 I brought him a massive bag filled with receipts of all of my expenses like entertainment, food, and supplies of what I spent while laying over away from home. My Tax CPA told me that my Truck Driver Layover away from Per Diem home was allowed up to $65 per day. My CPA told me that to be safe and reasonable he was going file to my Per Diem for $50 per day away from home. I'm single with no children and I was getting back almost $8,000 per year Tax refund with this Per Diem. That's a MASSIVE perk for driving OTR is the Per Diem write-offs!!! The Tax writeoffs are MASSIVE! if you're a OTR driver you MUST take advantage of this. Save your money and prepare to quit so that you can look for better opportunities. When you finally quit OTR you can look for local opportunities. I found a job hauling Milk/Tanker but I found that I was working way too many hours so I applied to deliver gas welding cylinders. I was hired at this new job delivering gas welding cylinders and I now had an excellent schedule with very excellent pay. The absolute best advice that I can offer any Driver is to keep your CDL clean and spotless no matter what and save all of your money so that. Saving your money helps you to not be desperate while looking for better Business/Employment opportunities. Don't worry about making friends and relationships with people, just focus on your own comfort, success, and growth. Always search for new and better opportunities and you will be utterly shocked that you will find them! But you must prepare for them by saving your money and planning to transition to new Employment with better pay and comfort/easy work.

[@michaelrains2268]

Take that eight thousand refund set it aside and invest this money 💰, see how to turn it into $300 000 or more ! You don't want to be driving forever! Just my 2cents, GOD bless 🙌

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

@@alexanderdoorknocker Thank you so much for sharing your story and what you’ve learned. This is great information for new drivers and very inspirational!!

[@alexanderdoorknocker]

@@michaelrains2268 Yes, it takes money to make money in the United States so the more money that you have the easier it is to make more money. That's the most important thing is to SAVE your money so you'll never have a rainy day, it will always be sunshine days.

[@theallaroundguy2399]

Tell the lady to be quiet and let you talk. Is she a driver, does she have a CDL, I don’t think so

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

You are right! I have none of those things. But…I have made this video. Hope you still got value from it.

[@cedrickhudson2105]

I started fresh out of cal school in January of this year. First job with a company here in Tennessee paying .52 cents per mile. Great company and now they have started their own school. You just have to look and network with classmates/people.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

That’s great to hear!!! Happy for you!!! Yes!!! There ARE a lot of good opportunities out there!!! Just have to believe and look!!! Thanks for watching and commenting!!

[@tvptr9302]

What’s the name of the company

[@TheTruelakersfan]

Dam I feel bad for you 4 weeks and only 3 days home ? Leave ! You can do way better. Now a days companies offer a week off if your out 3-4 weeks

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Thanks! With a year experience went to Crete. 1 day off for every 6 days out. Minimum out 21 days for highest cpm. Less stress. More money. Been there since April. Pretty happy. 😃

[@Bendigo1]

If you break down and can not stay in the truck or get into another truck, they should be paying for hotel. You should not have to pay out of pocket for anything related to the business if you are a company driver. If you need to pay they need to reimburse you every penny. If they do not, they may face legal issues.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Yes!!!! We agree!! We did find out that they will put you in a hotel. Sadly breakdown pay is minimal.

[@Bendigo1]

@@TheJoyofTrucking At least minimal breakdown pay is better than none. As long as it at least covers expenses for the days you are down. It is understandable that they don't want to pay normal daily pay, because you can are not really able to earn that to make up for it. But they should at least make sure you have a place to stay and food to eat while you are stuck there without you needing to use up any savings you have. I actually made more from breakdown pay than i was earning in a week when the truck was in a shop for 2 weeks. Luckily they changed pay rate so that is not the case anymore.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

@@Bendigo1 Yes that’s true. But, we think Werner’s $75/24 hours is not adequate. A lot depends on the fleet manager. We had a situation that took 22 hours and very little sleep due to timing of repair and no money earned. His FM at the time didn’t give him a dime. That felt very disrespectful. Another situation Kevin waited at the dealership for three days in the truck. Wasn’t until third day that his FM was surprised he wasn’t in a hotel. We didn’t know and no one had offered. But now we’ve learned. And hopefully others too from watching our experiences. Thanks for your input!

[@Bendigo1]

@@TheJoyofTrucking I would agree with that!!! $120/day should be MINIMUM.

[@rickvolkart8958]

Great information. 60 here too. Retired not for me . looking to 2nd career. Leaving as a a/c contractor. Always enjoy driving snd anything w wheels being an avid vintage car collector. Just got my Florida A permit. Looking into the right training for me at the moment. And Werner and roadmaster are on the top of the list. Appreciate the honesty and integrity

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Hello Rick!! Congratulations on getting your permit!! Welcome aboard!! We hope our videos help you get the information you need in making your decision! We love classic/vintage cars too and Kevin will geek right out!!!! Where are you in Florida?

[@jimbeckes1743]

I have been a otr driver since 1985 have fun and good luck

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Thanks Jim!!! We really appreciate that! And WOW! What a career! We'd love to meet you some day and talk trucking!!! Where do you run? Are you owner op. or company driver?

[@jimbeckes1743]

@@TheJoyofTrucking Most of all be safe out there and dont be afraid to ask questions the only stupid question is the one you didnt ask...

[@jimbeckes1743]

@@TheJoyofTrucking Dont follow a car GPS you will get in trouble

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

@@jimbeckes1743 We couldn’t agree more!!! We’ll said!

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

@@jimbeckes1743 Agree!!!

[@Pinaman69]

WOW,... .43 per mile... super low especially in todays market, feel sorry for you and wish you the best in future trucking. F _ Werner for what they pay you!

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Awww. Thanks for your support and not spelling out the f_ word. Lol! They actually increased it to 47cpm in August. That’s three raises for drivers in 8 months. It’s certainly still not great, but it’s a start for someone just got their CDL. And there are other benefits to working at Werner. Also…we‘ve met drivers with higher cpm, but they don’t get a lot of miles. Check the video we just put out 3 days ago. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJCkh39vasR8bNU And thanks for watching our channel!

[@KPDXPat]

Great video,

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Thanks! Hope it helped! Thanks for watching!

[@khuderjuma6536]

The told me you make 1800 to 2200

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Miles or dollars? What account?

[@Colebebop1]

I just turned 60 and have been seriously considering getting a CDL. Are you doing “no-touch” van? I’m in pretty good shape for my age but am not interested in physically loading or unloading trailers. Thank you for the information. It's much appreciated.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Hey there! Thanks for watching!! Yes…only drop and hook. No touch. You just have to be clear on what account you take. Kevin got his CDL at age 59 and we know other people doing this as second or third careers. Be sure to subscribe and keep watching our videos. You’ll get a pretty good idea of what’s involved.

[@cwc8979]

Kevin would be a Great Trainer 👍

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Thanks!! Yes. You are right. He’s a very good teacher. Werner has asked him. But so far he has politely turned them down. :-))

[@bobburanich3262]

Fyi Werner has a dedicated acct. for walmart in Macclenny, Flordia

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Thanks for letting us know about it. Would be nice to spend the winter south ;-)))

[@FranciscoColonJr]

when you say "A week" are we talking five day week or a seven day week... please make that extingtion.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

When we say ‘a week’ we are referring to a pay week which is Tuesday to Tuesday. The number of days you work in that period can vary depending on your resets and your home time. Hope that clarifies it for you!! Thanks for watching!

[@FranciscoColonJr]

@@TheJoyofTrucking totally, thank you for taking the time to answer that doubt

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

@@FranciscoColonJr Our pleasure!!

[@jeromeschulze4500]

About to graduate next tuesday.. Wondering of they are good wnough.. But i had a friend that went with them and didnt really like it.. He left in 6 weeks.. He made 1200 a week.. Amd was never home..and when he requested and went home they would screw him over

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Congratulations!!! We think it’s a good solid company for new drivers. Better than a lot of other ones. We think that because it’s so big it ends up with different people having very different experiences, quite dependent on the account and particular fleet manager. Still, they will take new drivers and you’ll learn a lot. Gotta put that time in somewhere and then more and more doors will open for you. Just come in with a good attitude and clear communication. And different companies also meet different needs depending on your location, goals, and priorities. Despite the challenges we are still very happy with the choice we made.

[@brentmanzella4186]

Any trucking videos today.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Lol! Brent!! I love your enthusiasm!!! I was just going to put up the money one today. But since you asked, I put up a short video for you. ;-)). More tomorrow!!

[@charleslong536]

Good information and do they pay for hotel stay if your down for a while

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Good question. We don’t know. But I would think so.

[@couponuniverse1071]

They do pay for hotel. You would just need to send a form msg through the tablet and they will respond with a code and nearest hotel

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

@@couponuniverse1071 Thanks!! Appreciate you sharing that information!! Good to know!!!

[@jazzyalex2011]

What's the point in making good money if you're never home to enjoy it?

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Hey D! Thanks for watching and commenting. There are many different types of trucking jobs. Some where you stay out on the road for a minimum of two weeks before having home time. Others where you can be home daily. And lots in between. To get experience and qualify for more jobs most people do start with OTR (Over-the-road) with big carriers. But some people find opportunities with smaller companies, closer to home, even as new CDL holders. So everyone needs to decide what they want and what works best for them. We know some drivers who use the truck as their 'home,' saving money and seeing the country, and choosing to stay out for weeks on end because they love it. And we know others who are home every night. It's an industry with 3.5 Million drivers and in need of more. So, there isn't a one size fits all and everyone needs to consider their priorities and ask themselves questions like you are doing. And, there are certainly many other jobs out there to consider.

[@brianwest5348]

@@TheJoyofTrucking Well said!

[@khuderjuma6536]

Now you say 1000

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Yup. That’s what he made. This was spring 2021 on an OTR for all states, out minimum 2 weeks.

[@uplift56]

Do they offer tanker training & hazmat qualifications ?

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Hi Joseph! Thanks for watching! Personally, we have not seen any tankers at Werner. As for Hazmat, that's an endorsement you write when getting your CDL. We also have not encountered that at Werner. You could call a recruiter to verify. Kevin did have one load in a dry van that required the tanker endorsement because it was large containers of liquid. He did not receive any special training from Werner to be able to handle that load. Only his tanker endorsement that he got when he wrote his CDL exam. Hope that helped!

[@markw6867]

In a video you mentioned per diem..would you recommend taking that?

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Hey! Thanks for watching! It really depends on your priorities. Here’s a link to one of our videos that explains per diem in more detail. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJrYgaFur9x1j5o

[@markw6867]

@@TheJoyofTrucking so the per diem is added back to your net pay..you mentioned your avg weekly net is approx. 900. Is the per diem part of that. So your net avg/wk is 600 without the per diem?

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

@@markw6867 The 900 net includes the per diem. It’s just that the per diem is not taxed.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

@@markw6867 The 900 net includes the per diem. It’s just that the per diem is not taxed.

[@markw6867]

@@TheJoyofTrucking ok..got it now..👍

[@LanceR63]

I know I said earlier that I had one more question but I lied lol. Just want to say awesome job of sharing videos and info. This is a crystal ball question that I’m not holding to you. Also I’m aware you are still making adjustments yourselves during this first year. Here is the question: after first year, including training period, should a full time otr driver with Werner make $50k a year by following procedures and making smart choices???

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Hey!!! Yes. We think that it is possible to gross $50,000. :-)))

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Actually we are hoping/thinking we’ll make more than that. But we’ll see…stay tuned ;-))

[@thedale2112]

Quality info, Kevin. Thanks for that. I think that at this very moment, and I have a minute, Werner tops my list of considerations for my return to trucking in the near future. In January of '23, when I turn 55, I can retire and draw my school district pension as well as carry my current medical insurance for an additional 10 years at a fraction of the cost most pay for theirs. I'm just too invested to bail now, but would if I could. Believe me! As always, travel safely...

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

That sounds like a good plan!!!!

[@ricklewis9564]

Retired Army?

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Lol. No. But he is VERY disciplined. ;-) He was an Army Cadet in Canada. It’s like ROTC.

[@wpgjason]

You're getting robbed with a smile on your face.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

😃😃😃😳😬

[@edtrek5413]

That's good pay, thanks for sharing 👍

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

Our pleasure!

[@cyr2977]

Come work for Saia linehaul and make .72 a mile and home every day

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

That sounds great if you are also getting the miles!!!! Happy you found a good job!!! Thanks for sharing it here!! Is it touch freight? Doubles? Are they nation wide?

[@brianwest5348]

I worked there for 13 years out of Tampa! Made good money too.

[@TheJoyofTrucking]

@@brianwest5348 Awesome!! Did you have to load/unload?

[@brianwest5348]

@@TheJoyofTrucking Yes and no. I did city for the most part and yes that is fingerprinting freight and hourly pay, but as a linehaul driver you pull doubles and is mostly hooking and un-hooking trailers, but occasionally i had to do some dock work too. Linehaul paid by the mile and you also got a drop and hook pay too. I left in 2013.