Great Plains Communications is excited to highlight one of our business customers, Werner Enterprises, Inc.:
Werner Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WERN) is a premier transportation and logistics company with coverage throughout North America, Asia, Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. Executive Chairman Clarence L. Werner started his business in 1956 with one Ford truck in Omaha. Today, the Werner Enterprises Global Headquarters are still in Omaha, and that one-truck operation has grown to be a $2 billion company with more than 7,300 trucks, nearly 24,000 trailers and more than 11,500 associates and independent contractors.
Werner is among the five largest truckload carriers in the U.S. and received the 2017 Top 100 Trucker Award by Inbound Logistics. Its diversified portfolio of transportation services includes one-way van, dedicated, cross border Mexico and Canada, expedited, temperature controlled, freight management, brokerage, intermodal, flatbed, ocean and air, global freight forwarding, final mile and home delivery.
A Broad Range of Job Opportunities
Collectively, Werner drivers travel approximately 3 million miles each business day. However, these drivers aren’t the only members of the Werner team to keep things moving.
Stefanie Christensen, VP of Human Resources, notes, “Werner goes to career fairs across the nation, and we often hear attendees say, ‘But I don’t drive a truck.’ This is a common misconception. We want to spread the word that in addition to our driving opportunities, Werner hires people to fill a wide variety of jobs in the areas of IT, accounting, management, human resources, recruitment, sales and fleet management. We’re looking for people with all different talents, experiences and backgrounds to help us keep Werner moving forward. This is an important industry to work within since practically everything comes to you by truck.”
We Have Each Other’s Backs
Besides competitive salaries and benefits, what else makes Werner attractive to prospective associates and helps retain current ones?
Christensen replies, “While we’re a large organization, I think Werner feels like family. We rally around each other and are there for one another, despite the fact that transportation and logistics are ‘go, go, go’ businesses with demanding schedules. There’s a real sense of connectedness at Werner. We have each other’s backs. What’s more, Werner has an Employee Relief Fund, designed specifically to help our associates in times of unforeseen hardships.”
Military talent will want to take note of this: Werner was named a 2017 Military Friendly® Company by G.I. Jobs® magazine. To be selected for this honor, organizations must have a total commitment to tapping into military talent — whether as associates, students, suppliers, consumers or like-minded people in the community with like-minded missions. Werner is widely acknowledged as an industry leader in military hiring initiatives since starting the industry’s first Professional Truck Driver Apprenticeship Program in 2006. With military veterans and veteran spouses comprising approximately 20 percent of its workforce, Werner has hired more than 25,000 veterans and veteran spouses since its apprenticeship program began.
Giving Back to Communities
On a philanthropic level, Werner also cares about and is invested in the needs of communities throughout the country. For example, Werner’s Blue Brigade works with numerous organizations each year, volunteering to help lend a hand with community projects and fundraising events. Hundreds of Werner associates are active Blue Brigade members.
Natural disasters can create an urgent need for transportation and logistics services. When Hurricane Irma struck in September 2017, Werner partnered with The Home Depot and dispatched a convoy with a Florida State Patrol escort to deliver essential relief aid and supplies from Lake Park, Georgia, to southern Florida. Werner Enterprises coordinated convoy efforts with The Home Depot’s Hurricane Command Center and Florida Attorney General, Pamela Bondi. In total, Werner sent more than 100 trucks to support the hurricane relief efforts.
“I’m proud to work for a company that treats its associates, customers and communities so well,” notes Christensen.