At Werner, we’re committed to delivering world-class supply solutions to the global market responsibly and safely, and we aim to exceed the expectations of our customers, shareholders and associates. Company culture plays a crucial role in supporting these efforts.
That’s why we’ve created a positive and inclusive culture at Werner built on innovation and industry leadership. Our workplace environment makes associates feel comfortable, empowered, and valued, which we achieve by keeping our core values central to everything we do.
Our core values of Inclusion, Community, Innovation, and Leadership drive our company culture, with Safety and Service at the forefront. We’re always looking for ways to elevate our positive work environment because at the end of the day, it’s about making a difference in the lives of our biggest asset – our people.
Inclusion & Community
Community and Inclusion are core values at Werner and are weaved throughout our operations. We value giving our time and talent to make the communities we serve better and ultimately, make a lasting difference.
In 2011, Werner took the sentiment one step further, launching a new Associate Resource Group (ARG) focused on the core value of Community, the Blue Brigade.
It began as a grassroots idea with a small group of associates at Werner’s Omaha headquarters interested in volunteering with impactful community organizations. Years later, as the world began to need more good news during the COVID-19 pandemic, Blue Brigade expanded to other locations throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Presently, there are more than twenty chapters, with each local terminal and even some Roadmaster locations offering their own Blue Brigade chapter.
These chapters will tackle almost any project in their local communities – from working with the Red Cross, participating in park clean-ups, building houses for Habitat for Humanity, volunteering at 5Ks, serving food at shelters for those experiencing homelessness, participating in parades – the list goes on and on. In 2022, Werner went one step further by implanting a Volunteer Time Off (VTO) policy to encourage associates to volunteer and participate in the Blue Brigade. In 2023, more than 500 associates volunteered with the Blue Brigade devoting over 3,330 hours during the year.
The Blue Brigade is one of the most unique aspects of Werner’s culture – with hundreds of associates volunteering their time and talents to help the community. We are thankful for all of our associates giving back to others. The Blue Brigade often partners with other Werner Associate Resource Groups (ARGs) on volunteer efforts. Some of these groups include WEPride (LGBTQ+), Women’s Leadership Alliance (WLA) and Abled and Disabled Allies Partnership Together (ADAPT).
Innovation & Leadership
At Werner, we value talent and are always looking for our associates to bring new, innovative ideas. We help to build the skills and confidence necessary through our learning and development programs.
Trucking is a dynamic industry. Because of this, in addition to training our professional drivers, we continue to provide our associates with opportunities to learn new skills and enhance their skill sets.
Having the right skills allows our associates to stay on the cutting edge of industry innovation, and ensures they have the necessary tools to make effective and safe decisions that impact our professional drivers and customers. To do this, we provide opportunities for our associates to build the skills and confidence necessary to achieve some amazing things.
As such, associates can access several ongoing education tracks and opportunities at Werner, including our General Knowledge, Leadership and DEI tracks. These three tracks offer associates opportunities to learn independently or within small group settings, depending on the course.
Associates also have access to platforms where they can pursue various courses on topics outside of the transportation industry at their own pace and at no additional cost.
Beyond self-learning opportunities, we have several Development Programs that require interested parties to either apply or be nominated by a colleague. This includes our Summer Internship, OnRamp Returnship, PACE, 18 Wheels of Success and WElead programs.
We are also working on a new Career Blueprint interface for our associates. This interactive platform will allow associates to easily see “blueprints” for vertical and horizontal career growth within Werner. It will then suggest different courses Werner associates can complete to help them gain the skills needed to make those career moves successfully.
We’re proud of the many awards Werner and our associates have earned in recent years as an acknowledgment of their many talents, including:
- 2023 Heavy Duty Trucking Emerging Leader
- 2023 ATA Change Leader
- 2023 Supply & Demand Chain Executive Women in Supply Chain
- 2023 Newsweek ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity, ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces’ and ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces for Parents and Families’
Providing access to training and resources is the key to equipping our associates for success in an industry that demands adaptability and resilience. Whether they’re a seasoned professional or just starting their career, continued learning is a driving force behind a successful journey at Werner.
At the end of the day, community is at the heart of much of what we do, both in the workplace and beyond. Through our shared commitment we are always working towards shaping a better future.
