Werner Enterprises Welcomes Southwest Truck Driver Training at Spring Driver Appreciation Event
On April 10, students and several instructors from Southwest Truck Driver Training’s Phoenix campus were hosted by Werner Enterprises at one of their semi-annual Driver Appreciation Week events.
Werner Hosts Regular Driver Appreciation Events Nationwide
Werner, a notable employer of many Southwest Truck Driver Training CDL graduates, went on the road to celebrate its nearly 10,000 CDL drivers with events in 13 cities. In this year’s spring series, Driver Appreciation events were held across the country at Werner terminals stretching from Fontana, California, to Lake City, Florida and Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.
Derek Leathers, Chairman and CEO of Werner, took the opportunity of Spring Driver Appreciation Week to express his gratitude to Team Blue, as Werner employees affectionately call themselves.
“You wake up every day [and] you do work where nobody gets to see you do it,” Leathers said, explaining that truck drivers are the heart of the company’s success.
“The event was a great opportunity for the students to meet other drivers and leadership from Werner,” said Steve Strong, Vice President of Administration at Southwest Truck Driver Training. On the schedule was a town hall, where the students were able to learn more about the company and the transportation industry.
Southwest Students Impressed by Werner Culture
Southwest Truck Driver Training’s Phoenix student attendees came away impressed with the culture at Werner.
“Very good experience. Very family vibes. [I] might work here one day,” said Phoenix CDL student Frederick Mellberg. His fellow students Dominic D’Saachs echoed that he found the people at Werner very friendly. Another Southwest Truck Driver Training Phoenix student, Jason Rhoads, agreed that his experience was “fantastic and very welcoming.”
“Werner seems like a great company to work for,” said Phoenix student Chris Corros. “They seem to have a good team culture that appreciates their employees. They promote safety, which keeps their employees around for a long time. They seem to have great employee benefits.”
Recently Promoted Southwest Grad and Instructor Reunited
The event not only introduced current CDL students with a prospective future employer. It also was a reunion for Southwest Truck Driver Training grads working for Werner.
Narmin Hanna, a 2023 graduate of Southwest Truck Driver Training, went on to work for Werner and was recently promoted to work in Werner’s Safety Department this year. She was happy to meet with one of her instructors during her time at Southwest Truck Driver Training, Doug Parker, to catch up on her career successes and thank him for helping to provide a strong foundation for her advancement.