Werner Enterprises has started a 36-month diesel mechanic apprenticeship program that the truckload carrier said has been approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The program is for veterans who have post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility and can provide them up to $26,488.80 of tax-free education benefits while working for Werner as a diesel mechanic. That’s in addition to their Werner pay, the carrier said.
Werner said it was the first trucking company to offer such a nationally registered apprenticeship program.
“Werner has a long history of supporting our country’s military veterans, and we hope this apprenticeship program will serve as another great opportunity for these skilled individuals to build a career in the transportation industry,” President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Leathers said in a statement.
Omaha, Nebraska-based Werner said it has hired more than 6,500 veterans since 2012 and more than 350 of their spouses since May 2013. In 2012, it pledged under the White House campaign, Joining Forces, to hire 1,000 veterans per year for the next five years.
Werner’s plans for this year called for hiring 2,200 veterans and 200 of their spouses.
Werner ranks No. 16 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
