Werner Enterprises A Top 5 Truckload Carrier and Asset-Based Logistics Provider

Rapidly changing customer needs and expectations, continued online growth,   and emerging technology are driving change in global supply chains. With rising diesel prices, concerns of global carbon emissions and driver shortages, it is essential for the industry to embrace innovation in the marketplace to tackle the challenges of the road ahead.

Winners in transportation must have scalable capacity solutions, sophisticated decision-making software, real-time visibility tools and on-time service execution to capitalize on evolving supply chain trends and customer demands.Werner Enterprises, a top five truckload carrier and asset-based logistics provider, delivers world-class supply chain solutions to the global marketplace, responsibly and safely. Werner associates work alongside companies to design and implement customized solutions that aim to deliver goods from anywhere in the world, on time, every time.

Beyond its diverse portfolio offering, Werner invests millions of dollars each year in its 5Ts+S initiative — trucks, trailers, talent, terminals, technology and sustainability – to provide companies with best-in-class customer service, respond to its customers’ and associates’ needs and drive greater sustainability. We had a word with Daragh P. Mahon, the Executive Vice President and CIO of Werner Enterprises, to learn more about the company itself and the company’s technology initiative, Werner EDGE. Here are a few snippets from that conversation.

Please explain to us the humble beginnings of Werner Enterprises.

Founder Clarence L. (CL) Werner purchased a Ford-gasoline powered truck and entered the trucking business in 1956. CL Werner started hauling cargo for other companies, building the company one truck at a time, hauling in regional areas. In the 1970’s, Werner established its headquarters in Omaha, NE, where the company is headquartered today. During those years, he hired his first associate and welcomed the first Fortune 500 customer, which quickly grew to 100 trucks on the road over the next few years.

Today, 65 years since CL’s journey began, Werner Enterprises, Inc. is an asset-based logistics provider and one of the five largest truckload carriers in the United States.

What challenges the company had to face in the initial years, and how did it overcome them?

In the early years, the Interstate Commerce Act regulations were the company’s biggest obstacle for truckers. The act granted exclusive authority to certain truckers to haul products across state lines. Invariably this authority flowed to established trucking companies. As a smaller carrier at the time, this regulation produced challenges for Werner in acquiring access to good freight early on. To succeed, Werner had to keep their costs very low in order to compete. That strategy paid off and allowed the company to grow to more trucks and drivers.

Please help us understand Werner’s Van Network.

Werner Enterprises’ Van Network is our organization’s foundation, and is the largest and most veteran of our capacity solutions,. With a network of over 3,000 van trucks, and access to over 6,000 alliance carriers, Werner Enterprises has the resources to move freight anywhere in the world.

Werner Enterprises’ Van Network can move customers’ freight, along with the experience and knowledge needed to make the process seamless and straightforward, anywhere, anytime, and on time with quality service customers depend on.Our comprehensive and diverse service offerings within the Van Network allow for multiple solutions to meet customers’ needs. These include:

Regional Short Haul: Coverage within four geographic markets: West, South, Midwest and East.

Alliance Carriers: Dry van capacity managed through 10 strategically-located offices within North America, moving over 125,000 truckload shipments annually.

Network Optimization Routes: Strategic lane coverage and additional capacity solutions for coast-to-coast and major metropolitan freight routes.

Medium to Long Haul: 48-state, Canada, and Mexico coverage transporting irregular route truckload freight.

Team Network: Backed by asset and alliance carriers. We utilize integrated tracking capabilities to provide real-time reporting and up-to-the-minute status updates. Werner’s 24/7 customer service  provides peace of mind and offers quality transportation solutions to meet customers’ every need.

What is the Werner advantage?

Werner drivers and customers are faced with daily challenges that require best-in-class operations, innovation and talent. Our strength is fueled by our ability to meet these challenges head-on, offering a comprehensive portfolio at a global scale, while also delivering on award winning customer service, technology and innovation. It’s Werner’s strength in transportation and logistics that strengthens the business of our customers.

In addition, as a publicly-traded company (NASDAQ: WERN), Werner has consistently delivered profitable financial results and takes pride in exceeding its customers’ and shareholders’ expectations. This commitment to financial strength results in consistent, reliable service for Werner’s customers and a transparent partnership approach that allows for long-term success. The company makes investments in trucks, trailers, talents, terminals, technology, and sustainability to ensure safe and efficient supply chain solutions.

Werner is building on its strong foundation of driving greater sustainability and inclusion. We commit to embrace these values as we move toward an increasingly inclusive culture where every associate feels empowered to bring their whole self to Werner.

Explain your supply chain solutions and their upsides.

As an asset-based logistics provider and one of the five largest truckload carriers in the United States, Werner offers a diversified portfolio of transportation and logistics services to companies worldwide.

Some of the services offered by Werner are:

• Dedicated – Third-largest Dedicated provider in North America with over 4,900 trucks for flexible changing business environments and needs.
• One-Way Truckload – Offering one-way, expedited, and engineered fleets with over 3,000 trucks executing optimized routes for our customers.
• Expedited – Exceptional team capacity and customer service, with over 1,000 trucks offering best-in-class service ideal for time-definite shipments.
• Intermodal – Premier intermodal, cost-effective solution with an extensive drayage network and cross-border capabilities, including over 90,000 rail-owned containers and 24,000 trailers.
• Temperature-Controlled – Extensive solutions, equipment and technology for temperature-controlled product shipments and logistics expertise.
• Cross-Border – More than 20 years of experience shipping freight across Canada and Mexico.
• Brokerage – Our unique logistics offering includes a tailor-fit solution, blending together the strengths of all Werner networks and access to over 29,000 partner carriers to provide additional capacity.
• Final Mile – A total transportation solution offering complete direct-to-consumer shipping service to over 90,000 zip codes in the US and Canada.
• Freight Management – Offers complete Transportation Management (TMS) solutions, including carrier qualification and sourcing, bid management and carrier performance administration.

How does Werner EDGE drive innovation in transportation?

Werner launched Werner EDGE in 2020, taking the company’s commitment to technology and innovation to the next level.

Werner EDGE is the innovation arm of Werner Enterprises, committed to advancing the performance and safety of its drivers, shippers, carriers and associates by delivering the latest technology-rich solutions in the transportation industry.Having spearheaded electronic logging device (ELD) adoption, Werner has always been a first mover in testing and implementing technology-rich solutions that move the transportation industry to the next level. With the announcement and deployment of Werner EDGE, the company pledges to develop new solutions and offerings that could enrich the experience for both associates and customers and optimize the entire ecosystem.

New technology solutions are developed within Werner EDGE to enhance the experience of drivers, shippers, carriers and associates. Examples include:

• EDGE Connect, an untethered, tablet-based telematics solution that delivers a safer and more efficient experience. This solution provides professional drivers with a smart workflow, best-in-class navigation, improved safety features, and reduced manual data entry.
• Breakdown Management is a cloud-based solution with an easy-to-use interface that simplifies the repair order process, getting our drivers back on the road safely and without delay.
• Powered by machine learning, Critical Event Management identifies and responds to safety events more effectively, providing drivers with coaching and accolades in real-time.
• Carrier’s EDGE is a platform that offers immediate visibility to Werner freight and the ability to book loads at the touch of a button, maintain preferences and save searches for quick and easy access.

In addition, Werner EDGE aims to transform Werner’s entire tech stack, moving to the Cloud to enable greater innovation and enhanced customer service. This enterprise-wide strategy, Cloud First, Cloud Now, is Werner’s driving force to becoming the first truckload transportation company fully leveraging the Cloud.

Werner’s leadership in operational excellence and the company’s commitment to customer service requires a continued investment in technology to advance the performance and safety of its customers, carriers, drivers and associates. Werner EDGE works to advance the organization’s larger mission of improved performance, increased safety, and enhanced communication.

The company plans to launch more driver, shipper, carrier and associate innovations in the near future, further solidifying its commitment to innovation, technology and furthering the transportation industry.

Meet the Executive Vice President and CIO

Daragh P. Mahon is the Executive Vice President and CIO of Werner Enterprises. Mr. Mahon joined Werner Enterprises on June 1, 2020 as the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. He currently leads Werner’s global IT strategy, operations, and innovation.

Mr. Mahon has more than 20 years of IT and strategic leadership experience, previously serving as Senior Vice President of Global IT and Business Applications for Vonage. In this role, he led the company’s overall IT and applications strategy and was the driving force in moving all Vonage information systems to public cloud-based on SaaS platforms.

Rapidly changing customer needs and expectations, continued online growth,   and emerging technology are driving change in global supply chains. With rising diesel prices, concerns of global carbon emissions and driver shortages, it is essential for the industry to embrace innovation in the marketplace to tackle the challenges of the road ahead.

Winners in transportation must have scalable capacity solutions, sophisticated decision-making software, real-time visibility tools and on-time service execution to capitalize on evolving supply chain trends and customer demands.Werner Enterprises, a top five truckload carrier and asset-based logistics provider, delivers world-class supply chain solutions to the global marketplace, responsibly and safely. Werner associates work alongside companies to design and implement customized solutions that aim to deliver goods from anywhere in the world, on time, every time.

Beyond its diverse portfolio offering, Werner invests millions of dollars each year in its 5Ts+S initiative — trucks, trailers, talent, terminals, technology and sustainability – to provide companies with best-in-class customer service, respond to its customers’ and associates’ needs and drive greater sustainability. We had a word with Daragh P. Mahon, the Executive Vice President and CIO of Werner Enterprises, to learn more about the company itself and the company’s technology initiative, Werner EDGE. Here are a few snippets from that conversation.

Please explain to us the humble beginnings of Werner Enterprises.

Founder Clarence L. (CL) Werner purchased a Ford-gasoline powered truck and entered the trucking business in 1956. CL Werner started hauling cargo for other companies, building the company one truck at a time, hauling in regional areas. In the 1970’s, Werner established its headquarters in Omaha, NE, where the company is headquartered today. During those years, he hired his first associate and welcomed the first Fortune 500 customer, which quickly grew to 100 trucks on the road over the next few years.

Today, 65 years since CL’s journey began, Werner Enterprises, Inc. is an asset-based logistics provider and one of the five largest truckload carriers in the United States.

What challenges the company had to face in the initial years, and how did it overcome them?

In the early years, the Interstate Commerce Act regulations were the company’s biggest obstacle for truckers. The act granted exclusive authority to certain truckers to haul products across state lines. Invariably this authority flowed to established trucking companies. As a smaller carrier at the time, this regulation produced challenges for Werner in acquiring access to good freight early on. To succeed, Werner had to keep their costs very low in order to compete. That strategy paid off and allowed the company to grow to more trucks and drivers.

Please help us understand Werner’s Van Network.

Werner Enterprises’ Van Network is our organization’s foundation, and is the largest and most veteran of our capacity solutions,. With a network of over 3,000 van trucks, and access to over 6,000 alliance carriers, Werner Enterprises has the resources to move freight anywhere in the world.

Werner Enterprises’ Van Network can move customers’ freight, along with the experience and knowledge needed to make the process seamless and straightforward, anywhere, anytime, and on time with quality service customers depend on.Our comprehensive and diverse service offerings within the Van Network allow for multiple solutions to meet customers’ needs. These include:

Regional Short Haul: Coverage within four geographic markets: West, South, Midwest and East.

Alliance Carriers: Dry van capacity managed through 10 strategically-located offices within North America, moving over 125,000 truckload shipments annually.

Network Optimization Routes: Strategic lane coverage and additional capacity solutions for coast-to-coast and major metropolitan freight routes.

Medium to Long Haul: 48-state, Canada, and Mexico coverage transporting irregular route truckload freight.

Team Network: Backed by asset and alliance carriers. We utilize integrated tracking capabilities to provide real-time reporting and up-to-the-minute status updates. Werner’s 24/7 customer service  provides peace of mind and offers quality transportation solutions to meet customers’ every need.

What is the Werner advantage?

Werner drivers and customers are faced with daily challenges that require best-in-class operations, innovation and talent. Our strength is fueled by our ability to meet these challenges head-on, offering a comprehensive portfolio at a global scale, while also delivering on award winning customer service, technology and innovation. It’s Werner’s strength in transportation and logistics that strengthens the business of our customers.

In addition, as a publicly-traded company (NASDAQ: WERN), Werner has consistently delivered profitable financial results and takes pride in exceeding its customers’ and shareholders’ expectations. This commitment to financial strength results in consistent, reliable service for Werner’s customers and a transparent partnership approach that allows for long-term success. The company makes investments in trucks, trailers, talents, terminals, technology, and sustainability to ensure safe and efficient supply chain solutions.

Werner is building on its strong foundation of driving greater sustainability and inclusion. We commit to embrace these values as we move toward an increasingly inclusive culture where every associate feels empowered to bring their whole self to Werner.

Explain your supply chain solutions and their upsides.

As an asset-based logistics provider and one of the five largest truckload carriers in the United States, Werner offers a diversified portfolio of transportation and logistics services to companies worldwide.

Some of the services offered by Werner are:

• Dedicated – Third-largest Dedicated provider in North America with over 4,900 trucks for flexible changing business environments and needs.
• One-Way Truckload – Offering one-way, expedited, and engineered fleets with over 3,000 trucks executing optimized routes for our customers.
• Expedited – Exceptional team capacity and customer service, with over 1,000 trucks offering best-in-class service ideal for time-definite shipments.
• Intermodal – Premier intermodal, cost-effective solution with an extensive drayage network and cross-border capabilities, including over 90,000 rail-owned containers and 24,000 trailers.
• Temperature-Controlled – Extensive solutions, equipment and technology for temperature-controlled product shipments and logistics expertise.
• Cross-Border – More than 20 years of experience shipping freight across Canada and Mexico.
• Brokerage – Our unique logistics offering includes a tailor-fit solution, blending together the strengths of all Werner networks and access to over 29,000 partner carriers to provide additional capacity.
• Final Mile – A total transportation solution offering complete direct-to-consumer shipping service to over 90,000 zip codes in the US and Canada.
• Freight Management – Offers complete Transportation Management (TMS) solutions, including carrier qualification and sourcing, bid management and carrier performance administration.

How does Werner EDGE drive innovation in transportation?

Werner launched Werner EDGE in 2020, taking the company’s commitment to technology and innovation to the next level.

Werner EDGE is the innovation arm of Werner Enterprises, committed to advancing the performance and safety of its drivers, shippers, carriers and associates by delivering the latest technology-rich solutions in the transportation industry.Having spearheaded electronic logging device (ELD) adoption, Werner has always been a first mover in testing and implementing technology-rich solutions that move the transportation industry to the next level. With the announcement and deployment of Werner EDGE, the company pledges to develop new solutions and offerings that could enrich the experience for both associates and customers and optimize the entire ecosystem.

New technology solutions are developed within Werner EDGE to enhance the experience of drivers, shippers, carriers and associates. Examples include:

• EDGE Connect, an untethered, tablet-based telematics solution that delivers a safer and more efficient experience. This solution provides professional drivers with a smart workflow, best-in-class navigation, improved safety features, and reduced manual data entry.
• Breakdown Management is a cloud-based solution with an easy-to-use interface that simplifies the repair order process, getting our drivers back on the road safely and without delay.
• Powered by machine learning, Critical Event Management identifies and responds to safety events more effectively, providing drivers with coaching and accolades in real-time.
• Carrier’s EDGE is a platform that offers immediate visibility to Werner freight and the ability to book loads at the touch of a button, maintain preferences and save searches for quick and easy access.

In addition, Werner EDGE aims to transform Werner’s entire tech stack, moving to the Cloud to enable greater innovation and enhanced customer service. This enterprise-wide strategy, Cloud First, Cloud Now, is Werner’s driving force to becoming the first truckload transportation company fully leveraging the Cloud.

Werner’s leadership in operational excellence and the company’s commitment to customer service requires a continued investment in technology to advance the performance and safety of its customers, carriers, drivers and associates. Werner EDGE works to advance the organization’s larger mission of improved performance, increased safety, and enhanced communication.

The company plans to launch more driver, shipper, carrier and associate innovations in the near future, further solidifying its commitment to innovation, technology and furthering the transportation industry.

Meet the Executive Vice President and CIO

Daragh P. Mahon is the Executive Vice President and CIO of Werner Enterprises. Mr. Mahon joined Werner Enterprises on June 1, 2020 as the Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. He currently leads Werner’s global IT strategy, operations, and innovation.

Mr. Mahon has more than 20 years of IT and strategic leadership experience, previously serving as Senior Vice President of Global IT and Business Applications for Vonage. In this role, he led the company’s overall IT and applications strategy and was the driving force in moving all Vonage information systems to public cloud-based on SaaS platforms.