Cover Story

Tim Dean
Werner Enterprises, Inc.

As a kid growing up, driving a truck was Tim Dean’s dream. He lived one-half block from Interstate 80 and later lived off I-40 in Amarillo, TX. Today, Dean and his brother, Pat, both work for Werner Enterprises.

“We used to have our toy trucks, and we’d mimic what we would see on the interstate with the trucks going by,” Dean said. “I fantasized about driving the big trucks and having kids wanting us to honk our horns at them.”

Dean, of Griswold, IA, has been driving for 18 years. He’s driven freight through 48 states and Canada. He is a member of Werner’s Two Million Mile Club, with 2.2 million accident-free miles to his record, something Werner proudly recognizes in its safe drivers. Dean’s wife said he drives a truck like a ballerina, maneuvering with “precision.” With those driving skills and a good knowledge of vehicle inspection, Dean has competed successfully at the local and national levels of the American Trucking Associations’ National Truck Driving Championships.

Over the course of the last 18 years, Dean notes some changes in the industry. He said traffic has nearly doubled, and freight has become more of an on-time service operation with less stockpiling of commodities. He calls it the “I want it tomorrow” of the industry’s supply and demand needs. In addition, satellite communications have changed the business. “When I started here, everything was by phone,” Dean said. Recently, Werner became the first paperless log trucking company in the industry. For Dean and other drivers like him, this allows them more time behind the wheel, more miles in a day and ultimately more money in their pockets.

“It gives you the freedom to do what you want as soon as you arrive at your destination,” said Dean, who enjoys driving across the Midwest. Werner operates a fleet of more than 9,000 trucks and more than 25,000 trailers throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada. This allows drivers the flexibility of driving for a division suiting their lifestyle, something Dean acknowledges as a selling point. Also contributing to driver satisfaction is the company’s fleet, with an average tractor age of 1.5 years. This results in less down time and increased driver retention.

When Dean is not on the road, he likes to spend time outdoors. Since they live in the country, he and his family enjoy biking, canoeing and horseback riding. Dean also serves as a Sunday school superintendent at Zion Lutheran Church in Atlantic, IA, close to his home.

In a company as large as Werner, Dean is one of nine road team captains, a title he believes is designed “to make Werner a better company.” As a liaison, he meets with drivers regularly and management quarterly. “Drivers find it easier to talk to other drivers about their concerns,” said Dean.

Dean enjoys not having to “punch a clock” every day at an office. And while he understands driving is a serious responsibility that requires more than keeping the driver’s own safety in mind, he appreciates the lighter side. “Driving a truck is going across the country and seeing things just like you’re on vacation.” The staff of Over the Road and Pro Trucker magazines would like to wish Tim Dean continued success with Werner Enterprises. To learn more about driving opportunities at Werner, call one of their recruiters today, visit werner.com or see their ads on pages 30-31 and insert card in this issue.