Driver Onboarding and Relations Specialist

Werner Enterprises, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical plan

Dental plan

Vision plan

401(k) plan

Stock purchase plan

Paid time off

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Job summary

Werner Enterprises seeks a Driver Onboarding and Relations Specialist to deliver a warm, personalized onboarding for new drivers. You will act as the single point of contact during the critical first 30 days, provide live support, resolve issues, and coordinate with the transportation manager and operations teams to ensure a seamless transition.

In this role, you will follow up after 14 and 30 days to ensure drivers are comfortable and onboarded, while promoting a positive culture and driving

Qualifications

• Empathy and customer-focused mindset required.
• Excellent listening and quick, logical decision-making skills.
• Strong communication across teams and with drivers.

Responsibilities

• Welcome drivers and foster a positive, inclusive culture from day one.
• Serve as primary liaison between drivers and departments to resolve issues.
• Help develop action plans with drivers and departments to address concerns.
• Follow up with drivers at 14 and 30 days to ensure smooth onboarding.
• Provide warm introduction and handoff to the Transportation Manager with a fleet overview.
• Assist in new processes and training to improve driver experience and retention.
• Demonstrate empathy and proactive problem-solving to resolve issues at the source.
• Communicate respectfully with individuals at all levels.
• Apply transportation/fleet knowledge to align with Werner policies.
• Use office systems and communication tools effectively.
• Support fleet management, customer service, and driver management.

Skills

Empathy

Helpfulness

De-escalation

Positive demeanor

Communication

Problem resolution

Tools

Office databases

PC proficiency

Job description

The Driver Onboarding and Relations Specialist will collaborate with Werner drivers to ensure an excellent driver experience from the day they are assigned to a transportation manager. This role develops and executes a personalized welcome and onboarding process, providing a single, reliable point of contact for new drivers during their crucial first 30 days with Werner. The Specialist will provide live support to drivers, resolve issues, enhance communication, and build strong, first impressions to increase driver retention. This role will provide additional follow-up calls after 14 and 30 days to ensure the driver feels comfortable with the transportation manager, onboarding is complete, and the driver is ready to transition fully to the operations team. This role will also possess the autonomy to problem solve various issues and make decisions regarding equipment, pay and safety related matters.

Warm Welcome & Culture Enforcement

Execute the initial onboarding process by welcoming new drivers to the team, promoting a positive and inclusive culture, and ensuring they feel included & supported from day one.

Liaison & Support

Act as a primary liaison between the driver and other departments to identify and resolve issues, answer questions, and provide assistance via any necessary form of communication.

Action Planning

Assist in developing action plans with the driver, appropriate departments, and the oversight committee to ensure concerns are fully resolved.

Follow-Up & Retention

Conduct follow-up calls with every driver after their first 14th & 30th days to assess their experience and assist with any initial challenges.

Timely follow-up with any driver or reporting associate referred to another department to ensure needs are met.

TM Handoff

Provide a warm introduction and verbal handoff to the driver's new Transportation Manager (TM) following a detailed overview of their specific fleet.

Process Improvement

Assist with new process developments and training initiatives designed to improve the driver experience and increase retention.

Knowledge, Skills, and AbilitiesPersonal Skills - Empathy, helpfulness, de-escalation, positive demeanor, situational negative to positive.

Problem Resolution: Excellent listening and quick, logical decision-making skills with a focus on resolving issues at the source.

Communication

Ability to communicate in a respectful and professional manner with the ability to relate to individuals at all levels.

Industry Knowledge

Preferred transportation or fleet management experience (specifically within the truckload industry). Ability to quickly acclimate to Werner policies and procedures.

Technical Skills

Proficiency in office database systems, PC operation, and relevant communication tools.

Experience

Fleet management, customer service, driver management, and communication is preferred.

Benefits

We know benefits are critical and we are committed to offering comprehensive and affordable options for you and your loved ones. This position is eligible for benefits, which include medical, dental and vision plans. We also offer a 401(k) plan, stock purchase plan, paid time off, life insurance, disability plans and other optional supplemental coverage.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Werner Enterprises provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, genetic information or veteran status or other status protected by law. We encourage applicants of all ages as we do not discriminate on the basis of an applicant's age.

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