Driver Number 1 and mega-fleet founder Clarence “C.L.” Werner is taking back the wheel at Werner Enterprises, replacing son Gary as chairman of the 7,000-truck carrier.
Gary Werner stepped down to spend more time with his family and will continue as vice chairman, according to a company statement. Greg Werner will remain CEO and he relinquished the position of vice chairman. C.L., Gary and Greg will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors.
“C.L. Werner is excited to help the company in its continued quest to grow and overcome some of the industry headwinds, including the driver shortage which is one of the most pressing issues facing the trucking industry today,” the statement reads.
Werner Enterprises was founded in 1956. The company reported revenues of $534.6 million in the second quarter, about the same as the second quarter last year. Net income, at $31.8 million, was up 24%.
Along with the driver shortage, Werner Enterprises cited “numerous pending and proposed federal safety initiatives” that could further limit truckload and driver capacity in the next few years, including mandatory electronic logging devices (ELDs), a national drug and alcohol driver data base, increased minimum liability insurance requirements for carriers, more sophisticated drug screening procedures for drivers and mandatory truck speed limiter devices.
“We are making continued progress implementing sustainable rate increases with our customers,” the company said in its quarterly earnings statement. “These efforts are ongoing as we move forward in 2015 and work to recoup the cost increases associated with more expensive equipment, a shrinking supply of qualified drivers and an increasingly challenging regulatory environment.”
C.L. Werner, 78, tells a little of his story in the video below, posted earlier this year.
