Werner Enterprises honored its veteran associates by hosting a Veterans Day Posting of Colors ceremony on Friday, Nov. 11. The ceremony featured the honor guard from VFW Post 2503. Following the ceremony, Derek Leathers, president and chief operating officer of Werner Enterprises, acknowledged the company’s veterans – which comprise 20 percent of Werner’s work force – and its active duty military members. Currently, 32 are deployed.
In addition, Leathers detailed the company’s professional truck driver apprenticeship program, Operation: Freedom, which helps make the transition to new careers as smooth as possible for veterans by allowing the use of Veterans Education Benefits to pay for training. The program provides structured on-the-job training and related instruction for about one year.
The day continued with an open-house awareness day event for the Omaha, Neb.-based company’s associates and professional drivers, detailing the apprenticeship program. During the event, Werner veterans, Jim Morbach, military recruiting manager; John Frey, vice president of driver school relations; and Matt Schmitt, apprenticeship program driver, were present to speak with associates.
