Navigating Transitional Duty in Nebraska’s Trucking Industry

Nebraska trucking companies, such as Werner Enterprises and Crete Carrier Corporation, each provide specific transitional duty programs designed to place injured truck drivers into accommodated light-duty jobs after an accident. These programs have recently been modified by Werner and Crete Carrier in ways that affect you and your work comp claim. This article is intended to provide an explanation of the two programs as they are currently being operated and tips to help you along the way.

If a doctor has placed you on temporary physical restrictions that prevent you from returning to driving, but do not prevent you from doing light-duty work, your employer may offer you employment in its Transitional Duty program

Understanding Transitional Duty Opportunities

During your time in Transitional Duty, your employer is obligated to fully comply with your doctor’s physical restrictions. Make sure that your employer is fully aware of your restrictions. You will need to regularly visit your doctor to obtain updated physical restrictions. Be sure to tell your doctor about your symptoms, especially if they change over time. Always fully comply with your restrictions while you are doing light-duty work, even if you are asked to do something that is outside of your restrictions.

Temporary Total Disability (TTD) Benefits Post-Transitional Duty

After transitional duty has concluded, you are then entitled to receive weekly Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits, which is based on 2/3 of your Average Weekly Wage (AWW), while your doctor still has you on temporary physical restrictions that prevent you from returning to driving. Your AWW is determined by your 26 weeks of pay for work prior to the accident. Importantly, abnormally low pay weeks are required under Nebraska law to be excluded from this calculation.

Werner Enterprises’ Transitional Duty

Werner’s Transitional Duty program will be located at a Werner terminal nearest to where you live, and typically includes work such as driving the company van, light cleaning, and sorting terminal-related paperwork. Werner’s program ends after 4 months.

Werner currently pays you 100% of your AWW for performing this work, so long as you work 40 hours per week. Werner will deduct taxes and health insurance premiums from your pay during this period of work.

Crete Carrier’s Transitional Duty

Crete Carrier also offers injured truck drivers employment in its Transitional Duty program. Typical work under Crete Carrier’s program includes answering calls, making calls for surveys and fundraisers, and processing paperwork. There is no end date for Crete Carrier’s program.

Crete Carrier currently pays you $20.00 per hour for performing this work, up to your AWW. In addition, they pay 66% of the difference between your AWW and what you earned during the week, in the form of Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) benefits. Crete Carrier will also deduct taxes and health insurance premiums from your pay during this period of work.