Exhibit 31.1

                  RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) CERTIFICATION

I, Clarence L. Werner, certify that:

1.   I  have  reviewed  this  quarterly  report  on  Form  10-Q  of  Werner
     Enterprises, Inc.;

2.   Based  on  my  knowledge, this  report  does  not  contain  any untrue
     statement  of a  material fact  or  omit  to  state  a  material  fact
     necessary  to make the  statements made, in light of the circumstances
     under which  such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
     the period covered by this report;

3.   Based  on my  knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information  included in  this report, fairly  present in all material
     respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows
     of  the registrant  as of, and  for, the  periods  presented  in  this
     report;

4.   The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for
     establishing  and maintaining  disclosure controls  and procedures (as
     defined  in  Exchange  Act  Rules  13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e)) for  the
     registrant and have:

     a)   Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or  caused such
          disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to be  designed  under our
          supervision, to  ensure that material information relating to the
          registrant, including  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is  made
          known to us by others within those entities, particularly  during
          the period in which this report is being prepared;

     b)   Paragraph  omitted  pursuant  to  SEC  Release  Nos. 33-8238  and
          34-47986

     c)   Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the   registrant's  disclosure
          controls  and  procedures  and  presented   in  this  report  our
          conclusions  about  the   effectiveness  of   the  controls   and
          procedures, as  of  the  end of the period covered by this report
          based on such evaluation;  and

     d)   Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's  internal
          control  over  financial  reporting   that  occurred  during  the
          registrant's  most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth
          fiscal  quarter  in  the  case  of  an  annual  report)  that has
          materially  affected,  or  is  reasonably  likely  to  materially
          affect,  the   registrant's   internal  control  over   financial
          reporting; and

5.   The registrant's other certifying  officer(s) and  I  have  disclosed,
     based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
     reporting, to  the  registrant's  auditors  and the audit committee of
     registrant's  board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
     functions):

     a)   All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in the
          design  or operation of internal control over financial reporting
          which  are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
          ability  to  record,  process,  summarize  and  report  financial
          information; and

     b)   Any  fraud, whether  or not material, that involves management or
          other  employees who  have a significant role in the registrant's
          internal control over financial reporting.


Date:   November 1, 2004
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/s/ Clarence L. Werner
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Clarence L. Werner
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer