With the driver shortage lurking over recruiters every day, it’s easy for them to fall into the trap of wanting to generate as many truck driver leads as possible. However, a “quality over quantity” strategy should apply now more than ever.

The last thing a recruiter needs is to take the wrong driver through their selection process. And, the last thing a driver needs is a company that can’t match their professional qualifications or personal lifestyle preferences.

When recruiters waste time with the wrong driver, they not only spend empty dollars, but they also potentially miss out on attracting qualified drivers. So how do recruiters generate more qualified truck driver leads?

BANT Strategy

The first step is to make sure that the forms used to collect driver leads follow a strategy called BANT. BANT stands for Budget, Authority, Need, and Timing.

Form field examples could include:

• Budget: if the driver application costs money, indicate it on the page. Then, you’ll know drivers who fill out the form can afford the application fee
• Authority: consider collecting drivers’ CDL license, special endorsements, years of experience, age, or driving record
• Need: consider collecting the driver’s salary, benefit, home time, or location preferences
• Timing: consider collecting the driver’s potential start date

It’s one thing to collect a driver’s general information. It’s entirely different to collect information that will instantly qualify or disqualify the driver for the position.

The position’s requirements should dictate which fields appear on the form, as including all of the options above on every form isn’t realistic.

When creating a form, consider what is a “must-have.” Make sure those questions appear on the form to attract the right drivers.

Targeted Advertising

Avoid producing generic landing pages or advertising. It’s important that the marketing clearly depicts the trucking job, haul type, etc. to attract the right driver.

For example, if you are marketing a job directly to women drivers, be sure to use imagery and language that is specific to that audience.

In addition, when marketing the job on social media or through another channel, it’s important to target specific audiences that find interest in the trucking job. Suppression lists are also beneficial to make sure the wrong people aren’t included in the audience.

Overall, following these tips will help ensure recruiters spend less time sorting through unqualified truck driver leads and more time focused on hiring and retaining qualified drivers.