4 Tips for Recruiting Truck Drivers

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If the ongoing  shortage of truck drivers  has made one thing clear, it’s that recruiting and retaining drivers is more important than ever. Hiring, training, and retaining dedicated drivers is crucial to finding success in today’s economy, and it all starts with the recruitment of the right candidates for the job.  

Struggling to attract talent or recruit them into your organization? Wondering how to meet the demands of the market and stay competitive in an ever-changing industry? These 4 tips are sure to help you set your organization up for success when recruiting truck drivers.  

  1. Make Your Marketing Driver-Centric

In today’s world, drivers look to the regular marketing channels to find information about prospective companies and fleets. This means that good recruitment strategies begin with strong marketing and carefully curated content.  

What kinds of content currently exist on the company website and social media pages? Information about how successful a company is won’t be of much interest to a potential employee. It’s important to highlight driver-centric content, or the kinds of benefits a driver can receive from your company.  

Ultimately, a driver wants to know that the company will treat their drivers with care and provide the benefits they are looking for.  

Highlight any wellness programs or culture initiatives that differentiate your company from the competition. Providing information on schedules, work-life balance, and fleet amenities can help drivers see how much you care. Including testimonials from current, satisfied employees builds trust and offers the real insight drivers are looking for.  

Remember, drivers are always wondering “what can they do for me?” Driver-centric marketing will leave no doubt in their mind that you’re the right company for them.  

  1. Target the Right Audience 

Before you start moving prospective drivers through the recruitment pipeline, you have to be sure you’re selecting from the best pool of candidates for the job.  

Many driving fleets have very specific needs and requirements that not all candidates are ideal for. Knowing how to target the right segment of candidates will make the process more efficient and effective.  

Databases allow you to select drivers based on driver type, years of experience, haul experience, geographical location, and other factors. Focusing on any of these segments early in the recruiting process can save you time and energy. It will also increase the overall effectiveness of the company. By not optimizing this stage of recruitment, you could potentially lose hours chasing leads which were never well suited for that particular fleet or job.  

If you don’t have an easy or effective way to browse data on prospective drivers, Drive My Way can help you target the specific segment of drivers needed for your particular situation.  

  1. Use the Latest Digital Recruiting Methods

Driver recruitment methods are constantly changing, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest and most effective strategies. Social media continues to evolve as a tool, and drivers use these platforms to research companies, read comments, and evaluate employers. Since drivers are often on the road, they’ll use their mobile devices to search for job leads.  

When viewers like, follow, share, or comment on your content, it can increase the audience exponentially. But advertising job postings on social media channels isn’t enough to attract the talent you’re looking for.  

Post engaging content on your platforms which drivers will want to view. In addition, search engine optimization of your content will ensure that your website is receiving as much traffic as possible. Use software like Google Analytics and Google Keyword Planner to optimize your post by including trending phrases and words.  

Applications should be short and mobile-friendly to avoid any bottlenecking in the recruiting process. Drivers often don’t have enough time to fill out a long application, so a shorter version with only basic information required is best initially, with the option to complete the remaining components later.  

It’s helpful to stay on top of the latest digital tools for recruiting and analyze which strategies could be useful for your company.   

  1. Re-engage Old Leads

In the trucking industry, the unusually high turnover rate of drivers poses a unique challenge for recruiters.  

One of the best ways a recruiter can continually bring people into the pipeline is by re-engaging old leads or cold leads.  

Many drivers who could be a perfect fit but were previously unavailable or chose to drive for a different fleet might be available and looking for opportunities again. Leads and prospects that have gone cold or did not convert into driver status should not be forgotten. Instead, keep them in mind for the future and maintain a connection.  

Drip marketing, engaging content on blogs, social media, and newsletters are all great strategies to stay connected to old leads and assure that your fleet remains fresh on their minds when they’re considering a new employer.  

 

 

While driver recruiting in the trucking industry can be daunting, many of the unique challenges you face can be combated by these solutions. Master these four tips to experience recruiting as it should be: easy, effective, and rewarding.  

What to Know About Take Your Truck Home Programs

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Truck Parking

Semi trucks parked together

For CDL drivers, “Take Your Truck Home Programs” can make a significant difference in their work-life balance. However, whether or not this is possible depends on various factors such as local laws, regulations, and whether the truck is carrying a loaded trailer. While some companies allow their drivers to take their trucks home, others require them to leave the vehicle at a terminal or drop yard. It’s important to note that the type of driver also plays a role. Generally, owner-operators have the ability to take their trucks home since they own them. Take Your Truck Home Programs can add a level of convenience and comfort to a driver’s routine, allowing them to spend more time with their family and better manage their personal lives.

 

By prioritizing the happiness of your truck drivers, you are investing in the overall success of your company. When drivers have a healthy work-life balance, they are less likely to experience burnout and more likely to work safely and efficiently. This, in turn, can lead to better physical and mental health, reducing the likelihood of accidents or injuries on the job. Additionally, when drivers feel valued and supported, they are more likely to form a stronger bond with your company, leading to increased loyalty and job satisfaction. Ultimately, Take Your Truck Home Programs are not just a convenience for drivers, but a strategic investment in the success of your business.

 

If they are taking the truck home, it’s important that the driver finds a safe and secure place to park it. Most companies prefer their drivers to park their trucks on their own property, or in a fenced-in yard that’s close by for easy access. Parking in public places like Walmart is not recommended as it could lead to vandalism.  Some drivers will prefer to detach the trailer and bring only the tractor home, commonly known as bobtailing. Also to note that leasing a truck shouldn’t prevent drivers from enjoying the benefits of taking their vehicles home.

 

While some companies may permit their drivers to take their trucks home, it’s not always a straightforward decision. The feasibility of this option depends on various factors, including legal regulations, whether the truck is carrying a loaded trailer, and the driver’s available space. Additionally, safety concerns in certain areas may make it unwise to park a truck at home. Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, but companies should consider the benefits of providing a Take Your Truck Home Program to improve their drivers’ work-life balance and overall job satisfaction.

 

 

 

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7 Things CDL Truck Drivers Want

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CDL Drivers

Let’s face it, recruiters have their work cut out for them. With so many trucking companies and fleets to choose from, it’s a challenge to stand out and attract the attention of job prospects. At Drive My Way, we understand the importance of getting it right. Here are seven factors that many drivers consider when deciding where to work.

1. Pay

Well, well, well, no surprises here. Type and amount of pay is the number one reason why CDL truck drivers consider a job. And many drivers say this as their top priority. Truckers have a keen eye for a bad deal, so if your company is offering them less than the industry average, they’ll be understandably skeptical. Apart from salary, drivers also look for opportunities for raises, bonuses, and overtime rates. And if they’re driving specialty or unusual hauls which are more dangerous, they’ll expect those to pay better. So, if your company isn’t paying drivers competitively, they’ll have no qualms about hopping over to one that does.

2. Health Insurance

When it comes to choosing a CDL job, drivers don’t just consider the paycheck. A comprehensive benefits package, especially health insurance, is highly valued. Healthcare costs have risen dramatically in recent years, and drivers want coverage that meets their specific health needs. For those with families, ensuring that everyone is covered, especially for specific health concerns, is a top priority. Offering a range of insurance options with balanced factors like deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance costs can help drivers find the best fit for their needs..

3. Retirement Plans

Retirement plans are a crucial consideration for CDL truck drivers when deciding where to work. With the average age of truck drivers being 49, many are only two decades away from retirement. Even younger drivers are proactive and start planning for their retirement sooner rather than later. In fact, retirement plans are a top factor for drivers when applying for a new CDL job.

However, many employers fail to enroll their staff in a default retirement plan, leaving drivers and other staff overwhelmed with making those decisions. To make the process easier for drivers, have an automatic opt-in policy with the option to opt-out or choose a different plan. Drivers understand the importance of saving for retirement, and showing them that you care about their future will make your company stand out in their minds.

4. Type of Run/Range

Trucker jobs come in various shapes and sizes. One of the most significant factors that differentiate them is the type of run and range that they offer. Not all drivers are interested in coast-to-coast travel. Certain drivers might prefer over-the-road (OTR) work. However, since OTR drivers spend less time at home and live out of their truck, they expect better compensation. Other drivers might like local or regional runs. It’s essential to understand your driver candidate’s preferences regarding the types of runs and ranges they’re interested in covering.

5. Type of Schedule and Paid Time-Off

When it comes to finding the right CDL trucking job, home time is a top priority many drivers. After all, the average driver works a grueling 70 hours a week and can go up to 8 days without taking a break. This tough schedule is especially challenging for drivers with families and children. While truckers understand that the job requires some sacrifices, they hope that these sacrifices aren’t unbearable. If a job’s schedule and PTO package don’t meet their needs, they won’t hesitate to explore other options..

6. Training and Development

Truck drivers may have some experience behind the wheel, but they value actual training and development opportunities. Providing company training and orientation can make drivers feel comfortable and foster a sense of belonging with the company. Research shows that employees who feel trained and groomed by the company are more loyal to that company. Professional development opportunities are becoming increasingly important to drivers. Making training and development a core part of HR operations can help recruiters make a strong case for drivers to work and remain with the company for many years.

7. Type of Haul

When it comes to choosing a CDL job, drivers frequently consider the type of haul as an important factor. Don’t underestimate the value of taking into account driver preferences and specializations in hauls, as this can lead to under-utilization of their skills. Keep in mind that certain hauls require special CDL endorsements or permits, so make sure your drivers are equipped with these. If they already have the necessary certifications, placement becomes all the more straightforward. It can be a challenge to determine which hauls should be assigned to which drivers, but asking about their skills and interests can make the process easier.

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Revving Up Your Hiring Process: 3 Expert Tips

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In the fiercely competitive world of trucking, it’s the drivers who hold all the cards. They have the luxury of choosing between various carriers, weighing up pay, benefits, and home time. And when it comes to getting that next paycheck, they want to be hired fast. The carrier that can convert prospects to drivers the quickest holds a distinct advantage. Enter lead velocity – the measure of how swiftly you can turn applicants into new drivers. With so many carriers vying over a limited pool of drivers, you don’t want to lose out to the competition simply because they moved faster than you. Here are three expert tips to help you turbocharge your hiring process.

Tip 1: Prioritize Your Efforts on the Cream of the Crop

As a trucking recruiter, you’re constantly inundated with prospects. However, only a small percentage of them will ultimately convert into drivers for your fleet. It’s crucial to focus your efforts on the cream of the crop and avoid wasting precious time on unqualified candidates. Don’t risk losing the best drivers to other carriers because you’re bogged down with unproductive work. Prioritize your limited time and energy on the top prospects by using automated methods like landing pages and ranking systems to help you identify the most promising candidates.

Maximize your lead-to-hire potential by utilizing landing pages and automated methods to screen top candidates efficiently. Lead ranking is a must-have tool to ensure that you focus on the cream of the crop and avoid losing top talent to competitors. Don’t waste precious time on unproductive leads that won’t convert to drivers – prioritize your energies on the most promising candidates.

Tip 2: Automate the Process

Streamline your hiring process by automating paperwork, including DOT applications, release forms, I-9, W2, and other new-hire forms. Instead of wasting hours filling out paperwork, drivers can complete them in just 20-30 minutes with electronic forms that are easily accessible on the go. Make sure to choose mobile-friendly forms to avoid losing potential hires due to technical difficulties. By automating the less glamorous parts of the hiring process, you can focus on building personal relationships with drivers during orientation. If you automate certain steps, it frees up that time to spend one-on-one with the drivers during orientation. Take advantage of the face-time with drivers to build relationships in-person, instead of asking them to complete forms that take an hour.

Tip 3: Lead Efficient Orientations

One of the reasons the lead to hire process may take too long for drivers is because of long or delayed orientations. Of course, it’s risky to just breeze through orientation. That time is crucial for onboarding as drivers need to be welcomed to the organization, learn about the culture, meet their dispatchers, and learn more about the company. One trick to getting around this is to offer more frequent orientations so that the soonest one beats out other carriers.

Make sure to offer orientation a few times a week to meet the schedule needs of your new hires

Offer flexibility with orientation schedules to accommodate the needs of your incoming drivers. To save time, consider moving some training items to an online learning system, allowing drivers to complete some learning materials from the comfort of their own homes. By automating these less exciting parts of orientations, you can maximize the value of in-person interactions and make the orientation process shorter. This approach ensures that drivers receive the necessary onboarding while minimizing the time they spend on paperwork.

 

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3 Ideas for Building a Driver Referral Program

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driver referral program

To hire the best truck drivers, recruiters need to constantly create a good impression of their carriers. However, there’s only so much you can do as a recruiter to control your brand and reputation. Unfortunately, many advertisements lie, and drivers have good reason not to believe everything that a carrier says about itself. That’s why they’re more likely to listen to other drivers instead. People are more likely to listen to those they trust, and they’re more likely to trust those who are similar to them. The power of peers is so great that people are 4 times more likely to buy a product when referred by a friend. You can harness this power in the trucking industry as well. A potential driver for your fleet is more likely to trust a fellow driver than what you have to say about your fleet.

This is the idea behind creating a driver referral program. Since your reputation as a carrier is going to spread anyway, you may as well use that to your advantage to attract the best candidates.

Research shows that “word of mouth” plays a huge factor for drivers looking for trucking jobs.

According to the 2019 Overdrive Connectivity Report, 26% of company drivers use word of mouth when looking for driving jobs, second only to Internet searches. Meanwhile, it’s the strongest factor for owner-operators, who look to it 39% of the time. A driver referral program will help you harness the power of word-of-mouth and use your company reputation to bring the strongest drivers to your fleet. Here are 3 tips to create a strong referral program.

1. Build advocates

As we mentioned, drivers are already speaking to each other about your carrier. Your company already has a reputation, and you can’t override it by a referral program. Either your drivers believe you have a strong company and culture that values them, or they don’t. You can’t magically change their opinion by using incentives, but you can encourage them to share their opinions with other drivers.

Offering incentives nudges your drivers to make referrals they already believe in.

It just adds the extra benefit that it won’t slip their mind between a busy job and personal life. If drivers already believe in the strength of your company, you’re really building them as advocates for your company, and not simply as referrals.

2. Structure incentives

Many companies use incentives to nudge drivers into making referrals. Most of these incentives are monetary rewards, although they don’t have to be. As we learned in high school economics class, incentives matter.

You have to make sure you’re offering the right incentives, and that they are influencing behavior in ways you want them to.

If you’re offering a vinyl record player as an incentive and all your drivers use MP3 files for their music, you aren’t going to get any referrals even if everyone loves your company! Make the referral worth it for your drivers. If you’re offering a monetary reward, there are different ways to distribute it. For example, a $500 referral bonus can be spaced out- $250 when the referred driver gets their first run completed and another $250 when they’ve been with the company for 60 days. Often the incentive doesn’t begin until the new driver has already joined the fleet. Driver benefits like extra paid vacation time are other referral rewards which many drivers will covet. Find the right incentive structure and distribution mechanism that works for your company!

3. Build Your Budget

It’s easy to think of referral programs as a waste of money if you haven’t used them before or measured their impact. Try to think of driver referrals as an investment into your recruiting budget. The hire you make from a referral program will help you gain back the amount you spent on the incentive or reward. In fact, you can measure the impact of your referral program and calculate the return on investment. If you’re doing it well then you make a significant number of hires which more than account for the budget spent on the referral program. Consider these budgetary issues when structuring your referral program.

If your program is losing more money than gaining, you need to seriously re-think your entire driver referral program.

Which incentives aren’t working? Should the monetary reward be greater? Maybe the rewards need to be spread out more or be delivered only after you’ve converted leads to hires. Don’t forget to account for the hundreds of dollars being wasted on trucks sitting idle in your lot. Investing in a driver referral program might a way to end that loss of value.

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How to Handle Staff Changes on Your Recruiting Team

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recruiting teamStaff changes are always difficult, no matter what industry or company you work for. Whether you’re dealing with one of your best recruiters leaving the company or trying to train a brand new recruiter on how the trucking industry operates, these situations can have a dramatic impact on your department if not handled correctly. If your recruiting team has recently undergone changes, here are some tips on how to keep the disruption to a minimum.  

When a Recruiter Leaves

Make an Action Plan

The worst thing that can happen when a recruiter leaves your company is for them to have been handling some important responsibility, and for no one to know what to do once they’re gone. 

If you’re in a situation where a driver gives you two weeks’ notice, have them use those two weeks to take stock of all the things they do. If there’s some responsibility they handle that no one else on your team does, have them create process documents and tutorial videos for them. Then you can work with the recruiter to come up with a plan for who will take over those responsibilities in the interim while you try to replace them.  

Conduct an Exit Interview

We’ve talked at length about the importance of conducting exit interviews for drivers who are leaving your organization, but the same is true for recruiters.  

If possible, you always want to find the reason why they’re leaving your organization. It could be as simple as a big increase in compensation that you’re not willing or able to match. Other times, it could be because of the culture of the team, unrealistic (as they perceive them) recruiting goals, or disputes with individual team members.  

Sometimes reasons that the recruiter presents may be part of “he said, she said” drama, but other times it could indicate a big problem in your team that could cause over recruiters to leave as well. No matter what the reason is, it’s important to learn what it is and investigate it quickly.  

When Bringing in a New Recruiter

Make Responsibilities Known Early

Have you ever started a job, only to find after your introductory meetings that you have no idea what you’re supposed to be doing? This happens far too often in many workplaces, and especially recruiting.  

Make sure that from the start, your recruiters understand their what their job functions and responsibilities are. This doesn’t mean that they have to be perfect at their jobs off the jump, but they shouldn’t be wondering two weeks in, “Is this my job or someone else’s?” 

Keep Mentoring, Even After Training

Recruiting is a difficult job normally, but recruiting in the trucking industry presents an even bigger challenge. Truck drivers, especially experienced ones, are savvy job seekers who will want to know that the recruiter they’re talking to knows their stuff.  

Drivers may ask technical questions that have to do with runs, home time, or the equipment itself that recruiters most likely won’t know the answers to without at least a few months to a year’s experience. While this situation can’t be avoided, you can make it easier for your new recruiters by making sure you’re always available to help in these situations.  

A good exercise is to ask your recruiters to make a note of any technical questions they didn’t have an answer to. Then you can hold a weekly meeting where you go over these questions and the ideal answer to them. If you’re short on time, this can also be done via an email blast to the department.  

Another way to show new recruiters that you’re a mentor to them is by taking calls with drivers in front of them. Training is great, but hearing an actual recruiter talk to a real driver is a great way to mentor your new recruiters and show that you’re one of them, and part of a team; not just their supervisor. 

Staff changes can’t be avoided. What can be avoided is having a lapse in productivity because of a staff change. Keep these tips in mind the next time there’s a new or exiting recruiter in your department, and you’ll be fine.   

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How to Incentivize Recruiters to Recruit for Retention

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recruit for retention
Many companies, either intentionally or inadvertently, incentivize driver recruiters to prioritize hires above all else. In some cases, this is an effective short-term solution but often, it does not hold companies in good stead in the long run. Instead, recruit for retention. Lowering driver turnover can dramatically save recruiting costs because there are fewer drivers to replace. Strong driver retention also improves company culture and driver satisfaction. While they may occupy different line items on the budget, recruitment and retention are points along the same spectrum. In your fleet, take concrete steps to incentivize driver recruiters to recruit for retention.

Analyze Your Current Structure

truck driver recruiter

The first step to incentivizing driver recruiters to recruit for retention is to assess your existing program. Frequently, recruiters are incentivized for fast hires. Bonuses based on achieving a set number of hires in a specific time frame or rewards based purely on hiring numbers are just that. When recruiters are put under extremely tight deadlines, this exacerbates the problem. Recruiters are likely getting lots of drivers through the door, but that does not necessarily mean those drivers are highly qualified or likely to stay. 

In addition to analyzing the incentivization structure for recruiters, take time to observe several recruiting conversations. How are recruiters connecting with potential candidates? What questions are they asking drivers? Are they taking the time to understand what these drivers are looking for in a job? The personal touch of a driver recruiter can make a big difference in first impressions. Recruiting for retention may require retraining driver recruiters to approach conversations with candidates as relationship-building opportunities.

Change the Reward Target

Once you have a clear view of your existing recruitment incentivization structure, decide whether you are effectively prioritizing retention. If not, determine the necessary changes to make retention the goal. 

One of the most common ways to incentivize recruiters is through a rewards system. Rather than rewarding recruiters for hires, consider distributing rewards only for new drivers who stay at least 30 days. If you feel a longer time period is necessary, try 60 or 90 days. Drivers often leave because of unmet expectations. So, encouraging recruiters to prioritize retention necessitates that they vet drivers carefully and clearly communicate job expectations to reduce quick turnover.

Drivers often leave because of unmet expectations. Encourage recruiters to be candid and transparent to better recruit for retention.

To ensure follow-through from recruiters, consider asking for notes about each driver’s future plans. This requires recruiters to ask each driver about their long-term priorities as well as the immediate qualifications needed for the job. Remember, even though many companies incentivize recruiters with financial rewards, there are other options. Vacation time as well as internal or external recognition are also significant motivators for many recruiters!

Train Recruiters From the Start

trucking recruiter on phoneFrom the moment of onboarding, driver recruiters should be trained to look at recruiting as a long game. Explicitly tell recruiters that the company’s mission is to minimize turnover and maximize retention of quality drivers. Train everyone who works closely with drivers to recruit through conversations to foster strong relationships. This may be a change from previous jobs that focused exclusively on hires, so it’s important to continuously reinforce recruitment for retention in both words and actions. 

After you make any necessary changes to the incentivization structure and train drivers to recruit through conversations, you are ready to revamp your recruiting – almost! As you restructure incentives, make sure you are setting recruiters up for success. Even the best recruiters cannot boost driver retention for poor jobs.

Drivers want jobs that meet their financial and home time needs, are a good fit for their skills, and have a company culture of respect. Without these components, recruiters are fighting a losing battle. To incentivize driver recruiters for retention, change the reward targets, train recruiters to have conversations, and make compelling job offers. 

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Ultimate Guide to Truck Driver Recruiting

Current ways of recruiting truck drivers just don’t work anymore. That’s because recruiting isn’t a transaction. This ultimate guide helps carriers recruit for retention.

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How to Reduce Driver Application Abandonment

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truck driver application

Trucking recruiters are tasked with finding top candidates, matching them to the right jobs, and converting them into drivers for the fleet. That’s why it can become so frustrating when you notice that the number of drivers who apply for your jobs starts to drop. 

There could be many reasons why this is happening, but if you’ve got a solid reputation, great pay, and nice benefits and home time, the real reason could be right under your nose; application abandonment.  

Your carrier could have the best reputation, pay, benefits, and perks in the industry, but it amounts to little if you have an application process that is so frustrating for a driver to get through that they don’t even bother finishing it.  

A recent survey found that 92% of jobseekers who hit “apply”, never actually get through the entire job application. Just think about the great drivers your carrier could be missing out on because of a bad application process. Here are three things that could be causing truck driver application abandonment and what you can do to fix them.

1. Cut Down on the Length

If you’re dealing with high application abandonment, try putting yourself in a driver’s shoes. Most drivers don’t want to spend their limited free time filling out lengthy and complex applications. In fact, this is usually the top reason job seekers quit in the middle of applications. 

If your applications require drivers to answer multiple long form answers, input the same information multiple times, or they’re being asked tedious questions related to small details of the job, most will decide it’s not worth it and move on. Worst case, you may be losing these candidates to rival carriers who have optimized and shortened their applications. 

Ideally, your carrier’s application should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. Instead of requiring drivers to provide every bit of information up-front during the application, focus on the basics and stick to questions that require simple answers. You can ask more detailed questions later, during the follow-up or in-person phone call.

2. Make Applications Mobile-Friendly

Since drivers spend most of their time on the road, they mainly search for and apply to jobs using their smartphones. In this mobile-first world, recruiters and fleet managers need to make sure they’re able to communicate and interface with drivers this way. Otherwise, you risk a large number of drivers abandoning your application. 

Optimize your applications for a mobile-first experience by using mobile rendering, saved login information, and other useful features. A lot of web providers will give you the ability to look at what a page will look like on a mobile device before you publish, so you can see if there are any issues.  

3. Collect Feedback

driver recruiterWhile you, as a recruiter can create what you think is the most efficient, painless, and all-around great application experience, you won’t really know how it is until drivers start applying. Even when they do start, it can be hard to gauge what’s working and what’s not since gathering data around job application abandonment can prove to be difficult. 

The solution lies in collecting driver feedback. Reach out to drivers who have completed your application process and see how they felt about it. You could offer an incentive to do so or tack it on as the last question during your initial phone screens with drivers. 

This information is invaluable in helping you and your recruiting team understand what’s working and what’s not in relation to your application.  

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How to Become a Better Driver Recruiter

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How to Become a Better Driver Recruiter

Being a recruiter in any industry is challenging, but recruiting in the trucking industry is an especially difficult task. The jobs that you’re filling are tough, drivers are scarce, and the old ways of recruiting don’t work like they used to. All of this can make being a driver recruiter seem like too big of an uphill challenge, but it’s very possible to find success in this position.  

If you’re a recruiter who’s overwhelmed, and looking for a new approach to driver recruiting, here are 3 tips to becoming a better driver recruiter. 

1. Know the Answers

When speaking with driver candidates, be sure you’re an expert on your company and the particulars of the job. Know what the day-to-day will look like and give honest answers. Don’t sugarcoat things if you know that your company might not have the world’s best benefits or if the pay might not be at the top of the scale.  

If a driver ends up asking you a technical question that you don’t know the answer to, never guess or say something you think might be right. Always tell them something along the lines of, “I’m not sure, but I can get back to you ASAP with an answer.” Drivers understand that not every recruiter will know all the details about a job as complicated as truck driving. especially if they relate to equipment or maintenance. Consulting your team then reaching back out to the driver with the answer that’s 100% correct is always the best policy. 

As the first one to communicate with a driver candidate, you’re in a position to be the best advocate for your carrier. Be knowledgeable, truthful, and you’ll find that drivers who choose your company will stay longer.

2. Have a Plan

This may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many recruiting departments lack a cohesive plan for how to bring drivers into their organization. While each hiring plan will vary from carrier to carrier, all of them should have two things in common. They should be measurable and repeatable. 

If you’re just getting started, map out all the actionable steps in the hiring process from start to finish. This should include posting jobs, interviewing candidates, doing background checks and everything else associated with the hiring process.  

Next, decide on a timeframe for each of these steps. Should the interview process take at most two weeks, three weeks, or a month? Each carrier is different, so it’s up for you to decide.  

Throughout the process, you should be measuring key performance Indicators, or KPIs related to your hiring performance. A few common ones in HR and recruiting are Cost Per Hire and Time to Hire. Measuring these KPIs is the only way that you can track your performance as a recruiter and get better. 

3. Leverage Automation

driver recruiterIf one of your biggest issues as a recruiter is that drivers are slipping through the cracks, or you don’t have the time to reach out to all the qualified drivers you can, then automation is the answer.  

Automation tools like applicant tracking systems will help you eliminate time-consuming manual processes like reaching out to a large number of drivers at once, collecting VOEs and performing background checks. This will free up time so you can do what you do best; make connections with driver candidates. Do some research on automation partners that fit your budget and who are devoted to making the life of a driver recruiter easier. 

Bonus Tip – Utilize a Recruiting Partner

Aside from finding a partner for automation, consider working with a company that can help you find the best matches for your open jobs. Drive My Way is a next generation recruiting marketplace that matches truck drivers with jobs based on their qualifications and personal preferences.  

We’re making truck driver recruiting personal again by creating meaningful connections for employers to turn into lasting relationships; just like we did with Argos USA. We’re ready to help you put together a plan that best fits your needs, and help you recruit drivers that are the best fit for your open positions.  

Comprehensive CDL Recruitment Solutions

Ready to start recruiting the right drivers? Our solutions experts are happy to answer any questions and show you how Drive My Way uniquely approaches CDL driver recruitment.

Request a Demo

4 Ways Recruitment Automation Can Help You Hire Drivers Faster

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recruitment automationThe first goal for any truck driver recruiter is to bring in the best drivers to their organization. The second is to bring those drivers in quickly and efficiently. We’ve talked about how important it is to keep drivers moving through your hiring pipeline quickly, but what’s the best way to do this? Here are 4 ways that your carrier can use recruitment automation to hire drivers faster.  

1. Finding and Engaging Drivers

How to Use Recruitment Automation to Hire Drivers FasterYour recruiting team only has so many hours in the day, and sometimes those hours can get allocated to tedious, clerical tasks that aren’t directly related to hiring drivers. Using recruitment automation technology helps with those tasks so your recruiters can spend their time connecting with drivers.  

Engaging and Nurturing Drivers 

Once a driver applies to your job, what happens next? Is the driver contacted immediately or does it take your team a bit to reach out? Automate this process by introducing nurturing campaigns that instantly contact interested drivers with next steps, all while not sacrificing the personal touch. Consider platforms that have multi-channel capabilities including chatting, emailing, and texting.  

Automated Job Distribution 

When you post a new CDL driver job on your website, do you then have to manually share that opening across all the other channels you want it to be on? Save hours of your time by partnering with channels that will automate your job distribution efforts to different job boards and hiring sites. 

Corporate Website and Career Page 

Your website is your virtual first impression to driver candidates. If a driver is interested in working for your carrier, can they quickly find the information they need? Within one or two clicks, are they able to find your open jobs?  

If not, making some updates to your website is something you should consider. In addition, keeping your career page updated with open positions and integrating application forms with your recruiting software will save you time in the long run.

2. Tracking Applicants and Interviewing

company pitchOnce you have a steady flow of driver applicants for your open positions, what’s next? 

Applicant Tracking System 

Pushing your interested drivers to your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is another way you can use automation to improve the speed of your hiring process. You can continue to nurture drivers once they are added to your ATS by setting up and monitoring campaigns that allow you to automate periodic interactions. 

Interviewing 

Once you’re ready to start interviewing drivers, automating the process around scheduling interviews and following up with candidates is key to saving you time.  

3. Verifying Employment and Background Screening

Screening is an important part of the hiring process in all industries, but it’s vital for making safe hires in transportation. Using the right tools to automate your screening process can be the key to ensuring you’re hiring safe, qualified drivers. 

Employment Verification 

The FMCSA requires that every candidate go through a comprehensive screening process before they’re fully hired. A big part of this screening process is verification of employment (VOE). If you’re still doing VOEs on paper forms and faxing documents to verify a driver’s work history, you can save time and money in the long run by having this process automated.  

Background Screening 

In addition to verifying employment history, a full background screening is necessary to ensure quality hires. The following information is typically collected during a background check: 

  • Criminal records check 
  • Drug and alcohol test 
  • License check 
  • Motor vehicle records check 
  • Physical health exam 
  • Sex offender status 

There are different applications out there that can run background checks for you automatically, so you know you’re not missing any critical piece of information that would cause you to not make a hire.  

4. Hiring and Onboarding

exit interviewWe know that recruitment automation can help you find driver candidates more quickly. But what about after you find them? Where can you continue to automate processes with your employees? 

The hiring and onboarding process is another part of the hiring pipeline that can benefit from automation. Using electronic forms instead of requiring candidates to come into the office to fill out paperwork is a huge time saver for both the driver and the carrier.  

If your team is looking for a better way to recruit drivers, consider working with a recruiting partner like Drive My Way. We’re ready to help you put together a plan that best fits your needs, and help you recruit drivers that are the best fit for your open positions.  

Comprehensive CDL Recruitment Solutions

Ready to start recruiting the right drivers? Our solutions experts are happy to answer any questions and show you how Drive My Way uniquely approaches CDL driver recruitment.

Request a Demo