If your company plans to hire drivers in January, the months leading up to the new year are a good time to begin connecting with potential candidates. Some qualified drivers may already be considering a change, even if they plan to stay with their current employer through the holidays.
Starting those conversations early gives your recruiting team time to review qualifications, discuss job expectations, and arrange follow-up around each driver’s availability. It also gives drivers an opportunity to research your company and decide whether the position fits their needs before making a move.
Keep reading to learn how pre-screening now can help your team prepare for January driver hiring.
Understand Why a Driver Wants to Wait
Drivers have financial and personal commitments to consider before changing employers, especially toward the end of the year. Someone who is interested in your opening may still need to collect a bonus, take a planned vacation, or finish a lease before accepting a new position.
Common reasons for a January start include:
- Annual or holiday bonuses: A driver may want to receive an expected payout before giving notice.
- Scheduled PTO or travel: They may have approved time off that would be difficult to arrange with a new employer.
- Finishing the calendar year: Some drivers prefer to complete the year with their current company before leaving.
- Housing or other commitments: A lease ending in December or a planned move may affect when they can change jobs.
- A new-year career change: January may be the date they have chosen to pursue different pay, routes, or home time.
- Time to research employers: They may want to compare opportunities and understand the job before committing.
Ask when the driver expects to be available and whether that date is firm or tentative. You can plan around a specific start date, while someone who is still exploring may need additional information before they can provide one.
Use Pre-Screening to Assess the Fit
An early conversation should help determine whether the driver’s qualifications and preferences align with the position you expect to fill. Start with the information your recruiting team needs to decide whether further conversations would be worthwhile.
That may include CDL class and endorsements, relevant driving experience, equipment familiarity, location, and willingness to travel for orientation. Be sure to discuss the driver’s preferred routes, schedule, home time, and compensation expectations so you can identify potential disagreements early.
For example, a driver with the experience you need may only be interested in a home-daily position, while your anticipated January opening requires several nights away each week. Learning that in October or November gives you time to discuss other openings or focus on candidates whose preferences will match the job.
Try to keep the initial process manageable and explain what comes next. Pre-screening can establish a preliminary fit, but the driver will still need to complete your full hiring process before starting work.
Give Drivers Enough Information to Decide
A driver who is researching opportunities needs details they can use to compare employers. Explain how compensation works, what a typical schedule looks like, how home time is arranged, and what freight and equipment they can expect.
If the driver is waiting for a year-end bonus, they may have questions about when their first paycheck would arrive after switching jobs. If they have holiday travel planned, they may want to discuss orientation dates and how much notice they should provide their current employer.
Answer what you can and identify anything that still needs confirmation. When January staffing plans are tentative, explain which positions you anticipate hiring for and when you expect to know more. Always try to avoid promising a specific opening or start date before your team can support that commitment.
Agree on a Follow-Up Plan
Before ending the first conversation, ask when the driver would like to hear from you again and whether they prefer a call, text, or email. Set a date that reflects their timeline, then record it where the recruiting team can see it.
A driver waiting for a December bonus might welcome another conversation shortly before the payout. Someone comparing employers may appreciate a follow-up sooner, once they have reviewed the job details.
Each contact should have a clear purpose, such as answering a question, confirming availability, or discussing an orientation date. Refer to the previous conversation so the driver does not have to repeat their circumstances every time a recruiter reaches out. If their plans change, update the record and adjust the follow-up schedule together.
Organize Your January Candidates
It will help to keep prospective January hires identifiable in your applicant tracking system or recruiting records. Include their expected availability, screening status, job preferences, outstanding questions, and next scheduled contact.
Assign responsibility for follow-up so interested drivers do not receive overlapping messages or go several weeks without hearing from anyone. Review these candidates as January openings become clearer, and confirm that the drivers are still interested before moving them forward.
Coordinate with the people responsible for interviews, hiring approvals, and orientation to understand what can be completed before the holidays. Where appropriate, schedule next steps in advance and explain which parts of the process will need to happen closer to the start date.
Prepare Before the Opening Becomes Urgent
Pre-screening gives your recruiting team time to learn who may be available in January and what they need from their next employer. By the time an opening is confirmed, you can return to conversations with drivers who already understand the position and have discussed their qualifications and availability.
For more ways to stay ahead of the curve in the transportation industry, be sure to check out the rest of our Employer Blog posts and connect with us on social media.
