Posts

Trucking Truth with April Smith from Lansing Building Products

, /by

Lansing building productsApril Smith is the Recruiting Manager with Drive My Way client, Lansing Building Products. During her 7 plus years with Lansing, April and her team have helped the company grow their fleet while increasing retention rates. We were able to speak with April and fellow Lansing recruiter, Kelsie Rudd about the biggest changes they’ve seen during their time recruiting, how Lansing uses driver feedback to inform their decisions, and how they’re able to screen for drivers who will be a cultural fit for Lansing.

How are you able to properly screen candidates so that you only hire drivers who will fit Lansing’s culture?

We ask some specific questions during the interview process to see how the driver will align with our culture. For example, we ask, “What does respect, service, and excellence mean to you?” This question comes directly from our mission statement.

We also have noticed that drivers sometimes tend to get boxed in by recruiters as simply drivers, and we assume that’s all they’ll want to do for the rest of their career.

During the interview process, we always talk to the drivers about where they see themselves down the road and what their long-term career goals are. We ask these kinds of questions because Lansing offers a number of opportunities for advancement, and we love to bring drivers in who will take advantage of them.

What are some of the things that Lansing does to promote driver retention?

There are a couple different things we do to promote retention. One is the safety program that we’ve implemented. If a driver doesn’t get in an accident for an entire year, their name goes into an end of the year raffle, with the winner getting a free YETI cooler.

Aside from that, we participate yearly in the Great Place to Work survey. Once we collect the data from the survey, we don’t just sit on it. It gives us some really great insights into how our drivers feel about working for us and what we could be doing better for them.

We’ve actually started a few different programs directly because of the data we’ve gotten from the Great Place to Work survey. One is our CDL Reimbursement Program. Through this program, we financially assist any current Lansing employee who wants to either get their CDL A or upgrade their CDL B to an A. It’s just one of the ways we want to show our drivers that we’re committed to their professional growth.

What’s been the biggest change in the driver recruiting space since your first started?

I think what’s changed the most has been the technology we use. There’s much more automation involved in the hiring process now than ever before. It all starts with our Applicant Tracking System (ATS), then from there, we figure out who the partners are that will work within that ATS to help us fill our hiring needs.

That’s how Drive My Way became one of our most valuable partners. We were able to easily integrate their platform with our ATS of choice, Lever. Because of this, we were able to get more quality applicants for our jobs faster.

April and Kelsie finished with these thoughts,

As a recruiting team, it’s important to not only fill the jobs, but to make sure we’re communicating with all the other teams and individuals involved in the hiring process as well. Having a high level of communication with candidates, hiring managers, and our vendors every step of the way has increased our ability to be more productive and to have the right people on our teams.

Lansing Building Products Partners with Drive My Way for Success

Lansing Building Products partnered with Drive My Way to hire CDL A and B straight truck drivers for a number of locations nationwide. See the results below.

View the Case Study

5 Tips for Asking the Best Truck Driver Interview Questions

/by

truck driver interview questions

Good truck driver interview questions do two things. They help you find drivers who are going to be a good fit for your carrier while helping you build a relationship with them at the same time. The best recruiters use a conversational style to learn more about drivers’ experiences and skills as well as their goals for a new job. 

Informative and approachable truck driver interview questions are the foundation of a strong recruitment for retention strategy. Here are 5 tips to help you get to know the drivers you’re interviewing and find one who fits well with your fleet. 

1. Start With the Basics

Chelsee Patton and Truck

Chelsee Patton, Director of Recruiting at RTI

The purpose of an interview is to find a driver who has the skills and qualifications to do a specific job. Inevitably, it is crucial to have a clear picture of their experience, endorsements, and total compensation needs. The challenge is to get that information in an approachable way.  

Drivers should feel like the interview is building a relationship rather than simply an effort to fill another seat with an anonymous face. Strong interviewers learn about drivers’ skills and experience through conversation.  

We spoke with Chelsee Patton, Director of Recruiting at RTI and CDL holder, about effective interviewing as part of recruitment. She shared these thoughts,  

“For carriers trying to improve their interview process, I would tell them to take a look at how they’re talking to drivers at the beginning of the interview. Are you automatically jumping into, “How much experience do you have? How many tickets? How many accidents?” If so, I would recommend conversationally talking through all of that instead of reading questions one after the other off a sheet.”

As you build relationships with drivers, keep a detailed record of their professional profile. Clearly denote the driver’s experience and endorsements. This information helps automatically filter out unqualified applicants. Drivers’ requested total compensation should also be clearly noted. If they express specific demands around home time, base pay, or benefits, make sure to include that information.  

Similarly, if drivers respond negatively to the total compensation you are offering, note that as a possible red flag. Delving into basic information such as skills and endorsements is an opportunity to learn key information while setting a positive tone for future interactions. 

2. Find Out What Drivers Are Looking for

Not all drivers are a good fit for every job, and that’s ok. Time is a precious commodity in the recruiting world, so find out early what drivers are looking for. Some drivers may talk about career plans and advancement opportunities. Understanding each driver’s underlying motivation helps frame the conversation and contextualizes that driver’s priorities. Use that information to focus on the job aspects that are most important.  

In some cases, a driver’s goals may not be compatible with the available position. That’s also valuable knowledge. In these cases, learning that quickly can help you end the conversation and encourage the driver toward other positions to save time.  

If you still want to attract the driver, make sure to be as transparent as possible about the open job. Unfulfilled or misled expectations will only lead to high turnover and a bad company reputation. Instead, put your efforts toward quickly identifying drivers who are a good fit and may stay in the job for many years to come.  

3. Ask Role Specific Questions

ChelseeInPink

Chelsee takes the wheel

Once you have a baseline of information about the driver’s qualifications and future goals, hone in on the specific job. Discuss features of the job that are atypical or have raised concerns from drivers in the past.  

For example, if drivers need mechanical knowledge, ask “What experience do you have fixing mechanical problems with your truck?” Similarly, if the position includes slip seating, ask drivers about their preferences and habits when sharing a cab. All of these truck driver interview questions shift the focus to recruiting for retention.  

4. Use Behavioral Interviewing

If you have a strong driver candidate based on their qualifications, the next step is to use behavioral interviewing to assess their on-the-job competencies.  

These questions look at how a candidate has handled past situations in an attempt to predict how they’d behave in the future. Behavioral interviewing questions look at a candidate’s problem-solving, priority setting, and conflict management abilities. 

To ask effective behavioral interviewing questions, use the STAR technique. Situation, Task, Actions, and Result. To start, ask candidates to describe their past experiences. Then, listen closely and evaluate based on the Situation or Task they encountered, the Actions they took, and the Result of their actions.  

Think about situations that current drivers for your carrier deal with and ask candidates how they would react if faced with them. This will give you a good indication of if they’ll be a good fit for your carrier. 

5. Share the Mic

Truck drivers want to know that their carrier will respect and value their contributions. One way to demonstrate your commitment to drivers from the start is by sharing the mic.  

Allow time for drivers to ask questions during the interview or at the end. Doing so signals to drivers that you care about their input and whether the job is a good fit for them. It’s also another valuable opportunity to understand what they prioritize. If they’re a strong candidate but undecided about the position, that insight may help you win the driver to your team.  

As a recruiter, it’s hard to predict exactly what drivers may ask, but prepare answers for common questions. This will likely include questions about home time, pay, benefits, and equipment among other things. Before you end the conversation, make sure the driver is clear about the job offer. Transparency upfront supports long-term retention.  

Good truck driver interview questions give you the opportunity to get to know potential drivers so you can focus on boosting retention. When drivers and carriers connect transparently over a job that is a mutually good fit, the interview time is well worth the investment. 

ultimate guide to truck driver recruiting

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.

Get the Ebook

Why Trucking Companies Offer Paid CDL Training

, /by

CDL Training
Paid CDL training is a program offered by carriers where they pay for a driver’s CDL training in exchange for the driver working for the carrier for a designated amount of time after they finish the program. This can be anywhere from a few months to a few years. These programs are very popular with carriers who need a large workforce of drivers. 

What Do Trucking Companies Include in CDL Training?

A traditional training will usually be anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months. It offers students behind the wheel experience along with classroom instruction as well. Some companies also offer payment to students while they’re enrolled in the program.  

While very large carriers may be able to hire a training department and fund a CDL training program themselves onsite, this may not be a reality for every carrier. That’s why some carriers choose to partner with already-established public trucking schools. The carrier will pay the driver’s way through the offsite CDL school and then work for the carrier after they’re finished. 

We spoke with the Recruiting Team for Drive My Way client, Sysco Asian Foods. They told us about the paid CDL training program they have in place and how it has positively impacted their recruiting efforts. 

“We started offering paid CDL training to create a career path for employees to become long-term CDL A delivery drives with us. New hires will work with us for 30-60 days to learn the unloading/delivery skills, the products, equipment, etc. If they prove to be successful, we will send them to school to get their CDL. There is a 1-year commitment on their end after completing the program. We feel that offering this type of program for our employees gives our benefits package a competitive edge compared to other carriers,” shared Sysco’s Recruiting Team.

What Drivers Does Paid CDL Training Attract?

In general, it will attract newcomers to the trucking industry, and specifically your company. While they don’t have experience, these drivers are eager to start their career in trucking. Private trucking schools can be expensive, so having the option of getting their CDL for free is a great investment that many new drivers won’t be able to pass up.  

Aside from new drivers, it can also attract former drivers who have been away from the industry for a while. These drivers will need to get their CDL again, and many will find it advantageous to attend another training before they take the test. Instead of paying a private institute like they might have done the first time; they may want to go to companies proving CDL training. 

What are the Benefits to Offering Paid CDL Training?

Drivers in seats is the biggest benefit to offering paid CDL training. If you’re a driver recruiter working with a large carrier, you understand the effects of high turnover and how important it is to have trucks filled at all times. Offering to jumpstart someone’s career with next to no financial putdown is a great tradeoff for new drivers, especially when you consider the high price of public trucking schools.  

Retention is another obvious benefit when considering paid CDL training. Aside from the driver staying with your carrier for the agreed upon time after training, studies show that employees in all industries tend to stay at companies where training and education are priorities. A LinkedIn study found that 94% of employees said they would stay at a company that invested in their career development. 

While every recruiter loves experienced drivers, they can sometimes come with bad habits from previous carriers. In most circumstances, this won’t matter much, but if it’s a bad habit related to safety and compliance, it could end up costing your carrier big down the road. With paid CDL training, you’re not only training new drivers on the basics to get their CDL, but on your carrier’s specific rules and guidelines as well.  

Offering paid CDL training is a win for both the carrier and the driver. They’re getting a jumpstart on their career without student loans hanging over their heads while the carrier is getting a reliable driver to join their ranks. 

ultimate guide to retaining truck drivers

Ultimate Guide to Retaining Truck Drivers

You work so hard to recruit the best truck drivers for your fleet. The trick is retaining them. This guide is packed with tips for retaining your fleet.

Get the Ebook

The Importance of a Truck Driver Recruiter Career Path

/by

truck driver recruiter career path
A truck driver recruiter is someone who works for a trucking company to find the right drivers to meet the company’s needs. These recruiters work directly with prospective drivers, having conversations about things like pay, equipment, benefits, and anything else relevant to the job.  

The role of truck driver recruiter has become more and more important over the past few years. As the demand for drivers continues to grow, companies are seeing the need to bring in the best recruiters they can.  

Hiring the best drivers starts with having the best recruiters.

Ruben Moreno, NFI Industries

The trucking industry is special. It’s hard for any recruiter to walk in and have success right off the jump. That’s why more and more companies are finding it important to have a truck driver recruiter career path within the organization.

We spoke with Ruben Moreno and Lakeisha Reed, driver recruiters for Drive My Way’s client, NFI Industries. Both Ruben and Lakeisha had experience in the trucking industry before becoming driver recruiters.  

Q: What was your original position with NFI? What is your current?

Ruben: I was hired in as a Transportation Manager back in 2010. Now I’m a Recruiting Program Manager. 

Lakeisha: Back in 2006 I started off as a material handler for Trader Joes in Bolingbrook, IL. My current position with NFI is as a Driver Recruiter. 

Promote from Within

Across all industries, the benefits of hiring from within are proven, and the same goes for trucking. This is because industry experience can’t be overstated for truck driver recruiters. It can be difficult for a recruiter with no experience in trucking to come in and be able to have in-depth conversations with drivers about the finer points of a job. 

The last thing a company wants is for a driver to become uninterested in a position because a recruiter doesn’t know the industry or the position. That’s why hiring former drivers, dispatchers, and others in the trucking industry has become popular. They have the knowledge and skills needed to connect with prospective drivers on their level.  

Q: How has your experience in previous roles helped you in your current one?

Ruben: I understand the challenges drivers face today. Most professional drivers are looking for stability, a consistent schedule, and opportunities to grow within the organization. When given the opportunity to speak to a new applicant, I’m able to speak with full confidence knowing that NFI supports our drivers 100%. 

Lakeisha: My previous roles have helped me to understand the trucking business from beginning to end. They’ve also helped me understand the drivers’ needs and wants. 

Hire with Advancement in Mind

Start with the initial hire and bring in candidates who can be with the company long-term. Talk with employees about overall career goals and gauge interest in moving to a different position eventually. 

When it comes time to expanding the driver recruiting team, start conversations with employees first. Even if they’re not interested in moving into recruiting at the moment, they’ll appreciate knowing the option is there for the future. 

Q: When you first started with NFI, did you think you would be in the position you are today?

Ruben: I had no idea that this would be my current role, but I know that this is what I was called to do. As a driver recruiter, you have an opportunity to truly impact someone’s life for the better and make a difference. 

Lakeisha: I didn’t know the exact position I would be in, but I knew my first position wouldn’t be my last. I’m very happy to be in the recruiting space and making a difference for both NFI and drivers. 

Train Driver Recruiters for Success

truck driver recruiter career path

Like with any employee entering a new role, the key to success is to be prepared. When a driver, dispatcher, or another employee makes the move into recruiting, walking him or her through the full details of the position is key. Even if the new driver recruiter has industry knowledge, proper training is still essential for success. 

An even better practice is providing shadowing opportunities. If possible, give interested employees the ability to observe a current driver recruiter. Letting him or her see the day-to-day of the position before starting the new role is much better than finding out the position isn’t a fit during the onboarding process.  

Q: What advice do you have for other truck driver recruiters when planning their career in trucking?

Ruben: Never forget who the customer is—the driver! Speak with complete transparency and confidence. Make yourself available to them, especially those who are just starting out. And always be encouraging! 

Lakeisha: The advice I would give to a truck driver recruiter is to never give up! This role can be challenging, but remember the reason you started. Know that your beginning is not your end. Give yourself time and it will all come together. 

As the importance of finding quality drivers grows, so does the need for quality driver recruiters. A solid truck driver recruiter career path is the best way to make sure you have the best recruiters in place to grow your fleet.   

truck driver incentive program checklist

FREE RESOURCE

Truck Driver Incentive Program Checklist

The best incentive program is the one that’s effective, sustainable, and engaging for drivers. Use this checklist to align your target behavior with rewards that motivate your drivers and create a program with lasting impact.

Get the Checklist

Drive My Way Hires Lance Pshigoda as Vice President of Sales

/by

Drive My Way announced that Lance Pshigoda joined its team as the Vice President of Sales. Drive My Way matches CDL truck drivers and owner operators with jobs based on their professional qualifications and personal lifestyle preferences. 

Lance brings over two decades of experience designing risk mitigation, hiring, onboarding, and safety strategies for the Transportation Industry with previous roles at both of the top background screening and SaaS solutions available in the market today. 

Lance Pshigoda“I started observing the industry waves Drive My Way was making a couple years ago. The Transportation sector has always been in dire need of automation and streamlined solutions around driver hiring cycles, and it’s been years since I’ve seen an organization that I thought would make an impact the way Tenstreet did when they emerged into the market. That was a very exciting time, and I greatly enjoyed the process efficiencies we provided to our clients.

Drive My Way handles an entirely different type of problem employers face. After seeing the client experience firsthand and realizing the entirely new technology-based solution of matching drivers to employers and the matchmaker services that Drive My Way offers, I feel extremely excited to be joining an organization who will be the next industry disrupter and change the Transportation landscape to help employers reach their goals,” shared Lance.

Starting at DAC Services in 2003, Lance has been involved in every aspect of driver recruiting, retention, qualification, and safety protocol development. He has worked with industry specific leaders like Hireright, Tenstreet, and now Drive My Way. 

Lance is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and currently resides in Skiatook, OK with his wife and two children.  

We are thrilled to have Lance join our team at Drive My Way. He is an industry expert who brings a refreshing passion for driver recruiting and helps companies solve their challenges in new innovative ways,” said Beth Potratz, CEO of Drive My Way

About Drive My Way

Drive My Way is disrupting truck driver recruiting by treating the driver as a consumer in the employment relationship. Drive My Way is a next-generation recruiting marketplace powered by a patented and proprietary platform that matches CDL truck drivers and owner operators with jobs based on their qualifications and personal preferences.

Drive My Way’s driver-centric technology lets both the driver and hiring manager know how well they match to each job before entering the hiring process. Drive My Way is making truck driver recruiting personal again by creating meaningful connections for employers to turn into lasting relationships. Employers partner with Drive My Way to start recruiting for retention.

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 Tips for Hiring Straight Truck Drivers

, /by

straight truck drivers
Hiring high-quality straight truck drivers is no easy feat right now. The demand for drivers is high, and the supply of drivers doesn’t match the current demand. That means that it’s a driver’s market, and companies must offer quality jobs that stand out to drivers to attract top talent. If you’re hiring straight truck drivers, these four tips will help you get the most out of every online or personal recruiting message.

1. Create Driver Personas

The first step to effectively hiring straight truck drivers is to know exactly who you are looking for. Driver personas are an opportunity to paint a picture of your ideal employees. What skills and endorsements do they have? Are there specific personality traits that are important to your jobs? Go beyond surface characteristics. Once you have a general idea of your ideal employees, consider what motivates these types of drivers.

As you develop your driver personas, study what makes straight truck drivers unique. Typically, straight truck drivers are looking for local work and regular home time. Many may have a family that they want to spend more time with. These drivers may not have a CDL A license. Their license type may give you insight into what kind of driving career that driver is looking for. A well-developed driver persona should clarify and direct recruiting efforts for hiring straight truck drivers.

2. Speak to Driver Priorities

Straight truck drivers are highly sought after right now. It’s a driver’s market, so companies need to make jobs appealing in order to stand out from the competition. Driver personas give insight into your ideal candidates, and this information is valuable. Use the insights on driver motivation and priorities to inform recruiting and marketing decisions. Driver priorities should be front and center in online marketing and advertising. In addition, these details can be part of recruiting conversations. Not all driver candidates will fit your profile, so take the time in recruiting conversations to ask a few questions about driver goals and priorities. Then, highlight how your available jobs are a good fit for that candidate.

It’s a driver’s market, so companies need to make jobs appealing in order to stand out from the competition.

When speaking with drivers, get them the information they care about quickly and succinctly. The driver personas can help guide the tone and content of your conversation, but the basics are still essential. Drivers want to know about compensation, home time, schedule, route, equipment, and customer interaction. Be specific when you share this information and give precise details on the job requirements. In job descriptions and recruiting conversations, include all required qualifications, skills, years of experience, and other prerequisites. This will help drivers self-select whether they fit your requirements and will save time for everyone involved.

3. Embrace Digital Recruiting

straight truck

Hiring straight truck drivers is a competitive challenge, and digital recruiting is a must. Many companies start with a basic website and social media channels because they are easy to set up and are typically free to start. That said, there are other online recruiting tools such as search engine optimized content marketing and job boards if you want to branch out. For any channels you choose, establish trackable metrics so you can determine which channels perform well.

Regardless of the channels that you utilize, a clear brand must help communicate your story. Be consistent in imagery and content tone across all platforms. Give drivers something they can recognize as distinct to your company. Photo and video content are powerful recruiting tools because they help drivers see themselves in the job. Many drivers are not job searching on a computer, so make sure all content is optimized for mobile. 

4. Support Driver Referral Programs

Driver referrals and word of mouth recruiting still reign as powerful recruiting methods. At the end of the day, nothing replaces a trusted source, and truck drivers trust other drivers. Referrals can be even more powerful in a local setting such as when hiring straight truck drivers because these truckers travel in the same circles. They are talking regularly and will be job searching in the same geographies. Word travels fast when companies have a distinctly positive or negative reputation, so make sure your drivers have good things to talk about!

Nothing replaces a trusted source, and truck drivers trust other drivers. Driver referrals are a powerful recruiting resource.

As a company, driver referrals, especially from top team members, help get other quality drivers in the door. A referral from a trusted source is a little extra confidence that interviewing the candidate will be worth your time.

ultimate guide to truck driver recruiting

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.

Get the Ebook

What to Know About Trucking Regulations for Driver Classification

/by

trucking regulations and driver misclassification

Driver misclassification is not a new problem as part of trucking regulations. If a driver fills the role of a company driver, but the employer pays them with a 1099 as an independent contractor, there’s a problem. That driver is likely misclassified, an error that employers can face serious consequences for. Recent Legislation, such as the PRO Act, was developed to help combat driver misclassification. Unfortunately, it also effectively eliminates the owner operator business model. Here’s what you need to know about the state of the PRO Act in Congress and driver misclassification.

What Is the PRO Act?

If you follow political or legal developments in trucking regulations, you’ve likely been following the PRO Act. This bill, formally known as the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, intends to protect workers from unethical employment practices, but it has alarming consequences for the owner operator business model. The PRO Act is similar to California’s Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), and it sets very specific criteria for gig workers. Unfortunately, in trucking, this also applies to owner operators. 

Under the PRO Act, for a company to employ an independent contractor (like an owner operator), the partnership must pass an ABC test. According to the PRO ACT, an independent contractor must meet the following criteria:

“(A) the individual is free from control and direction in connection with the performance of the service, both under the contract for the performance of service and in fact;

(B) the service is performed outside the usual course of the business of the employer; and

(C) the individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession, or business of the same nature as that involved in the service performed.”

As part of trucking regulations, the B prong is usually the hardest to satisfy. Section B requires that independent contractors must be doing work outside of the scope of normal business. Unfortunately, in an owner operator model, those drivers are at the heart of a successful operation. Trucking experts are raising concerns that the PRO Act may effectively eliminate the current owner operator model. To date, the PRO Act has passed in the House of Representatives but has not made it to the Senate floor for discussion yet.

What Is the PRO Act Trying to Solve?

truck driverMany trucking regulations experts are strongly opposed to the PRO Act, but there is an underlying problem that this Act brings to the surface. The PRO Act tries to prevent companies from “employing” workers without offering benefits AKA misclassifying drivers. In many cases, this pushes the cost burden to the individual driver. However, owner operators are business owners, and many enjoy the freedom, income potential, and flexibility that comes with their role.

While the owner operator model works well for many truck drivers and carriers, driver misclassification is still prevalent in the industry. Misclassified drivers include those who earn pay as independent contractors and do not have guaranteed work but work like company drivers. There is a difference between owner operators who run under their own authority and misclassified truck drivers, however, the PRO Act includes both. 

What Is Driver Misclassification?

Driver misclassification occurs when fleets try to pay company drivers as independent contractors. By classifying company drivers as 1099 employees, carriers illegally avoid paying full benefits to their drivers. Owner operators are a different business model. They are independent contractors. True owner operators run their own business. They partner with carriers based on a mutually agreeable contract and may run for multiple carriers simultaneously. 

If you are uncertain about the appropriate driver classification for your fleet, there are ways to check.

Does the driver:

  1. Do their job under their own direction? For example, can drivers refuse loads if it doesn’t meet their criteria?
  2. Pay lease, maintenance, and insurance costs? Have proof of vehicle registration in their name?
  3. Have the ability to work for another company?

If you said “no” to any of these questions, you are employing a company driver. In that case, the driver should earn pay as a W2 employee and be eligible for benefits.

Brian Dershaw

Brian Dershaw, Partner at Taft Law

We spoke with Brian Dershaw, Partner at Taft Law, and he shared Taft’s response to companies with concerns about misclassification:

“In many instances, contractor classification may be an essential component of the company; the consequences of misclassification could be detrimental. With that in mind, we continuously navigate the federal and state tests in this area. This includes guiding clients in ways to maintain their independent contractor classification and, if appropriate, advising on the transition to an employer-employee model.”     

Paying a company driver as a 1099 employee is illegal and can lead to serious consequences, but there are legal resources, such as Taft Law or other firms, that can help.

What Are the Penalties for Driver Misclassification?

The legal ramifications for driver misclassification can vary based on the situation. In some cases, the company is required to pay back the money owed to the driver based on the loss of income and benefits. In severe cases, companies may face additional fines or time if the misclassification is found to be deliberate.

When asked about driver misclassification penalties, Taft Law’s Brian Dershaw, shared:

“If an employee is misclassified as an independent contractor, that can raise serious issues across the employment spectrum. These include wage and hour issues such as overtime under the FLSA and state laws, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, health insurance benefits, and employee-specific anti-discrimination and leave laws (e.g., ADA, Title VII, ADEA, and FMLA). Misclassification can result in steep financial penalties and other damages.”

Misclassifying drivers as independent contractors when their role is as a company driver is a serious offense. The PRO Act may not be an effective solution to driver misclassification in the trucking industry because of its reaching consequences for owner operators. However, driver misclassification is a serious problem, and carriers should take immediate action to rectify any misclassification in their fleet to avoid legal consequences.

STAY UPDATED ON INDUSTRY TRENDS AND BEST PRACTICES

Join our community of thousands of employers who receive our updates.

How to Quickly Hire as a Large Trucking Company

/by


As the freight market continues its strong outlook, hiring is again top of my mind for many carriers. Recruiting for retention should always be at the core of an effective recruiting strategy. It’s faster and more cost-effective to retain current drivers than to recruit new drivers. If you are a large trucking company that needs to quickly hire drivers, use these five tips to efficiently fill your fleet with quality drivers.

1. Capitalize on Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing is one of the most powerful recruiting techniques because it optimizes for efficiency. Ultimately, the goal of inbound marketing is to have driver candidates proactively reaching out as a result of your marketing efforts. This subverts the traditional model of contacting each driver lead directly and is frequently a more efficient way to speak one to many. 

There are many inbound marketing strategies that are valuable when recruiting for a large trucking company. Referrals and Word of Mouth advertising have strong persuasive power because they are built on trust. Drivers want to know what working for your company is really like from other drivers. These two recruiting strategies are powerful because they hear about your company from a trusted source—your current drivers. 

Social media and online advertising are inbound marketing strategies with a high reach potential. The goal of these campaigns is to generate driver interest and provide a signpost for ways in which serious candidates can engage more deeply with your company. If managing a digital marketing strategy exceeds your current staffing capacity, or you want to amplify your impact even further, consider partnering with a company like Drive My Way to extend your company reach.

2. Know When To Use Outbound Marketing

While inbound marketing strategies should dominate your recruitment efforts, outbound marketing can be tactically applied to selectively increase your reach. For example, outbound marketing may be necessary for high-impact geographies that are not naturally driver hotspots. Many top drivers are still re-entering the workforce after recent layoffs and focused, outbound marketing can help attract these top drivers.

Phone communication tends to be a particularly effective outbound recruiting strategy for truck drivers. That includes both calling and texting. 

According to our Drive My Way Driver Happiness and Retention survey, 64% of drivers report talking by phone as their preferred means of contact with a recruiter. 

Text communications follow closely behind in third place. Allocating additional resources to underperforming positions through outbound marketing is an effective way to boost driver engagement where it is most needed.

With any communication medium, the most effective strategies keep driver preferences at their core. Reach out to drivers on their own terms. This may mean adjusting recruitment hours to include evenings and weekends. Similarly, choose the right communication medium. For a first point of contact, a call is often more personal. After, switching to text messages allows for quick communication that won’t get cumbersome for recruiters or drivers. Each touchpoint in an outbound marketing campaign should continue building a positive relationship with the driver.

3. Prioritize Based On Company Resources

If you are a large trucking company, you likely have resources that are unavailable to smaller companies, but keen prioritization is still essential. It’s important to know your strengths as a company and as a department. Then, rank your top priorities and note any gaps between your strengths and the resources needed as you finalize your recruiting strategy. 

For some companies, outsourcing resources can be a valuable strategic decision. Consider how in-house talent versus outsourced resources fit into your short and long term roadmap. If you outsource some of your recruiting efforts to a company like Drive My Way, this will extend the capabilities and capacity of your internal team.

Outsourcing specific aspects of your recruiting should amplify your existing efforts while giving you more time to focus on the things you do best. For example, Drive My Way pre-screens interested drivers using your screening questions and forwards or schedules screened drivers for interviews with your designated hiring manager. An outsourced company should seamlessly fit with your workflow.

4. Make the Digital Transition

Trucking is typically not the first industry to explore cutting-edge workplace technology, but a digital transformation is undeniably underway. Recent years have relentlessly shifted nearly every industry to rely more heavily on online communication, and trucking is no exception.

Digital advertising and communication should be a foundational part of your hiring strategy.

Digital advertising and communication isn’t the only area to add technological integrations. As you return to in-person driver orientations, consider successes from remote onboarding. Where did you save time? What aspects of remote onboarding increased efficiency or improved the accountability of training records? Blend these digital efficiencies into your larger hiring process. In addition, make sure your ATS seamlessly integrates with your recruiting process for a streamlined experience for drivers and employers.

5. Strive for Low Turnover

At the end of the day, retention must play a key role in a strong recruitment strategy. The best way to hire quickly as a large trucking company is to keep satisfied drivers behind the wheel and reduce turnover. According to Avatarfleet, hiring a new driver can add recruitment costs of $5,000–$10,000 per driver. Retaining quality drivers is typically far less expensive.

High turnover leads to increased recruitment time and costs. When you hire new drivers, use behavioral interviewing to ensure that they will be a good fit for your fleet. Then, clearly communicate your employee value proposition to potential drivers in the interview to make sure they are excited by what you have to offer. To boost retention among your current employees, consider ways to increase driver satisfaction. Financial incentives are always valued, but there are many other ways to show appreciation as well. Public or private recognition for a job well done, flexible home time, and making visible changes based on driver engagement surveys are all ways to boost retention with what you already have.

Mockup-1-1

Top 7 Reasons Drivers Decline CDL Jobs

Unlock the top reasons why truck drivers decline your CDL jobs by downloading our free ebook. The book shares insight to what drivers really want.

Download the Ebook

5 Tips for Hiring a Regional Truck Driver

/by

Regional Truck Driver
Hiring a regional truck driver is all about balance. These drivers are often looking to balance good pay with home time. Regional jobs attract drivers who want to be home more regularly. That said, they’re also willing to be away a few days each week to earn a higher paycheck. Every regional truck driver will have slightly different priorities and preferences, but here are a few tips to keep in mind for hiring your next regional truck driver. 

What Regional Drivers Are Really Looking For

1. Home Time & Pay

truck driver family timeThese are often two of the most important factors for regional drivers. Many regional drivers prioritize more home time and are willing to take a slight pay cut if they were at an OTR position. Regional jobs can be the perfect balance between OTR and local.

As an employer, if you offer good home time and at or above industry average pay, you will attract quality drivers. If you have a unique home time or compensation package, clearly share the details with prospective drivers and how your package benefits them.

2. Route & Schedule

Regional positions can include a significant variety in route. In your job description or in an early conversation, clarify whether drivers are primarily on surface roads or highways. Will they be driving largely in urban or rural areas? 

To optimize recruiting efforts, find out what background your prospective driver is coming from and what they liked or disliked. Then, tailor your conversation to their background and priorities. 

For example, if they were driving OTR, emphasize opportunities for independence. If they were a local driver and liked it, talk about the variety of locations they get to visit. Regional drivers often enjoy the balance between getting to know routes and going new places.

3. Equipment

truck driver cabWhile they don’t spend weeks on the road at a time, regional drivers still spend a lot of time in their cab. That means that equipment and cab amenities are still a high priority. Be specific about what you offer for equipment. Consider sharing whether your tractors are manual or automatic, the model, if they are speed governed, and if drivers should expect slip seating.

How to Better Communicate With Regional Drivers

4. Get To the Important Details Quickly

At the end of the day, drivers are going to join your company because of good pay, home time, and culture. Even if you have incredible perks, most drivers won’t be interested if these essentials don’t meet their expectations. So, don’t waste your time or theirs on the fluff. Get to the important information quickly.

One reason a regional truck driver is likely to make a job change is for a better schedule fit and more home time. Is your job home weekends? Share that!

Drivers want to know what their day will look like. If you offer CPM pay, when do drivers finish the day? Do you have specific hour expectations?  Should drivers expect day shifts or night shifts? What time will they start?

trucker

Regardless of the structure of your regional job, these are key details that help drivers make the decision to switch companies.

Talking about regional truck driver compensation also requires specificity. What is the average weekly pay for drivers in similar positions? How many miles do drivers run in a week? Are all miles paid? Even if pay is not the strongest part of your job package, be upfront with drivers. Then, share any perks or bonuses that you offer as additional incentives.

5. Focus on the Positives

When you are hiring your next regional truck driver, use language that focuses on the best aspects of the job. A key part of this is knowing your value proposition and being able to communicate it to drivers. Focusing on the positives doesn’t mean omitting the negatives. Transparency is key for driver trust and a strong company culture.

A key part of this is knowing your value proposition and being able to communicate it to drivers.

A few great ways to focus on the job highlights are to talk about days HOME instead of days OUT. Similarly, if you have a take home truck program, make sure drivers know about it. In compensation conversations, include information about benefits. Many regional drivers have families and value reliable health care, especially if benefits start immediately. A few simple language changes give recruiting conversations an honest, positive tone.

The Quick Guide to Employee Value Proposition

FREE QUICK GUIDE

Employee Value Proposition

This free guide helps you create your employee value proposition and also effectively communicate it to drivers.

Get the Guide

5 Tips to Focus Your Driver Recruitment Efforts

/by

5 Tips to Focus Your Driver Recruitment Efforts

Trucking recruiters are remarkably busy people. There is always a lot to do, many competing priorities, and a million moving pieces to keep track of in the hiring process. Add into that mix, a global pandemic that’s causing chaos throughout the U.S. economy, and you’ve got a recipe for trouble maintaining focus on what’s important. So, what can help a busy driver recruiter add focus to their recruitment efforts? Here are 5 tips to get you started.

1. Know What Driver Recruitment Efforts Are Working

It’s always a good idea to take time and review your recruiting strategy. How are things going? How is your budget looking? What is your ROI on your efforts? These are all important to know and track. And tracking and measuring your results are the only way to determine if your efforts are working. When you get a good picture of what’s working well and what’s not, it makes it easy to decide which tasks to continue and which ones to stop.

2. Plan for Future Needs

It’s easy to get caught only focusing your efforts on your immediate hiring needs, but a great hiring strategy helps you plan for now and plan for the future. Ensure your current driver recruitment plans will dovetail into your future driver needs as well.

Are you planning to add new regional locations? Are you researching getting into new industries? Those plans on the horizon indicate needing more drivers to support it. Plan accordingly! One of the best ways to do this is to look at your carrier’s long-term strategy overall, and it will help you know where you’re headed. Once you have a clear vision of where you’re headed, you can plan your driver needs for now and for the future.

3. Use What the Survey Says

You probably already have something in place to poll your drivers to help you gauge your driver community’s overall workplace satisfaction, and that certainly is an important thing to know. But are you conducting any pre-recruitment surveys of your drivers, Especially drivers who have turned you down? This is a fantastic way to understand and help you focus on where your efforts might have fallen short or cease those tactics that didn’t help you find or land the truckers for your open positions. There are several survey options available, many of them free. A quick online search should help you find one that meets your budget and specific needs.

4. Narrow Down Your Sources

We already talked about measuring your efforts. Here’s a tip to take action after you look at your metrics. Take a look at the sources you’re using for driver recruitment and determine which ones are working best. Select the ones that are providing high quality candidates vs simply a high quantity of candidates. Then narrow down the list of sources and focus on the ones that are working best. Using less sources should enable you to improve your recruiting efficiency with less budget.

5. Let Drive My Way Help

Here at Drive My Way, we’re here to help you with your recruiting plans and execution. We have a variety of options available to help you find the drivers that will best fit your company and trucking needs. And don’t just take our word for it. We can show you how we’ve helped carriers like yours succeed.

ultimate guide to truck driver recruiting

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.

Get the Ebook