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The Benefits of Hiring International Drivers

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What would you do to have access to hundreds of drivers, each with over 10 years of experience? 

 

That’s the question Chad Hendricks, President of Experienced Associates and host of the Recruit and Retain podcast, often asks recruiters before sharing with them the benefits of hiring international drivers. 

Programs such as Experienced Associates, which is based in Green Bay, WI, but partners with drivers in South Africa, offers an opportunity for American companies to create a diversified talent pipeline while providing international drivers a path towards U.S. citizenship. Keep reading to find out why international truck drivers could be the solution to your recruiting and retention problems.  

 

“The True OTR Driver That We’re All Looking For” 

In today’s market, it can be difficult to overcome high turnover rates, insurance company requirements, and the growing trend of drivers preferring local jobs. For Hendricks, international drivers bridge these gaps while benefiting everyone involved.  

 

“What we mean by experienced drivers is that these kinds of drivers have diesel in the blood,” says Hendricks. “They’ve been in this industry for a long time. They know what it means to work hard in transportation and that they could be on the road for weeks at a time. The true OTR driver that we’re all looking for.”  

 

Every international driver partnering with Experienced Associates must have at least a decade of trucking experience, a U.S. CDL, and conversational fluency at reading, writing, and speaking English. They also sign on for a minimum of three years of employment, although the position can be terminated at any time by the employer. The incentive of receiving a Visa through sponsorship assures that these drivers are committed, hard working, and vested in seeing the contract completed. 

 

Guaranteed Results 

Initially launched as a pilot program in collaboration with Schneider National, the immediate success of the partnership led to the development of Experienced Associates in 2018.  Co-founder Rob Peacock’s past experience as CEO of a company that assisted non-U.S. citizens with receiving educational training in the U.S. while driving for American companies proved key to Experienced Associate’s commitment to find quality drivers who are a right fit for U.S. carriers.  

 

Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Peacock is able to administer an extensive vetting process for every driver recruited, which includes criminal background checks, hair follicle drug testing, and English language screening. Peacock’s team even handles compiling driver portfolios, which are presented to U.S. recruiters to make the final selection.  

 

Another component key to the success of programs like these is the varied experience of the drivers.  Being able to select from a large pool of candidates with a wide range of skills ensures that there is always a driver for the job, whether it requires experience hauling flatbed loads, hazardous materials, team driving, or more.  

 

“This is the first time I’ve felt that I could actually guarantee results,” says Hendricks. “I could guarantee experienced drivers, guarantee profitability and return on investment. These drivers weren’t quitting and causing hire turnover, and the hiring process became like a pipeline. It was predictable, and all the costs were known. To me, it felt like a dream come true.” 

 

Although some recruiters in the U.S. might be hesitant to offer positions to international drivers, companies like Experienced Associates design these programs with that in mind. Instead of disrupting the recruiting process, these opportunities fill gaps that could otherwise affect the economy, driver and freight shortages.  

 

Investing in innovation is more necessary than ever in today’s highly competitive market, and hiring experienced, international drivers is a surefire way to meet your recruiting and retention goals while fueling growth in your company.  

 

If you’re looking for more information on Experienced Associates or the work being done by Chad Hendricks and Rob Peacock, be sure to check out Hendricks’ Recruit and Retain podcast episode where the two discuss the benefits of hiring international drivers.  

 

Here at Drive My Way, we love to learn about innovative recruiting strategies and how to stay ahead of the curve. If you have recruiting advice, or you’re looking to learn more about our mission, check out our social media today!  

 

4 Tips for Recruiting and Hiring Student Truck Drivers

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4 Tips for Recruiting and Hiring Student Truck Drivers

Truck driver recruiting can be a tough business, especially when it comes to targeting the most experienced drivers with the best driving records. Carriers can wind up counter-offering driver after driver, or losing them in a few months to another carrier making a sweeter offer to lure them away from you. There’s a reason those drivers are in such high demand. So maybe there’s a different hiring path to take into consideration. With a little bit of creativity and changes to your recruitment strategy, putting a focus on recruiting and hiring student truck drivers can be a great opportunity to plan and build your driver pool for the future. Here are 4 tips to help you find your next group of long-term and loyal drivers.

1. Expand Your Marketing

Look at your recruiting marketing collateral, especially the images and headlines. Do they feel inclusive to student truck drivers? Or are they clearly speaking to an audience of long-term road warriors? It’s easy to miss on this important step in the process if you don’t stop and take stock of what messages and images you’re using.

Your marketing materials, especially your website, can be the first impression you make on potential new hires. Be sure that the drivers you intend to recruit are seeing and hearing messages tailored to them in your marketing pieces.

Another marketing tip is to be sure the channels you’re using to recruit are reaching the right targets. Though print and referrals have a place in your strategy, are those the best channels to use when recruiting student truck drivers, who are likely younger than your average driver? Probably not, so make adjustments to your tactics based on your target. Social media and an easy online process will help when recruiting younger drivers.

2. Implement Mentoring Programs

Mentoring programs can be attractive to student drivers. Inexperienced drivers need help learning the ropes and many times, a mentor can be a tremendous help. These drivers are not coming to you with years of experience and all the answers, they are looking for their first job to get them started in a new career. They’re excited to get started and need some extra help to get moving down the road.

Connecting student truck drivers with a mentor can be a mutually beneficial relationship between your drivers.

The student has a designated “go to” person to ask questions and bounce around ideas, and your seasoned driver has an opportunity to share what they know from years over the road. Each of them will benefit from a mentoring opportunity and will appreciate your team’s willingness to foster these relationships.

3. Sell the Entire Job

When seeking to recruit student drivers, you need to not only sell your open positions, but you also need to sell the career, the lifestyle, and everything that comes with the job. People looking to get into a career as a professional truck driver can be coming into the industry for a number of reasons. But one thing is clear, they’ve decided a truck driving gig is the right fit for them. So help them understand how you and your team can help them make their dreams a reality. Reinforce their decision at every point in the hiring process and be there for them every step of the way while they’re on your team.

Act as a great resource for new drivers, by being transparent on what the job entails and being ready to answer a lot of questions. Selling your candidates on the whole job will help your relationship with these drivers start off great!

4. Have a Driver-Centric Strategy

A driver-centric recruitment and retention strategy is a great way to build a strong driver team. Putting practices and processes in place to ensure you’re targeting the right candidates is very important. If your plan includes recruiting student truck drivers, be sure that you take into consideration the tips here.

You want to ensure that new drivers know that they’re welcome, wanted, and included in your company’s long-term future.

For more ideas on how to recruit and hire the best drivers, let us help! At Drive My Way we have the tools and expertise to match you with your next best-fit drivers.

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