Hiring qualified drivers has never been simple. Competition for experienced CDL drivers remains strong, turnover can spike unexpectedly, and recruiting budgets must stretch further than ever. While relationships and industry experience still matter, data has become one of the most powerful tools carriers can use to improve hiring outcomes.
When used correctly, recruiting data helps employers move beyond guesswork. It provides insight into what is working, what is not, and where to focus your time and resources. Keep reading to learn how to leverage data to strengthen your hiring strategy and build a more stable driver workforce.
1. Identify Key Metrics to Track
The first step in using data effectively is knowing which numbers matter. Not every metric deserves equal attention. For carriers, it’s important to focus on the indicators that directly impact recruiting performance and long term retention.
Some of the most important hiring metrics for carriers include:
- Time to hire
- Application to hire conversion rate
- Offer acceptance rate
- Early turnover rates such as 30, 60, and 90 day retention
- Source of hire
Tracking these metrics consistently gives you a clearer picture of your recruiting pipeline. For example, if your time to hire is significantly longer than competitors, you may be losing strong candidates to faster moving fleets. If early turnover is high, the issue may be related to job expectations, onboarding, or communication during the hiring process.
2. Use Data to Screen Candidates Effectively
Even if a carrier receives a high volume of applicants, it can be difficult to determine which candidates are most likely to perform well in the role and remain with your company over time. Data can help refine your screening process so recruiters spend more time engaging with drivers who meet the job requirements and align with your operational needs, and less time pursuing applicants who may not have the necessary experience, endorsements, or qualifications for the position.
Start by reviewing the profiles of your top performing and longest tenured drivers. Look for common traits among these drivers, such as years of experience, endorsements, driving history, preferred route types, or previous fleet size. These patterns can help you create more targeted screening criteria.
You should also consider candidate disqualification reasons. If a large percentage of applicants are failing due to missing endorsements or preventable accidents, you may need to adjust job postings to clarify requirements earlier in the process.
The goal is never to remove the human element from hiring. Instead, data can support recruiters by helping them focus on candidates who align with your operational needs and culture.
3. Optimize Recruiting Channels
Not all recruiting channels deliver equal results. Some may generate a high volume of applications but few qualified hires. Others may produce fewer applicants but stronger long term employees.
By tracking where each hire originates and comparing retention rates across those channels, carriers can identify which platforms and strategies deliver the strongest long term return on investment. For example, employee referrals may produce drivers who stay longer. A targeted job board may yield candidates with specific endorsements. Social media campaigns may work well for regional positions but not for specialized hauling.
Instead of spreading your recruiting budget evenly across every channel, use data to prioritize the sources that consistently produce high quality hires. Over time, this approach reduces cost per hire and increases overall recruiting efficiency.
4. Improve Candidate Experience with Data Insights
Candidate experience plays a significant role in whether drivers accept offers and remain engaged throughout onboarding, and data can reveal friction points in your hiring process that should be addressed.
Review how long it takes candidates to move from application to first contact. Track response times to driver questions. Monitor where candidates drop out of the process. If a large percentage leave after submitting documents, the paperwork may be too complicated, too time consuming, or difficult to complete on a mobile device.
Surveys can also provide useful insights. Short post interview or post onboarding surveys help you understand how drivers perceive your communication, clarity of job expectations, and overall professionalism and culture.
When you identify common pain points, you can streamline steps, clarify messaging, and improve responsiveness. Even small adjustments can lead to higher offer acceptance rates and stronger early engagement.
5. Measure Hiring Success Over Time
It’s important to keep in mind that hiring does not end when a driver accepts an offer. Long term success should be part of your evaluation process.
Track retention at regular intervals, such as six months and one year. Compare performance metrics, safety records, and productivity across different hiring periods or recruiting sources. This helps you understand which strategies are producing reliable drivers.
For example, if drivers hired during a particular quarter show stronger retention and safety outcomes, review what was different during that period. Did you adjust your screening questions? Did you improve onboarding? Did you focus on a specific recruiting channel?
Looking at hiring data over time allows you to refine your process continuously. It shifts recruiting from a reactive function to a strategic one.
6. Predict Future Needs
Data is not only useful for analyzing past performance. It can also help carriers to anticipate future hiring needs.
By reviewing historical trends, you can identify seasonal spikes in turnover, freight volume increases, or retirement patterns among senior drivers. This allows you to recruit proactively rather than scrambling during peak periods.
Forecasting workforce needs helps you align recruiting timelines with operational demand. If you know that turnover typically rises before your busy season, begin sourcing and interviewing earlier. If a large portion of your fleet will reach retirement age within the next few years, consider building relationships with driving schools and entry level talent now.
Predictive planning reduces pressure on recruiters and improves overall workforce stability.
For more ways to stay ahead of the curve in the transportation industry in 2026, be sure to check out the rest of our Employer Blog posts and connect with us on social media.
