The transportation of about 80% of the country's freight is handled by trucking businesses, and as trade expands, so does the need for their services. Growing commerce has led to a rise in demand, which has resulted in a persistent scarcity of truck drivers needed to meet that need.
The lack of drivers is a bottleneck in the supply chain that makes other problems that have emerged recently in the supply chain worse. Trucking businesses have been spending large sums of money to address the truck driver shortage for more than ten years. The recruiting of drivers for trucking businesses has given rise to a whole recruitment sector in the business world.
In the meanwhile, hiring drivers has become as competitive for individual businesses as finding new clients. The majority of trucking businesses are still looking for innovative ways to hire as many drivers as they can because the shortage persists despite their efforts.
We've put up this expert guide that covers the aspects of recruiting and recruitment in order to assist you in better understanding the best practices for hiring drivers and what is required to compete in today's truck driver hiring market. It also answers the question, "How to find truck driver?"
How to find CDL drivers? Hiring the best candidate for a position requires following a procedure, just as in any other sector. Furthermore, a person is not always qualified for a truck driving job simply because they have experience operating large trucks.
They can only be called certified truck drivers if they meet a few standards and obtain the necessary qualifications.
There are a few fundamental conditions that must be fulfilled, regardless of the kind of truck driver you are looking to recruit. Some standards, such as grooming, appearance, and other soft skills, make it difficult to grow your fleet as quickly as possible because of the driver shortage.
The trucking company is unlike other industries, so you'll need to be more accommodating when it comes to the spit-and-shine side of things if you want to get drivers for your vehicles. Having stated that the following are the essential qualities that each prospective hire ought to have:
They must also be willing to participate in other work-related activities and cooperate with other team members. Moreover, confirm that they are:
Additionally, you may demand that newly recruited personnel have the necessary endorsements for the kind of cargo or equipment they will be using or demonstrate a desire to get such endorsements after hiring. It is normal to compensate the driver for the expense of the endorsements if they do not already have them and you need them to get them.
If you don't, the driver will often leave your business in search of one where they will receive better treatment. Although it may sound harsh, this is how things really stand when it comes to hiring in the trucking sector.
In light of the driver scarcity situation, it could be important to be accommodating to small offenses within reasonable bounds. In these situations, speak with the safety officer at your workplace.
It is a good idea to require new recruits to undergo a fresh DOT physical, even if the driver already possesses one. In this manner, when they are hired, their physical state is current. Please be aware that trucking firms often pay for the DOT physical examination. The driver you recently recruited will depart for another firm if you don't comply.
You should search for the following additional soft skills, albeit you should consider them more of an advantage than a necessity:
Owing to the complexity of modern tractor-trailer units, it is best to utilize a certified technician. Your prices will go up if you ask your drivers to do maintenance because of the extra downtime, shoddy repairs, and further equipment damage. In addition, drivers will frequently choose to work for another firm if maintenance concerns need to be appropriately handled.
Effective hiring strategies for truck drivers are essential for long-haul and local delivery companies. You may successfully locate the best truck drivers for your company by adhering to basic best practices, which include identifying your needs, creating a job post, holding interviews, performing background checks, and making offers.
1. Establish the Salary & Specifications for Truck Drivers
The employment process for truck drivers is the same as for any other kind of worker. All of it starts with knowing what you need.
Since not all truck drivers require a commercial driver's license (CDL), the first thing to ascertain is if your driver must possess one. Your driver won't require a specific license if your delivery van is driven around the city. You should still seek a driver with prior expertise operating the kind of car you require, though.
A CDL is available in several classes for bigger trucks, enabling a driver to operate multiple vehicles carrying various loads.
2. Truck Driver Salary
You also need to decide how much you're going to pay this person at this point. An employee driving a truck typically makes around $67,000 a year. However, the precise amount will vary based on the knowledge, training, and experience you need. The higher the level of experience and competence required from the truck driver, the higher the hiring cost.
As an alternative, you may collaborate with a truck driver who works independently. An independent contractor truck driver typically makes around $70,000 a year. Even though it is more than the typical employee compensation, hiring a W-2 truck driver will probably cost more because your business will have to pay for its extra expenses, taxes, and overhead.
You might categorize the truck driver as an independent contractor if you have the power to grant them autonomy over the hours and methods of their employment. But, a truck driver is a W-2 employee if you must manage that component of their employment. Make sure you comprehend the distinctions and legal ramifications between 1099 and W-2 workers if you want to work with an independent contractor truck driver. Misclassifying a truck driver might result in large fines and penalties. In this guide, you can see the many kinds of employees and the details of these classes.
3. Create Job Description, Post Job Ads & Review Applicants
Finding a qualified truck driver depends on the job description, including the CDL qualification and other requirements we discussed previously.
In order to make it easier for prospective truck drivers to see your job posting during their search, you should include keywords in addition to the job description and the abilities you're looking for. It's time to draft a job advertisement, publish it on a job board, and begin receiving applications after finishing your job description. Make sure your job post includes at least a few phrases that promote your organization in addition to the essentials. In the current labor environment, truck drivers have an abundance of alternatives in terms of where they may work.
What distinguishes your business? What advantages do you provide? Talk about these specifics and make sure you've done your homework on your rivals to determine whether you're providing perks that go above and beyond what the industry norm offers, which will give you a competitive edge.
On the same day that you post your job advertisement, you should anticipate receiving applications. You will receive more applications for truck driving positions the more junior the position. You must exclude those who are not eligible in order to sift through these applications. Even while no candidate will be flawless and able to check every box, knowing what your prerequisites are for this role will enable you to swiftly weed out unfit candidates and move on to those who better meet your needs.
4. Conduct Interviews
Select the eligible candidates you wish to interview after going over the applications. Limit this list to around twelve items, or you risk becoming overloaded with choices.
Once you have a list of candidates for interviews, give them a call rather than sending them an email to arrange a time. You may have a quick conversation with candidates over the phone to find out how interested they are in the position. Additionally, scheduling interviews over the phone is typically faster than waiting for email answers.
Ask each candidate comparable questions during the interview process. By doing this, you can make sure that every candidate is evaluated fairly by comparing their responses to questions that are comparable to theirs. Consider the following sample questions, which you might find useful:
In addition to promoting discussion, these questions can help you learn more about the applicant's background and capacity for critical thought. Long-haul truck drivers, in particular, are often left alone and have to make snap judgments when there's no one else to guide them. Your driver must be someone you can rely on to make the correct choices.
5. Make References and Conduct Background Investigations
Once the interview process is over, you'll need to refine your selections once more. This generally occurs on its own since certain applicants will stick out from the crowd. Make an effort to reduce your pool of applicants to at most three. Ideally, you have a lead applicant and have rated your possibilities.
At this point, request at least three supervisory references from each candidate. At least two of them should be on the phone with you. It's crucial to speak with managers since they may provide you with information on the truck driver's performance at work and point out any concerning behaviors.
Doing a background investigation on the truck driver you wish to recruit is also essential. If the driver has any past charges relating to their employment, a background check might influence your opinion of them. When employing someone to drive your corporate vehicle, you should be aware of their prior driving record, including any DUI convictions, speeding tickets, accidents, and other driving-related difficulties. Background checks may reveal these things.
In addition to representing your company, while they are driving, your truck drivers run the risk of bringing your organization into disrepute if they are involved in an accident. For instance, your business may be held accountable for any harm to third parties if your truck driver is delivering
something and is intoxicated. Ensuring that your truck drivers have a clean driving record and that you routinely provide compliance and safety training is essential.
A background check should only be conducted after the candidate has given their approval. You might email the candidate a template form to sign provided by the background check business.
6. Make a Proposal
It's time to extend an offer to the job candidate you've selected to be your next truck driver. I like to give the applicant the good news over the phone by giving them a call first. This provides you the chance to discuss any last-minute specifics, such as start date and pay, and to hear about their excitement.
Once everything is decided upon, draft an official offer letter. Don't forget to mention the employee's start date, compensation, perks, job title, and work tasks in the offer letter. Give the candidate a few days to examine, sign, and return the offer letter once you send it to them.
Using technology for all of this is acceptable as well. By having the employee and yourself sign the offer letter online, you may expedite the back-and-forth procedure. You can start acclimating the applicant to the team as soon as you have their signed offer letter back.
The hiring of truck drivers continues even after the contract is signed. The true difficulty arises when trying to keep them on board as long-term employees of your business.
Remember that the trucking sector has a 94% turnover rate, which means that most drivers don't last more than a year before switching to a new employer.
Make sure you understand how to keep excellent drivers on board so you don't have to spend as much time, money, or energy hiring and training new hires. Make sure to interact with your drivers on a regular basis, address them by name, and convey your gratitude.
Remember that your drivers are human, too, so whenever you can, let them go home. Additional factors that will support driver retention are:
Getting feedback from drivers on important issues, particularly when it affects them. Transparent communication is the habit of always being truthful and forthright. Employing truck drivers is an investment in their future, so provide them with ongoing training.
There are several ways on how to find truck drivers to dispatch:
Don't forget to have a polished CV that focuses on your qualifications, experience, and talents.
Any driver can lawfully operate the truck if they have a Class A CDL. However, that is the very minimum needed. There are other factors to take into account if you're looking for experienced drivers.
It's always a good idea to inquire about a candidate's equipment experience when evaluating them because, fortunately, many drivers with more than a few years of experience frequently have knowledge of a variety of equipment kinds. The following are the most typical kinds of gear and experience used by truck drivers:
1. Flatbed Truckers
Despite having a straightforward appearance, a flatbed trailer can carry loads that need for certain load-securing knowledge. Professional drivers with expertise using flatbeds should be well-versed in the correct techniques for load securing. They also need to understand weight distribution, load size restrictions, and load tarping procedures.
It could be essential for you to concentrate on hiring one expert flatbed driver and use them to instruct other qualified but unskilled or inexperienced drivers on how to operate flatbed equipment safely and correctly, as experienced truck drivers are harder for new businesses to locate.
2. Dry van truckers
Among the easiest equipment kinds to use are dry van trailers and the payload they transport. Many drivers have acquired their initial training on this kind of machinery. But no matter what kind of technology is used, inexperienced drivers will always be a risk.
Your most valuable resource is truck drivers; they are the way you can finish jobs and get paid. It will be simpler to employ and keep drivers if you treat them with the respect they deserve for giving up so much for your business. This will make it easier, more profitable, and faster for you to grow your business. Follow our top expert's tips on how to find drivers for my trucking company and find ideal and professional truck drivers for your needs.
We took this video from Trucking Made Successful YouTube Channel.
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