10 Steps to Finding the Ideal Truck Driver
Are you looking to hire CDL drivers? Unfortunately, finding qualified drivers that fit your company culture and suit your requirements is getting harder. We’ve prepared the following 10 steps to find and Hiring Class A Drivers.
Whether you’re one of the companies hiring CDL drivers for over-the-road (otr), regional, dedicated or local truck driving jobs, you’ll save time, money, and resources by working with an expert recruitment service such as Rig on Wheels which has been around the trucking industry for over a decade. We can help new recruits set realistic expectations and specialize in driver retention to keep you from going back to square one with driver turnover. We assist trucking firms in finding the best truck drivers for their needs and corporate culture by assisting them in recruiting, hiring, and retaining top personnel.
1. LEARN DOT AND FMCSA COMPLIANCE REGULATIONS
Before starting the truck driver hiring process, find out what the DOT and FMCSA compliance standards are. Knowing the norms and legislation is critical when it comes to hiring a driver.
In the United States, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) both regulate the trucking industry. In order to keep America’s roadways safe for the general public, the FMCSA uses roadside inspections and onsite audits for data scoring and enforcement actions to monitor and ensure compliance with federal motor carrier safety and commercial rules.
2. ATTRACT THE BEST CDL DRIVERS THAT FIT YOUR COMPANY
Rig on Wheels Truck Driver Recruiting Agency recommends finding out what it takes to attract ideal drivers for your company. We’ll then help you establish a strategic hiring roadmap based on your company’s culture. Why should truckers choose your company over others? Think about your company’s distinct selling points.
· Do you pay higher than the industry average wages?
· Are you a top carrier in the region?
· Do you give better home time opportunities for truck drivers?
· Do you have a good company culture?
· Do you offer growth opportunities?
· Do you offer competitive benefits?
· Do you reward hard work? In what ways?
· Do you treat truck drivers as a family, valuing their voice and addressing their issues?
· Are you committed to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) diversity and inclusion initiative?
In a nutshell, what sets you apart? What are the benefits of choosing you over other carriers for drivers? Tell them everything you’re up to so they’ll think you’re the ideal match for them. Assume you’re on the phone with a driver recruitment firm. Truck drivers evaluate development opportunities, reliable freight, more time at home, a competitive compensation package and benefits, excellent communication, safe equipment and trucks, suitable business assistance, and regularly scheduled runs, among other things.
Truck driver recruiting services would also recommend that you reflect on the type of commercial truck drivers you want in your team and know what they want. For example, companies hiring CDL drivers looking for local route truck drivers should find drivers who will be happy to drive and come home daily, and those long-haul truck drivers should be satisfied with less hometime.
Answering the above questions will offer you a clear picture of the people who are right for your firm. It will also be beneficial to understand truck drivers’ overall preferences. Older CDL drivers, for example, may be looking for organizations that provide them with predictable and consistent home time. Younger truck drivers, on the other hand, may not mind and may be happy to work overtime.
3. DETERMINE TRUCK DRIVER SPECIFICATIONS
Know what to write and describe in a job description before you start creating one. It’s the same as when you hire other types of staff for your business. Recognize your requirements. Do you require endorsements for truck drivers? It’s critical to hire someone who has experience and knowledge of the type of truck they’ll be driving for you. CDL endorsements are not required for all truck drivers, such as those operating a dry van.
A CDL is divided into several classes. If your ideal truck driver will be driving a larger truck, they will need a CDL Class A. This must be stated in the job description (JD) so that qualified candidates will apply. Use keywords in the job description in addition to listing specifications to help job seekers find your job posting when they’re looking for work.
Tankers, flatbeds, animal carriers, dump trucks, hazardous trucks, double trailers, and trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds are all operated by Class A drivers. Class B drivers, on the other hand, operate buses, smaller dump trucks, and box trucks. Class C truck drivers, on the other hand, operate and drive passenger vans.
In the job description, think about what you’re going to pay your truck driver because it may vary based on the education, skills, and experience you need them to possess. Truck driver recruiting agencies note that you’ll need to pay higher for drivers with higher expertise, helping you attract your ideal candidate.
Truck drivers that work as independent contractors might also be found. However, taking this route would include paying additional fees such as the W-2 truck driver’s overhead and taxes. You have the option of hiring an independent contractor truck driver, but be mindful of the legal implications and variations between W-2 and 1099 employees.
4. CREATE A JOB ADVERTISEMENT
Once you’re clear of the job description, it’s time to sit down and write your job advertisement. This is one of the first steps to recruiting a truck driver successfully, recommends owner operator recruiting services. Next, you should start finding your ideal truck driver. An attractive job advertisement should highlight the benefits of working for your fleets, such as vacation time, set routes, and a fixed schedule.
Make it explicit in the advertisement how many hours truck drivers must work and how much money they can expect to earn. You must emphasize the qualifications you seek in truck drivers, just like you did in the job description.
Are you unsure how much you should pay your driver? Take a moment to consider your budget. You might also look at average truck driver salaries. Then, see what other companies have to offer their drivers. Offer a bigger pay to be more competitive.
Do you want to be charged based on the number of miles you drive? This can work, but it can also be difficult for a driver who is looking for a job. Furthermore, drivers rarely plan their routes ahead of time. As an alternative, you may pay home daily drivers on a per-hour basis with predetermined routes. Look at the delivery schedules and related legislation that control the sector and regulate the amount of hours truck drivers can be on the road for the number of hours.
For efficient driver recruitment, include information about experience requirements in the job advertisement. Do you want to hire a driver that has a lot of experience driving commercial vehicles, for example? Include it in your article. It’s possible that this is a safer option than hiring novice drivers. As a result, you might include “Commercial driving experience desirable” in the advertisement. If you want to hire people who have never driven a truck before, make it clear in your advertising that you accept people who have recently completed a truck driving school.
Type your job ad a couple of times to proofread for errors. Don’t forget to write your contact details, such as your email, mobile phone number, and office address. If you have a website, be sure to write it, too. Also, have the driver complete a DOT-required application.
By providing health insurance, you may demonstrate that you care about your drivers’ well-being. You might also mention whether or not unloading and loading are part of the work. Make it apparent from the start, for example, to attract prospects looking for truck drivers in your area. This will assist drivers who have had bad experiences with other carriers relax.
Click here to read about preventing Jobfishing.
5. ADVERTISE THE JOB
When you’ve completed creating the job ad, put it to good use by hiring CDL drivers. Post it on generic employment sites like Indeed to reach a large audience and recruit rapidly. In addition to large sites, you can post your position on job boards, which can be general or truck driver-specific. Consider posting on a few employment sites to broaden your reach and quickly acquire truck drivers. Other sites to check are All Truck Jobs, FlexJobs, JobiSite, Jora, EveryTruckJob.com, Google for Jobs, Truck Driver Jobs 411, and CDL Jobs.
Do you have a website? Use it for advertising the job. It will be better if you have a CAREERS page where you can post the vacancy. Format your job correctly, use the right keywords, and expose it to more candidates. Google for Jobs should be able to pick it up so that it appears in the search results.
6. RECEIVE APPLICATIONS AND CONDUCT INTERVIEWS TO HIRE CDL DRIVERS
Once you’ve received applications, look for the best truck drivers that suit the position. Start vetting candidates.
Pro- Tip [Do you like the driver based on the application responses? Reach out to them quickly to avoid losing to another company. Then, move on to the next step to shorten the hiring process.]
Inquire about their last two employers and why they left during the interview. You could also inquire about their motivation for being a truck driver and whether or not they are comfortable driving for long periods of time. Examine their look, or pay attention to their professionalism and behavior if conversing on the phone. You might ask how the potential driver addressed a road difficulty, how they function under pressure, and how they handle job stress, in addition to the standard inquiries. Inquire about their strengths and weaknesses to discover if their personality is consistent with your company’s culture.
Other possible questions
· How do you keep yourself alert and focused while driving?
· What do you like the most and the least about being a truck driver?
· Have you been in any road accidents in the last five years? Describe what happened.
· Have you missed a delivery deadline? If you had, how did you handle it?
· How would you handle a situation like a delay in the shipment?
· Have you ever experienced a shipment problem? How did you handle it?
· When can you start?
· What are your salary expectations?
7. RUN DRIVING HISTORY AND BACKGROUND CHECK
You’ll be entrusting your equipment, truck, and shipment to the driver, so don’t take this decision lightly. After you’ve completed the interview, reduce your list down to three top applicants. Next, request at least three references, preferably supervisors, to call in order to get a good image of how each applicant performed on the job. Speaking with these references will also reveal any negative behavior or other red flags.
A background check is also essential to find the right truck driver for the job. It will help you learn about the truck driver, his driving record, and any job-related offenses. It will also reveal moving violations and accidents before hiring the truck driver.
Your insurance company and a pre-screening business will pull reports like DAC, PSP, MVR, and Clearinghouse. These studies will go over the driver’s background and driving history in great detail.
8. SCHEDULE A ROAD TEST AND DRUG TEST
This phase is crucial for determining the candidate’s talents and providing an opportunity to further explore the role. Check your local laws before the road test to make sure you’re following the rules.
Make sure the possible driver is scheduled for a drug test. Before the driver pulls his first load, he must pass a drug test.
9. MAKE AN OFFER
Give the candidate a call and let them know the wonderful news. Make an offer when you’ve finished your reference and background checks. Use a formal offer letter to spell out the income, benefits, job responsibilities, and start date. Please email it to them so that they may review and sign it. You can also complete the procedure electronically to save time. Use an online signature to make the back-and-forth procedure easier and faster.
10. DO A PROFESSIONAL AND COMPLIANT ORIENTATION
You’ll have to teach the new truck driver yourself if you don’t have any experienced drivers in your fleet. Discuss job expectations as well as specific job processes and standards. When it comes to expectations, one of the main reasons people quit their employment is because they have no idea what to anticipate. As a result, state it explicitly in your job description and onboarding procedure from the outset.
If you are interested in working with a truck driver recruiting agency specializing in retention, call Rig On Wheels Broker & Recruitment Services today. We are here to help your company recruit and hire your ideal class A drivers that will stay. Need help? Call 281–968–3100 today!
Contact us today!
If you work in the trucking industry and want to share your experience, email me at recruiting@rigonwheels.com
To learn more about Rig on Wheels Broker and Recruitment Services.
Email questions to recruiting@rigonwheels.com
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