5 Important Things to Remember When Hiring Truck Drivers

With 25% of all trucking positions open, it’s clear the world needs more truck drivers. And if you own a trucking business, you need to set yourself apart to land the best drivers. What should you keep in mind as you hit the recruiting trail?

Read on to find out 5 important things to consider when hiring truck drivers!

1. Establish Your Ideal Truck Diver Persona

Hiring ethical and loyal employees should be central to your business plan. That’s why it can be beneficial to set up a truck driver persona. This allows you to pinpoint the qualities you most value and find candidates who match them.

For instance, if you have an unblemished safety history, prioritize clean driving records in your candidates. If you focus on long-haul rides, be explicit so that short-range drivers won’t apply. And be clear about technology expectations if those are a priority, too.

2. Use a Clear Job Posting

Are you hiring for regional or cross-country routes? Details such as these are critical to include in job descriptions. With so much competition for straight truck drivers, you want your company to stand out from the pack.

Yes, you should require a CDL and good references. But you also need to advertise the perks and benefits packages that elevate your company. Talk about holiday bonuses, pay increases, and company culture.

3. Offer Good Incentives When Hiring Truck Drivers

How do you maintain a good workforce? You do that with good and ongoing incentives.

Offer retirement benefits that include financial contributions or a company match. Offer raises once a driver has met a benchmark of incident-free deliveries.

You also may want to include wellness benefits or generous time-off packages. Drivers spend a lot of time on the road, and they’ll appreciate the opportunity to refresh!

4. Communicate Expectations

While you’re at it, share details of the onboarding process with job candidates. While they may have some experience, each operation is different. For instance, they may need to pass an internal test on new technology in the cabin.

Similarly, if you use transportation logistics software, a new driver may need to know how to use it. If you’re tracking workflow, they’ll need to know what metrics to watch as far as fuel efficiency or maintenance is concerned.

5. Hire Straight Truck Drivers Using Referrals

The best route to an ideal truck driver is through referrals. A referral means that another person has offered an endorsement of a particular candidate. In other words, the individual has been vetted as a quality hire.

You can go to trucking schools to find some of the most promising new drivers. In fact, you may want to extend offers through recruiting sessions at the school. You could fill vacancies before these new drivers even officially graduate!

Find the Ideal Truck Driver

Hiring truck drivers may sound like a headache, but it doesn’t have to be. With a combination of clear job descriptions and onboarding processes, you’ll come across as professional. With some performance perks, you’ll earn their loyalty.

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