10 Tips for Recruiting Truck Drivers
It’s no secret that the trucking industry is facing a serious driver shortage. It’s also no surprise that with more drivers reaching retirement age and the pandemic becoming a headache for his supply chain, hiring truck drivers has never been more difficult. You can improve your success rate in attracting the right candidates by being creative with your hiring practices.
1. Narrow down the target driver
Truck driver recruitment strategies are more effective when you know exactly what type of driver you want. Consider experience points, stats, preferred type of route, etc. Finding the right driver makes them more likely to stay to reduce employee turnover.
2. Use social media
Their social media platform is free and allows you to easily access and interact with potential drivers. Post regularly on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to grow your following. Share trucking industry news, feel-good stories, testimonials from current drivers, and behind the scenes business. These posts show potential recruits what your company is like. Remember to actively engage your followers when they comment. Reply to comments, answer questions quickly and start building relationships on social media.
3. Diversification of employment of truck drivers
When hiring truck drivers, it’s best to diversify. You can’t rely on a single recruiting method, such as. For example, just post on an online job site or post a job on your company’s job site. By using multiple methods, you can reach more people, including those who may not have been able to find your job postings through traditional methods. For example, you can recruit drivers at college job fairs, or work with local industry associations that host job fairs.
4. highlight the driver
Of course, you want to brag about how great your company is, but don’t forget to put your drivers first. A driver-centric approach to hiring helps potential applicants imagine what it’s like to work for your company. Employees want to know how their employment will benefit them. So highlight any special benefits you offer, such as paid time off, truck lease purchase programs, or bonuses that you may qualify for at work.
5. Reconnect with previous candidates
Another way to hire a truck driver is to research previous candidates. Your company may not have been the right fit for you at the time, but things change. We may offer different options today, attractive additional perks, or the candidate may have experience not previously available. If the previous candidate got a job with another transportation company, we may decide that the choice was wrong. Reach out to former candidates and former employees who left on good terms.
6. ask for recommendations
Your driver will talk about their experience with your transportation company. They probably have a friend who is also a driver, who talks to other truckers at truck stops. Creating a formal employee referral program will encourage employees to speak a little more and be more persuasive. For referrals that start with the company and stay for a period of time, we offer incentives. B. Cash Bonus or Paid Time Off. This not only makes current drivers an advertiser for your business, but it also shows your appreciation and may encourage them to stay with your business.
7. Conduct an exit interview
Unfortunately, more drivers are leaving than are entering the industry today, but you have the power to reverse this trend. Conduct an exit interview when someone decides to leave the company to find out what went wrong. There are some factors that are out of your control, such as: B. When the driver leaves the company simply because he is ready to retire. If you notice multiple people giving the same feedback, it could be an indication that changing a company’s policy can attract more drivers and keep others away. .
8. Simplify the process
A quick and easy application process can make prospects more likely to complete their application and accept your job offer. With her mobile application in addition to other options, you can simplify your application and appeal to tech-savvy drivers. We don’t want to cut corners when it comes to verifying drivers, but the faster you can process background checks and background checks, the sooner applicants will be in the driver’s seat before getting their next offer.
9. study the competition
What are the characteristics of your shipping company? Unless you study your competitors, you may not know the answer to this question. One of the best ways to recruit truck drivers is to imitate successful strategies. So, when one of your competitors finds one effectively expanding their workforce, find out what they are doing. One way to do this is to search their job descriptions to see if they offer benefits they offer, requirements for new hires, and special training programs.
10. Offer Competitive Compensation
Researching other companies will give you an idea of how much the most popular companies pay their drivers. Are they offering a service package that you don’t? Maybe no reason.