truck driver recruiting strategiesBy 2024, the driver shortage in the trucking industry is estimated to reach 175,000. Trucking companies will be in serious peril unless they continue to refine their driver recruitment strategies.

While there is no single best way to recruit CDL drivers, there are driver recruiting techniques that successful recruiters employ to attract good drivers to enter into mutually beneficial business relationships.

An effective way to recruit truck drivers involves a two-pronged plan of action:

  1. learn approaches that attract top talent to apply to your company, and
  2. retain those drivers by listening to their needs with genuine concern and doing your best to accommodate them whenever possible. 

Knowing how to recruit CDL truck drivers is a skill, like any other, that only improves through learning and practice. Here are some ideas on how to get ahead in a challenging market:

STRATEGIES TO ATTRACT DRIVER APPLICATIONS

The first step is to capture the interest of likely employment prospects and persuade them to submit an application.

1. List Openings on Online Job Boards

When drivers search for truck driving jobs, online trucking job boards are often the place where most drivers begin. Job boards like CDLjobs.com are devoted specifically to promoting truck driver jobs and helping your postings garner more attention from qualified candidates. Listing your openings on these sites is essential to find drivers in this tough market. Investing in featured truck driving job posts which receive greater visability gives companies a huge advantage over others who are also struggling through the driver shortage all by themselves.

2. Keep Your Company Website Up to Date 

In many cases, what you present online is the first impression a prospective driver will have about your company. It’s imperative that you make it a good one by keeping your content fresh and up-to-date. A prospective hire isn’t going to think much of your operations if your website promotes your 2019 pay rates and includes several broken links. If outdated information is what they find, they’ll quickly move on to another job.

Your website should also share compelling success stories from your current driving force. Interested candidates are far more likely to apply for your jobs when hearing from drivers willing to vouch for you as an employer.

3. Ask for Driver Referrals

Chances are very good that the drivers you employ now have friends who are drivers with other trucking companies or who want to get in the business. A referral program will help you find new drivers with the help of the ones you already have.

However, take a delicate approach. Make sure your current drivers know that you're not looking to replace them, but augment your current workforce, which will benefit your drivers by allowing you to take on more contracts. Offering your current drivers a finder's fee or referral bonus as an extra incentive is often especially effective.

4. Think About What Drivers Want

Your recruitment materials shouldn't be solely focused on you and your company. Demonstrate to your prospective applicants how they stand to benefit from working for you. Reference the qualities that make your company a particularly great place to work by always trying to answer the implicit question, "What's in it for me?”. Successful recruiters in today’s world aggressively anticipate driver needs. They understand that this is an extremely competitive market, and they’ll fail if they’re not able to communicate their company’s value to drivers.

STRATEGIES TO USE WHEN TALKING TO CANDIDATES

As you receive promising applications, it's best to connect with candidates quickly. You’ll need to determine if they are, indeed, a good fit for your trucking company and are still interested in the job. Use these proven strategies while engaging with prospective drivers:

1. Sincerity Matters

Show that you care about each applicant as an individual, not just as a potential resource. Address the driver by name and say "thank you" every chance you get. Applicants have an instinct for detecting sincerity and they’ll place their trust in one who shows it.

2. Be Helpful

Each applicant is coming to you from a unique situation, with different wants and needs. You won't be able to fulfill every request, but make every effort to be accommodating. Even if the answer to their request is ultimately "no," the driver will appreciate any genuine effort you make on his or her behalf.

3. Communicate Clearly

Make an extra effort to ensure that drivers understand your operation. Provide clear and detailed explanations. You may know that your company is the best fit for the driver, but unless you can get your points across effectively, he or she may not understand and move on.

4. Listen to the Driver

While you're explaining how your operation works and why your company is great to drive for, be sure to listen to the driver and understand what he or she needs from a job. Again, do your best to accommodate the driver's needs and wants to the extent possible, but if the job turns out not to be a good fit, be honest about it and don't string the applicant along by offering false hope.

Sometimes, for many different reasons, drivers may decide to move on from your company. An exit interview is an opportunity to find out why and ask if there's anything you can do to change the driver's mind. Keep this feedback in mind when hiring new drivers and use it to ensure your workforce is happy and productive.

TRUCK DRIVER RECRUITING IS STILL A PEOPLE BUSINESS

Working as a Driver Recruiter is undoubtedly a tough job. However, “We didn’t get any leads this week,” is not an acceptable answer during your management meeting when you’re getting beaten up over a small driver orientation class. Do your homework and learn about truck driver recruiting techniques. Take advantage of the strategies we’ve given here. Perhaps most importantly, make sure you’re doing business with advertising people who understand that driver recruiting is still a people business and not simply number generation. You’ll be miles ahead in the long run.

advertise with us

Authored By:

Kate Williams

CDLjobs.com has been a leader in the trucking industry since 1999, connecting truck drivers with companies hiring drivers. Kate Williams is the company EVP and CFO with over 30 years experience in finance.