Hiring Truck Drivers: Everything You Need to Know

Tags: Fleet management

Currently, the most pressing issue in the trucking industry is the lack of drivers. The American Trucking Association (ATA) estimates that the trucking sector in the United States will require nearly 1,000,000 new drivers over the next ten years.

Aside from the driver scarcity, carriers must also deal with the issue of driver retention. Large truckload carriers now have a driver turnover rate of 92%, up since the last quarter of 2021.

Driver recruitment, on the other hand, can assist fleets in laying the groundwork for lower turnover and higher retention rates. So, let’s address how the trucker shortage is impacting hiring in the industry, and driver recruitment ideas that might assist fleets in dealing with retention issues.

How Trucking Remained Dominant in a Challenging Year

Anyone looking for a career in trucking can find hope in knowing the trucking industry is the nation’s lifeline. Though the pandemic has deeply impacted the industry, trends show the trucking industry sustained through all odds against them.

ATA Chief Economist, Bob Costello, reported, while trucking remains a small business industry, 91.5% of fleets operate on six or fewer trucks. Additionally, trucks moved 70.9% of the value of surface trade between the U.S. and Canada and 83.8% of cross-border trade with Mexico. These percentages make up a total of $695 billion worth of goods.

The data speaks for itself when understanding how valuable the trucking industry is to this country’s economy. This is why encouraging more individuals to consider a professional career in trucking is vital for the economy and goods needed in the US as well as neighboring countries.

How Has the Truck Driver Shortage Impacted Hiring?

The lack of professional truck drivers is a tricky matter influenced by several factors. Trucking businesses have faced great difficulty filling driver positions due to supply, demand, and the global pandemic. With much of the trucker population retiring, there’s a need for fresh talent looking to take over vacant positions.

Additionally, since demands increasing due to COVID-19, many industries are now regaining their footing. More items are being exported, and truckers are working overtime to meet the increased demand.

Truck drivers were among the few workers who remained relatively unaffected by the pandemic’s economic problems. Throughout the epidemic, professional truck driving was a vital service. These circumstances have caused trucking companies to increase incentives to join their team.

What Potential Truckers are Looking For

When looking at what drivers care about, you can better understand their priorities based on the preference of local, regional, or over-the-road (OTR) routes.

One of the factors that appeal to some truck drivers is local jobs that enable them to have more home time. The approximate amount of life balance potential truck drivers can expect should be noted clearly in the job description.

Speak to the days off or working shifts so they can get an idea of their usual schedule and see if it fits their lifestyle. Regional or OTR routes can offer variation for future members of your fleet and open the door for increased income opportunities.

When it comes to talks about compensation. Make sure your offers are competitive or above average for your location. This is an element you can use to boost your value proposition. For this reason, a driver in your fleet may feel valued not only by the benefits offered but the company culture you’ve fostered.

Review what you have to offer, and you will know where you will stand with candidates by asking this question: Why should drivers choose my company over one of my competitors?

5 Tips for Hiring Truck Drivers

If you may not know how to empower your recruiting team, start with redeveloping a practical recruiting approach. Likewise, think of the individual’s ideal work-life balance when hiring truckers.

You’re more likely to win loyalty from drivers in the future if you work together to guarantee they have a say in the type of work they do. So, let’s take a look at these five tips for hiring and retaining truck drivers to build a stronger recruitment strategy that will work best for a fleet of any size.

1. Offer a Competitive Package

Low pay ultimately causes many drivers to leave carriers. Although driver pay has grown dramatically in recent months, many drivers still believe they are underpaid. If you offer competitive pay to your drivers, you are more likely to retain them and maintain a high retention rate.

See what other trucking businesses have to offer. Then double-check that the package you’re offering meets industry standards. Consider including health and wellness perks in addition to a competitive package to attract more eligible drivers.

2. Define Your Workplace Culture

Many fleets, regardless of size, may brag about having a family culture. This allows for more personal communication between personnel, resulting in the family culture that many fleets speak of.

When hiring drivers, it’s critical to communicate this close-knit culture. Driver testimonials are a great method to do this. Potential drivers are more inclined to believe their peers than anyone else in your fleet. Solicit testimonials from your present drivers about their excellent experiences with your fleet, which you may use in your advertising, on your website, and elsewhere.

During the driver recruitment process, it’s critical to emphasize all of your company’s non-monetary benefits for team-building or recognition purposes. While a competitive salary is crucial in all industries, including non-monetary incentives may be required to retain good drivers.

3. Driver Training and Onboarding

Driver education and training is most important. If your company offers paid training or even assists with obtaining endorsements, this is a well-rounded career setup for new drivers.

The introduction of new technology like electronic logging devices (ELD) and dashcams, as well as constantly changing laws, has made it a bit difficult for drivers to get up and running quickly.

If you have a good driver training and onboarding program in place, new drivers you recruit may feel more at ease. Make sure new drivers are well-acquainted with the fleet’s internal procedures. This way, they will feel welcome and optimistic about their career choice in trucking.

4. Modernize Your Latest Recruiting Methods

To attract and recruit qualified talent, use the most up-to-date and innovative tactics. Drivers are increasingly using social media as a tool to study firms, read comments, and evaluate employers. When people like, follow, share, or comment on your material, the number of people who see it grows rapidly.

It’s not enough to make sure you’re publicizing job openings on social media. Post interesting material that drivers will want to see on your platforms. Furthermore, optimizing your content for search engines will ensure that your website receives an uptick in traffic.

Because drivers are frequently on the road, they will search for job openings on their mobile devices rather than their desktops. Streamlining the application process will go a long way toward alleviating recruitment constraints. Make sure the apps are short and easy to use on mobile devices.

Digital tools for recruitment and advertising are always evolving, so keep an eye out for new ones and decide whether or not they’d be useful.

5. Use Job Boards and the Latest Digital Marketing Tools

Job boards are one of the most effective ways to reach out to potential drivers. People looking for truck driving jobs use the Internet and, specifically, driver job boards to find available positions more than any other medium.

These sites are rapidly evolving and growing every day, and they are becoming increasingly popular for users. This is a notable reason why your company should have a strong presence on job boards. By adding this recruitment tool, you can significantly improve the number of qualified applicants.

Retaining Your Fleet

The driver recruitment process is the starting point for a successful driver retention plan. Shortlisting the best drivers for your fleet, offering attractive packages, and having clear expectations from the beginning are just a few tactics to reduce turnover and stay afloat in the face of the growing trucker shortage.

It may also be beneficial to reach out to your truckers to see what can be improved. Changes internally may be needed, and feedback will be the backbone of your retention strategy. Fostering intentional driver-carrier relations will strengthen loyalty and dependability within the company in hopes of a close-knit team for years to come. By following these tips, you can successfully piece together your strategy for hiring truck drivers.

Learn More with Hale Trailer

In this day and age, hiring truck drivers has become increasingly difficult due to the trucker shortage and increase in demands. Recruiters and hiring managers nationwide need help with modernizing their strategies and helping companies increase retention. To keep trucking along in the current industry’s climate, discover how to keep freight moving while offering competitive pay and benefits for those seeking a career in trucking.

Even amid a truck driver shortage, Hale Trailer is committed to being a viable asset for your fleet. We stand by knowledgeable professionals nationwide willing to help with hiring truckers for open CDL positions.

See our exceptional line-up of trailers in action now available for purchase or rent. Learn how we can work for you by browsing our inventory online or visiting one of our locations.