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5 Ways to Recruit the Best Drivers

In an earlier post, I mentioned that recruiting is both an art and a science. If you keep reading this post you should be able to pick up on some subtle, and not so subtle, ways that I perform my art. Today I am going to talk about the science of recruiting.

We have a saying in our office, “Flatbed ain’t for sissies!” That goes for both drivers and recruiters. The weak need not apply. My job is not easy. For that reason, I am going to stick with the broad strokes, giving you a template that will act as a jumping off point without giving up too many of my well-earned secrets.

Below are five basic steps to bring top quality drivers into your terminal.

1. Run a business worth working for.

This step tops the list for a reason; top quality drivers are informed and cautious about where they apply their skills. Their day-to-day life and livelihood is in the hands of the company and dispatch that they work for. Companies that understand and respect this will recruit and retain the best drivers no matter what methods they use. Your best recruiting tools is a well-run, considerate organization.

2. Know who they are.

Thinking that all drivers are the same is TOTALLY the wrong perspective. Seasoned professionals out there on the road tend to be a specialist in their given area. They know the ins and outs of their lanes, their freight, and their equipment. Get to know the best of the best in your driver pool and find out what makes them tick.

3. Know where they are.

You may think that because you dispatch and track your drivers you know where they are. I’m going to keep this one very simple. Dig deeper and think outside of the box.

4. Be real.

A major rule of thumb for recruiting and on-boarding new employees is to tell them exactly what to expect. Of course you want to share and sell all the great things about your company. It is equally important to share some of the challenges. No one wants to feel like they are being sold a line. If you don’t know the answer to a question simply say that you don’t know. Never lie; it will come back to haunt you!

5. Run like Hell!

Recruiting ain’t for sissies and it ain’t a 9:00 to 5:00 job!

That’s all I’m giving you folks. Good Luck!

 

Have a recruiting story that you would like to share with us?

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