As an Owner-Operator, you may choose to grow your business by hiring additional truck drivers. Whether you're leased onto another carrier or have your own operating authority, drivers have the power to make or break your business. On the one hand, they can be very rewarding and increase your earning potential drastically. On the other, they can be very risky and even force you off the road. Given that the trucking industry is rife with significant labor shortages - a predicted 100,000 people by 2024 - and turnover is as high as nearly 90% - recruiting, hiring, and retaining drivers can be challenging.
Much of this challenge stems from how the trucking industry as a whole has traditionally viewed and treated the very people that keep it running - its drivers. Low pay, inflexible schedules, demanding lifestyles, and more, are all key factors that play into the day-to-day experience. Today's market conditions of high fuel prices and low rates have only exacerbated the challenges for Owner-Operators, and subsequently, temporarily or permanently driving many out of business (no pun intended) when the numbers just don't add up.
Many carriers are trying to solve this issue by focusing efforts on finding and hiring qualified and reliable drivers for the sole purpose of delivering the load. Once the load is delivered, the carrier, the driver, and potentially the broker (if applicable) split the revenue. This would mean that the more drivers delivering loads, the better, right? Not exactly.
It's not only about hiring to deliver the load. The relationship between a carrier and a driver is a partnership. And just because someone has their CDL does not mean that they are right for the job.
Yes, the driver should be qualified and reliable to deliver loads, but it's all about finding and retaining the right drivers who want to enter into that partnership with you. This means that, as an Owner-Operator carrier, the value a driver can bring to you is immense, and it's also important to pay close attention to the value that you will bring to them. The success of your business depends on strong, healthy, and trusted partnerships that you create with your drivers.
Let's dig into best practices to help you find, hire, and retain great driving partners for the long haul. This article - Part 1 - will discuss finding and hiring great driving partners. Stay tuned for retaining great driving partners - Part 2 - coming soon.
The Importance of Hiring the Right People
When an Owner-Operator runs under your authority, everything they do is a direct representation of you and your brand. This includes their actions behind the wheel and the state of their equipment. One poor decision and everything can crumble. Scores such as your PSP and the carrier's CSA directly influence the state of your business and the opportunities ahead of you, such as whether brokers, shippers, and customers will work with you. One bad inspection - or worse, a serious accident - can change everything.
Although high turnover is standard in the trucking industry, the onboarding and offboarding process is costly. Finding the right people to lease on can take time - even if it requires a larger upfront investment. Additionally, how you engage and retain them once they lease on matters tremendously. It's important to spend the time and energy in determining how you will support, recognize and reward them for good behavior, and then of course, live up to your word.
The right person means looking at the whole person. Are they in it just for a paycheck? Or will they play for the entire team and be invested/involved in your overall mutual success?
So how exactly do you find these right people?
Find Qualified Driving Partners
It may not seem apparent, but you start building a relationship with candidates far before your first interactions with them. In order to find qualified driving partners, you need to know where to target your efforts and how to get your operation and your open position(s) in front of qualified applicants. Keep in mind that as you're reaching out to them, they’re scoping you out in every interaction, too, to see if you are someone they would want as a partner. Yes, they're looking for a job, but it goes beyond their employment status. Truck driving is challenging enough, and especially as an Owner-Operator, there are many additional needs to consider such as access to business opportunities, benefits, back-end support, community, and more.
Be upfront and clear about what you can offer to prospective drivers. As you start talking with them, ask questions to find out what it is that they value and look for with a carrier. This will help you stay afloat on current trends to increase your chances of finding the right partners.
Meet Drivers Where they are
Start with the basics by listing your openings on a trucking-focused job site. Popular options include:
Most industry-specific sites have both free and paid options depending on the level of service you require. You might also wish to consider general online job boards like Indeed.com, Google for Jobs, and Jora.com.
Get Creative with Social Media
Posting jobs online is a good start when your goal is to attract quality applicants, but it isn't always enough when the labor market is tight. The next step is to get creative with your social media accounts.
Create engaging digital content like blog posts, day-in-the-life videos, and infographics, then use them to update your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram accounts regularly. Join online forums and social media groups dedicated to the industry and make regular contributions to discussions. Establish yourself as a subject matter expert and build your reputation as a preferred employer.
While making yourself known in online forums, pay special attention to underrepresented groups like women in trucking. You will find great candidates while simultaneously encouraging people from all sorts of backgrounds to feel welcome in the industry.
Consider leveraging paid advertising tools on social media as these tend to be cost-effective. Your marketing dollars go further because you have complete control over the audience that is presented with your content.
You can narrow down who sees your posts based on their interests, industries, age, geography, and so forth - and you typically only pay when someone interacts with your ad. Best of all, social media marketing comes complete with in-depth analytics features, so you can easily determine which posts are most effective at attracting attention.
Implement a Simple, Transparent, and Ghost-Free Hiring Process
Getting noticed by prospective applicants is just the beginning when it comes to attracting top talent. How you handle the recruiting process from the moment a potential hire sees your post through their onboarding and training will determine your overall success.
Here, the goal is to make the application and hiring process simple, friendly, and transparent for candidates. Show them exactly who you are from the start.
DO:
- Keep your application short - extra points if candidates can complete it with their mobile devices
- Include non-negotiable requirements for employment up-front - if there are any must-haves (e.g., CDL class and/or endorsements) or deal-breakers (e.g., related to safety record, criminal history, etc.), put them at the top of your form
- Set expectations around the timing of the hiring process - if it's going to take two weeks, say so and then deliver
DON'T:
- Make applicants enter and reenter the same information on multi-page forms
- Ask about topics like marital status, family size, age, religion, and similar, as these sorts of questions can run afoul of employment law
- Ghost your applicants or leave them waiting around and wondering if or when you will get in touch
Once you have the application information and appropriate release forms, be sure to follow up on the details. It can be tempting to assume no one would put down references unless they can be sure of getting positive feedback, but that's not always true. Make the calls, run the background checks, and do the tests. In other words, trust but verify. Remember, these checks aren't just to be sure your candidate is a good fit - many pre-employment screenings and tests are required by law.
Scrutinize the Documents
These are some of the records to review before bringing a new driver on board:
- CDL status - critical, as you may be liable if you employ a driver who has more than one license or has a license that is revoked, canceled, suspended, or disqualified from driving
- Motor Vehicle Records - minimum of a three-year history in each state where the applicant has been licensed and three years of Department of Transportation records to check safety history
- Pre-Employment Screening Score (PSP) - a Department of Transportation program that compiles critical safety information about each driver
- Criminal Records - be sure to cover federal, state, and sex offender registries as some felonies make drivers ineligible for a CDL - and other criminal activity may make the candidate a poor choice for your company
- Employment History - make the calls to confirm dates of employment and whether or not the company would be willing to rehire that driver - if not, why not?
- Health Screenings - a Department of Transportation requirement, as conditions like seizure disorders, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure can make operating trucks unsafe
- Drug Testing - safety is always a priority, but it is also worth noting that the damage to your brand if your driver causes a crash while under the influence is nearly impossible to repair
As a best practice, have clear, detailed company policies that specify which results are and are not acceptable, then handle all applicants consistently according to your policies. This reduces the risk of claims that candidates are being discriminated against based on gender, race, religion, and other characteristics protected by law.
Keep in mind that skipping critical screenings will cost you time and money in the long run, and can even risk your entire operation.
A number of standard background checks are required by regulatory agencies, and you can be assessed fines, fees, and penalties for any missteps. The rest serve to get you the best possible drivers, protect you from allegations of negligent hiring, prevent damage to your brand, and keep employee turnover to a minimum.
For example, if you discover that a candidate has a history of falsifying documents to avoid regulations (e.g., unplugging the electronic logging device or altering logbooks), chances are that this would be a high-risk hire and someone who could put you out of service.
Doing your due diligence can be time-consuming, especially if you don't have dedicated staff to manage HR, compliance, and/or recruiting tasks. The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to handle these details yourself. There are automated background screening services and vendors that take care of the process for you. In many cases, the time you save by outsourcing pays for the related expense.
Ask The Four Most Important Interview Questions
Finally, before you commit to hiring a driver, spend some face-to-face time in person or through video conferencing tools. This is your opportunity to get a feel for how the candidate will fit in with your team, and it is a chance for candidates to ask questions and self-select out of the process if they don't think it's a good match.
Be honest when you describe the pros and cons of working at your company. No good can come of painting a rosy picture for candidates, only to have them feel misled once they start. Certainly, it is disappointing when a great driver determines that your company isn't their first choice. However, it is better to know now than to expend onboarding and training resources only to face turnover within the first few months of employment.
You don't necessarily need a lengthy discussion that includes a long list of interview questions. In most cases, you can make a hiring decision after going through the basics. These four questions are often enough:
1. Tell me about your work history?
Compare the information provided during the interview with the information on the application to spot any discrepancies. Follow up by specifically asking why they left previous jobs. Take special note if the candidate makes it a point to disparage previous employers. This will give you a sense of their level of professionalism.
2. Tell me about times when you have had breakdowns or unexpected delays. What happened, and what did you do to solve the problem?
Here, listen for indications that the candidate stays calm and identifies smart solutions during a setback. It can also give you a sense for how they interact with their carriers, including their communication skills.
3. Have you ever missed a deadline? If so, what did you do?
Two things come to light here - first, is it realistic that an experienced driver has never missed a deadline? Perhaps, but never missing a deadline while staying compliant with regulations and procedures is questionable. It's wise to probe a bit more if you get those answers. Second, you can get a sense of how well the candidate handles customer service through the response to this question.
4. What do you do to stay safe on the road?
It's a big question with dozens of possible answers, but the specifics aren't really the point. Through the answer to this question, you will gain an understanding of whether and how the driver prioritizes safety.
Hiring Great Business Partners: The Bottom Line
Bringing in additional drivers can help grow your business, but your overall success depends on hiring the right business partners. Invest the time upfront to connect with qualified drivers to really get to know them and start to build a strong relationship.
Be sure to thoroughly screen your applicants, then conduct a brief interview before you make a final hiring decision. These steps increase the likelihood that your drivers will get the job done safely, on time, and in a way that positively reflects on your brand.
Other relevant articles:
Business Partners for the Long Haul - Part 2: Retaining Great Truck Drivers