Are you looking to recruit truck drivers for your business? You're not alone. Companies recruiting for trucking are hiring in record numbers, with truck driver job openings expected to grow 6% by 2030. But finding qualified truck drivers can be challenging, and businesses scramble to find qualified CDL drivers. With the current driver shortages and high turnover rates, it feels nearly impossible to find dependable drivers.
But there is still hope. You don't need to jump into the driver's seat to keep your trucking business rolling. If you need to fill open positions, here are some transportation recruiting strategies to help you find CDL drivers for your business.
Where to Recruit Truck Drivers
If you're struggling to recruit truck drivers, it's time to broaden your search. While traditional job posting sites can be helpful, they may not attract truck drivers with the experience and qualifications you need. Here are a few methods for recruiting the best trucking talent.
Recruiting for Trucking and Hiring Through Social Media
Social media has changed the game when it comes to truck driver recruitment. With over 75% of U.S. internet users using platforms like Facebook, it's hard to ignore that many truck drivers use social media as a way to connect with other truckers, share experiences, and even search for truck driving jobs.
Take advantage of social platforms by creating a company profile on trucking-specific social media sites, such as truckdriver.com or truckersreport.com, as well as general platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. Actively engage with truck drivers by sharing industry news and updates and responding to questions or comments. Use your company profile to showcase the benefits and perks of trucking with your company.
Build Relationships with Trucking Candidates
Relationships are key in truck driver recruitment. Find job prospects through networking and referrals and build connections with truckers you encounter on the road or through social media. Think of the type of content they would enjoy on your website or social media accounts, and use it to connect with trucking candidates and offer them valuable information.
Why build relationships with prospects?
When trucking prospects are looking for new opportunities, they'll look to you first because now they know and trust your company. Connecting with CDL drivers on a personal level can also help you better understand their needs, making it easier for you to create employee benefits and incentives that will attract truckers to your business.
Recruiting for Trucking: Hiring From Job Boards
You're probably very familiar with job boards. These are traditionally the go-to location for job seekers of all industries to find open opportunities. Unfortunately, job boards can frequently be a hit or miss when finding qualified truckers.
So, instead, use trucking-specific job boards to reach CDL drivers specifically looking for trucking jobs. Optimize your truck driver job posting to get better visibility by including details about your company culture, benefits, and qualifications required for the job.
Be Selective with Applicants
When it's hard to find truckers, choosing any truck driver who applies to fill an open position can be tempting. But rushing the trucking hiring process can often lead to hiring CDLs who aren't a good fit for the job, leading to high turnover rates and wasted time and resources.
So, take your time to vet CDL trucking applicants and ensure they meet the necessary qualifications and are a good cultural fit for your trucking company.
Trucking: When Hiring, Be Mobile-Friendly
Many truck drivers use their smartphones for work-related tasks, including searching and applying for trucking jobs. Make sure your job application is mobile-friendly to attract job seekers who may be on the road during their job search.
Mobile-friendly means creating applications that are easy to complete on the phone and don't require CDL truckers to download any additional programs or attachments. It also means having a responsive website that displays correctly on mobile devices, making it easy for applicants to learn more about your company and apply for trucking jobs.
Conclusion
Finding CDL drivers for your business can be difficult, but there are many strategies you can use to hire qualified CDLs for your team. And if you get stuck, consider hiring a truck driver recruiting agency to assist with your hiring needs.
At Hire Velocity, we specialize in truck driver recruitment. As one of the top driver recruiting firms, we've developed a proven recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) strategy that combines the best hiring practices and tactics to recruit drivers. These proven practices are your route to success in hiring your next truck driver.
Your company's success is directly tied to the truck drivers you choose to pedal your ascend. We offer a route map with many factors that can affect recruiting and retaining drivers, along with solutions for finding top talent.
Contact us today to hire top CDL drivers.
