5 Skills Every Driver Recruiter Should Have

It’s no secret that there is a major shortage of truck drivers in the United States.

As of November 2021, according to the American Trucking Associations, the driver shortage is estimated to be around 80,000 drivers. And, over the next decade, the trucking industry will need to hire nearly one million new drivers to replace drivers who are retiring or who have left the driving profession for other opportunities. With so many vacant driver positions in a highly competitive market, it’s easy to see why your recruiters need to be more effective by using every advantage at their disposal. 

Driver recruiters are faced with the tough task of consistently filling their driver pipeline with qualified candidates. By recruiting smarter and more effectively, you can up your game and find the best drivers for your company.

To recruit truck drivers and meet your hiring quota, use these five time-tested techniques more effectively.

Be Proactive

The more confident and bold you are in your efforts, the better chance you’ll have at putting qualified truck drivers behind the wheel. Being proactive is key to a becoming a successful driver recruiter. You should be fearless in your approach; follow-up by calling leads in a timely manner, before the lead gets cold. Ask questions and really listen; many times drivers will flat-out tell you what they need in order to drive for you. Be honest with applicants that are not a good fit and move on to those who are. Get out there and be proactive!

Be Organized

Being organized is also an essential driver recruiter skill. If you’re talking with numerous candidates and managing a ton of different projects at once, things can start to pile up if you’re not keeping the details organized. Take the time to structure your to-do lists, folders, emails, and calendars so you can better prioritize tasks. The more detail-oriented you are, the easier it will be to keep track of your progress and achieve your recruiting goals.

Stay Prioritized

During the first quarter of the business year, recruiters are taking on heavy workloads to grow their network, review applications, and seek top driver candidates. It can be overwhelming to find the time to do it all – and to do it well. So, instead of trying to do everything at once, make some tasks “urgent and important” and do those first. Make other tasks “not as urgent but still important,” and those can be done after the urgent tasks.

Be Flexible

Recruiting requires you to be patient and stay flexible to adapt to changing situations. Sometimes the task at hand might take longer than you think, due to elements outside of your control. During those times it’s important to remain calm, which will ultimately help you in retaining candidates’ prolonged interest in the position. Also keep in mind that being flexible with your regular office hours can pay off, such as staying a few minutes late at your desk to respond to an email from a potential driver or taking 10 minutes on the weekend to answer Facebook messages.

Cultivate and Maintain Relationships

Relationship building is a crucial skill for reaching your recruitment goals. Every time you communicate with a possible hire, take time to understand what that driver really needs. This means engaging in meaningful conversation, not just spitting out a list of pay and benefits. In fact, many professional drivers are seeking other carriers and opportunities because the respect and appreciation is just not there in their current job. Find out what each driver’s real motivation is and continue to check in on your leads. In turn, you’ll be able to provide answers that are significant to them and build better candidate relationships.

Use these fundamental skills daily. Use them until they become second nature, and you can become even more proficient at meeting your driver recruiting goals.

For more than 30 years, the Hightower Agency has been a leader in the recruitment advertising business. Give us a call and let’s talk about your hiring needs!