Struggling To Find Qualified Drivers? 3 Ways To Get Better Applicants

The transportation industry makes the world go ’round, literally. The core activities of the industry make up 6% of global economic activity, and at the heart of the transportation industry are truck drivers. In many ways, truckload shipping and LTL shipping provide the hard, grizzled backbone of the transportation sector. As falling fuel prices caused celebrations the world over, many companies reported difficulty in finding qualified drivers over the past several years, with truck driver shortages earning headlines all over North America.

If you’re struggling with finding qualified drivers this year, then there are several ways you can step up your recruitment process. Ultimately, companies that aren’t successful finding qualified drivers will always be three steps behind.

For help finding qualified drivers for your company, familiarize yourself with these three simple pieces of advice:

1. Safety First!
Over the past two decades, there has been a growing awareness of the unique health risks faced by truck drivers. Not only do they face all the dangers that come with spending long amounts of time on the highway, but they also face risks during the loading/unloading process. Plus, remaining in a sitting position for prolonged periods of time can lead to poor health.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has distributed tons of information on best practices for truckers and their employers. And while you can’t eliminate the hazards faced by truckers, do your best to advertise the fact that you take safety and health seriously. In your office, job postings, website, and face-to-face, make it clear that you understand the risks they face and want to be part of the solution.

2. Improve Your Job Postings
Not only is it crucial to ensure that you’re distributing your job posting in the right places, it’s also important to improve the job posting itself. Is your description of qualifications and responsibilities vague, out of date, or inaccurate? Do you establish a clear career path so drivers don’t think you’re advertising for a dead-end job? Finally, update the design of your posting and triple-check for typos or errors that give a negative impression of your company.

3. Improve Pre-Employment Screening Requirements
Our first two pieces of advice should help you attract more applicants, but they won’t necessarily help with finding qualified drivers. The quantity vs. quality issue. Every two to three years (if not more often), you should review your screening guidelines and look for ways to improve them. If you have had to let any employees go in that time, find out if there was a red flag in their application that you missed.

Lastly, work to improve the speed with which you conduct background checks and pre-employment screening. Remember, your company isn’t the only one working on finding qualified drivers. The longer your screening process takes, the higher the chance the driver will move on to another job opportunity.