10 Tips to Hire the Best Truck Drivers for Your fleet in 2018
16 Jan 2018
The men and women who drive in your fleet not only help your business make money, but they also serve as ambassadors for your business by representing your name and your brand every time they are on the road. It’s important to hire the best of the best who will do great things for your company and represent your name well. These tips will help you hire the best truck drivers for your fleet in 2018 and beyond.
- Conduct Interviews in Person
While the information age makes phone and Skype interviews possible, nothing yet replaces the ability to look someone in the eye to gauge them as a person you’d want to have on your team.
- Verify Licenses and Certifications
While you want to trust the men and women you’re considering hiring, these people will represent your business. It’s good to trust, but verify, for the sake of your business.
- Incentivize Safe Driving
Excellent driving skills are necessary for truck drivers, but that doesn’t mean that drivers always exercise the greatest care when they are out of sight. GPS fleet tracking allows you to track driver behavior so you can reward good drivers while taking corrective or disciplinary actions with those who are not driving safely.
- Review Work History
Confirm the work history of drivers and check their references. This is just one more way you can cover your business if something occurs down the road. You don’t want to have missed something important, like a completely falsified work history.
- Search for Criminal History
You can’t afford to hire drivers with histories of theft from employers and other criminal charges that could reflect poorly on your business. While you may not be interested in arrests made for college pranks, stealing from former employers is a red flag you’ll want to know about before you hire new drivers rather than after.
- Invest in Driver Health
Healthy drivers are good for business. It’s as simple as that. Driver health is important and good health can result in fewer accidents, lower absentee rates, and reduced instances of driver fatigue. Driving is a demanding job that leaves men and women spending a lot of time seated, investing in good health programs that get them on their feet and out of their seats when possible is a great way to boost your business and keep good drivers lining up to work for your fleet.
- Keep a Good Reputation
Your reputation isn’t only important to customers. If your goal is to have the best drivers working for you then you need to make sure you develop a reputation for treating your drivers well. Use social media and request that your drivers say a few good words about your organization from time to time as well.
- Offer Abundant Time at Home
Drivers and their families give up a lot when drivers spend a great deal of time on the road. It’s not an easy life. Giving them plenty of time at home can improve their mental health, their physical health, and their happiness working for you. This reduces turnover and helps boost your reputation.
- Recruit Military Veterans
Hiring military veterans is not only good for business, but it can earn your business tax credits too. It will boost your reputation with customers and drivers alike while giving deserving men and women an opportunity to earn for their families upon returning to civilian life.
- Test Practical and Mechanical Skills
While it is essential to be certain your drivers have the practical skills behind the wheel to get the job done, they also need to possess some basic diesel mechanics skills too if they are driving long hauls for your fleet. Testing both allows you to put your drivers on the road with confidence that they can handle most situations that will come their way.
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