How one can Rent a Truck Driver in 5 Steps

Truck drivers are the lifeblood of this nation and its financial system. Certain, trains and planes are good, however the reality is that truckers transport practically three-fourths of all items within the U.S. If you happen to purchase one thing in a retailer, it most likely got here off a truck.

Downside is, there’s presently a scarcity of truck drivers, because of the hardships of their life-style — loneliness, stress, grueling hours, an growing older workforce and excessive turnover charges. It doesn’t assist that plenty of truck driving colleges went out of enterprise throughout COVID-19 lockdowns.

Conserving that in thoughts, does what you are promoting want to rent a truck driver? Then you could be sensible about it. Regardless of the scarcity of drivers, you possibly can nonetheless discover a good one — so long as you comply with this step-by-step course of.

1. Resolve What Sort of Truck Driver You Want

Not each truck driver is behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler. There are completely different sorts of vans, so there are completely different sorts of trucking jobs. They’ve completely different abilities and completely different sorts of licenses.

Earlier than you publish your truck driving place on an internet job board like ZipRecruiter or one in every of its opponents, you’ll must know precisely what you want.

Except your driver is simply cruising round city in a supply van, they’ll want a Business Driver’s License, or CDL. These come in several lessons. Right here’s a breakdown of your choices:

Class A CDL

Your basic massive rig driver. They’ll drive vans weighing over 26,000 kilos, which incorporates tractor-trailers, tanker vans, livestock trailers and flatbed vans. They’ll additionally drive most automobiles in Courses B and C.

Class B CDL

They’ll drive automobiles that aren’t connected to a trailer. This consists of dump vans, field vans, faculty buses, metropolis buses and vacationer buses.

Class C CDL

They’ll drive vans weighing lower than 26,000 kilos.

Endorsements

To haul sure sorts of specialty masses, your driver will want sure “endorsements” along with his or her CDL.

P: The Passenger endorsement permits them to drive automobiles holding as much as 16 passengers.

S: The College Bus endorsement permits them to drive a college bus. They should get a “P” endorsement first, then cross a background test and a written check.

H: The Hazardous Supplies endorsement permits them to haul hazardous supplies.

T: The Tank endorsement permits them to haul double trailers, and even triple trailers.

2. Do a Little Homework

One thing to remember if you rent truck drivers: The truck driving business is closely regulated.

Earlier than you write a job description — and we’ll get to that half subsequent — you’ll must do a few issues. First, try native, state and federal legal guidelines relating to trucking. You don’t need any nasty surprises there. Second, be sure that what you are promoting insurance coverage will cowl a truck driver.

The federal authorities requires interstate truck drivers to have a USDOT quantity from the U.S. Division of Transportation. Some drivers additionally want an MC quantity or Motor Service quantity in the event that they transport passengers or federally regulated commodities throughout state strains.

State legal guidelines usually govern issues like most load weights, insurance coverage necessities and varied street and gasoline taxes.

You’ll additionally wish to test together with your firm’s insurance coverage supplier to ensure you have the suitable protection.

3. Submit the Job

Now that you recognize what you need, it’s time to go discover it. Right here’s the place your job posting is available in.

To promote your truck driver place, you’ll wish to use a job posting web site like ZipRecruiter. It’s a market that enables employers to publish a job opening to a number of job boards on the identical time. It’s an excellent place to search out truck drivers.

ZipRecruiter makes use of synthetic intelligence to resolve the place to publish your job vacancies, and it makes use of its matching expertise to research thousands and thousands of knowledge factors to search out one of the best potential matches in your job.

It’s free for employers to attempt for 4 days. After that, there are numerous packages you should purchase, relying in your wants. ZipRecruiter presents three completely different month-to-month plans, primarily based on what number of jobs you wish to promote. Costs begin as little as $16 per day for one reusable job publish.

A key to success right here is to put in writing a particular job description. Describe what sort of truck driver you want, and in addition focus on wage, advantages, driving distances and scheduling. Do some analysis in your competitors earlier than deciding on a proposed wage.

That is one of the simplest ways to search out certified candidates and rent truck drivers. And your job description is vital.

4. Interview Your Candidates

Hiring truck drivers requires a particular type of interview. When you slim down your record of candidates, schedule some interviews. It’s as much as you whether or not you do in-person interviews, telephone interviews or Zoom interviews.

Some key questions:

• Ask them to explain their skilled driving expertise intimately.
• What licenses or license endorsements have they got?
• Have they been in any accidents? Have they been cited for any violations?
• How do they keep alert and targeted whereas on the street?
• How mechanically inclined are they? What sort of truck upkeep do they do? Have they ever needed to cope with a breakdown on the street?

Skilled drivers ought to have good solutions to those questions. New truck drivers may need a more durable time.

Along with the interview course of, you’ll wish to vet your chosen candidates, similar to every other worker. Run a background test and name their references.

5. Make an Provide!

Today, truck drivers have their selection of truck driver jobs. When you’ve determined to rent a specific truck driver, allow them to know straight away.

Did we point out there’s a scarcity of truck drivers? Don’t dilly-dally. In case your most popular driver is actively on the lookout for work, you’ll want to rent them earlier than another person does.

As soon as they settle for your supply, begin the onboarding course of. Go over wage, advantages, trip time, expectations and coaching.

Like we mentioned, there’s a severe scarcity of truck drivers on this nation, and that’s not more likely to change anytime quickly.

If you happen to comply with these steps, although, it’s best to be capable to get an amazing truck driver. ZipRecruiter is an efficient place to search out truck drivers.