7 Things to Look for When Hiring a Commercial Truck Driver
With a national shortage of commercial drivers, finding a driver to meet your needs has never been more challenging. But there are reliable drivers out there, like those at Corcoran Trucking. Here is how to spot a reliable truck driver when finding the right logistics partner for your business.
They Have Extensive Professional Experience
One of the first things you need to look at is the candidate’s experience. With a shortage to the tune of 50,000 drivers nationally, many companies are rushing to train batches of new drivers, resulting in a wave of inexperienced and newly-trained drivers entering the talent pool.
There is nothing wrong with these drivers, and if you are looking to save on expenses, their salaries will likely be lower than more experienced trucking veterans. However, in the world of commercial trucking, there is no substitute for road miles and years behind the wheel.
They Demonstrate Strong Practical Skills
As part of the recruitment process, you should assess the candidate’s driving ability. During this section, you should ensure the candidate can reverse the truck smoothly, hook and un-hook a trailer and move through the gears without issue.
They Know the Tricks of the Trade
Asking what the longest haul they have completed and how they stayed awake for the duration of the journey will expose their knowledge of the legal limits regarding driving a commercial truck. It will also demonstrate if they are accustomed to driving on long routes and know the best ways to keep themselves awake.
Check their CSA Profile
A potential driver’s Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) profile will demonstrate the driver’s past accidents, driving violations (including tickets), and any other incidents that could indicate the candidate to be an unsafe driver. Run a candidates CSA profile to ensure the driver before you do not have any skeletons in their closet they don’t want you to know about.
They Have Good References
Ask for references from other clients the driver has worked with. If they are a reliable driver, their former clients should have nothing but glowing reviews for their services. If they don’t, or the driver does not have references or client testimonials, it should be a red flag and might be worth investigating deeper.
They are Willing to Have an Evaluation within the First Two Weeks
Once hired, it is a good idea to follow up with an evaluation within the first two weeks. A transportation manager should follow the driver on the road, without informing the commercial truck driver they are doing so, at some point in the opening two weeks. An experienced and confident commercial truck driver will not be phased by this follow-up evaluation.
They Understand the Importance of Safety
Ask the driver in the interview to imagine they are running late on an order. Ask them if they would consider driving faster to meet the deadline, even if they weren’t confident it would be safe to do so in the given conditions. You want to find a driver that knows safety is paramount. An accident will do more damage, both physically and to the brand reputation, than a simple late delivery.
