Let me be more precise, when arranging interview you should prepare a plan that will imply communication for the trucking company’s safety policies as well as practices.
This way you will be one step closer to hire best truck drivers because you will allow them to see what is valued and for what they will be held accountable if hired.
Always take time to balance the overall fit to the position as well as the driving habits a candidate might have!
Hire Best Truck Drivers Tip No.3: Qualified Truck Driver Applicants
Applicants with a clean driving record and stable work history are the ones that trucking companies are looking forward to hiring!
You will be in the position to evaluate truck driver applicants by accessing their technical skills and the knowledge that they have in their hands. Each truck driver who is applying for an opened job position in a particular trucking company is required to have obtained a Class A CDL. Yet, there are trucking companies in the USA providing free training for CDL driver’s license.
So, the first and foremost thing that you will have to check when interviewing a truck driver is whether he has the needed qualification for the job opening in your trucking company.
For example, if your trucking company is specializing in transporting hazardous materials, then you should be looking for truckers who have undergone the hazmat materials test and have obtained hazmat endorsement.
Hire Best Truck Drivers Tip No.4: Have a practical skills interview
How can you find out if the truck driver who you want to hire knows to accelerate smoothly through the gears, back up as well as hook up air lines?
Well, you can find out all these facts and figures during the second interview. It is then when the applicant gets the chance to demonstrate his basic skills.
This process is of a great importance, mainly because the lifestyle and the profession of truck drivers are pretty much demanding, and it cannot be compared to any other.
The truck driver holds in his hands a lot of responsibilities, starting from the loading and unloading, continuing with the safe and on time transportation, up to the compliance with all the rules and regulations that are issued by the American Trucking Associations-ATA, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration-FMCSA, and the Department of Transportation-DOT.
So, if you want to hire best truck drivers you will have to check their practical skills!
Hire Best Truck Drivers Tip No.5: Run the CSA Driver Profile
Trucking companies, as well as truck drivers in the USA, should be well familiar with the CSA.
Moreover, the CSA is the data driven safety compliance and enforcement program which has been designed by the FMCSA. The main reason why this safety compliance and enforcement program came into action is due to the prevention of injuries, fatalities as well as truck crashes.
Later on, the CSA is composed of three core components:
- The Safety Measurement System (SMS);
- The Interventions;
- The Safety Fitness Determination-SFD;
Through these three core components, the trucking company can determine the safety fitness of the potential truck drivers.
Thereupon, when you want to hire best truck drivers you will have to run their CSA profiles.
This will make things crystal clear to you; you will be in the position to see if the potential truck drivers have had any accidents, tickets or other safety related incidents.
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Hire Best Truck Drivers Tip No.6: Customize Your Process
Each trucking company has their own set of rules and requirements that their truck drivers have to fulfill on a daily basis. In that direction, we can see that one size does not fit all truck drivers.
Precisely said, trucking companies which are looking forward to hiring best truck drivers should customize their process. By customizing their process, I refer to customizing the requirements one must fulfill.
For example, some companies in the customization of their process have included the following points:
- 5-year minimum clean driving record;
- Request Insurance Approval;
- Road Tests;
- Drug Screening;
So, as you can see, there are trucking companies that have a bit stricter hiring standards.
Hire Best Truck Drivers Tip No.7: Core Screening
Trucking companies that are in the process to hire best truck drivers should have in mind that the Department of Transportation regulations stipulate that employers must retain a qualification file for every truck driver.
This qualification file should include: medical exams, motor vehicle records MVR (from each state where the driver has held a CDL in the prior 3 years), yearly driving evaluations as well as road certification.
But in addition the truck driver should as well be checked for:
- Employment Verifications;
- PSP pre-employment screening program;
- Drug/Alcohol Violation History Verifications;
- National and County Criminal History Searches;
- National Sex Offender Registry Search/ National Sex Offender Public Website;
Hire Best Truck Drivers Tip No.8: Driver Training and Testing
Once a trucking company hires best truck drivers it will put them through additional rigorous training on their rules, procedures as well as guidelines. That is to say, trucking companies nowadays are providing full training and are subjected to regular refresher courses and testing.
Thereupon, trucking companies once they evaluate that their potential hire is a responsible and mature individual, will offer them satisfying and secure career.
Hire Best Truck Drivers Tip No.9: On the job evaluations
Straight after the newly hired truck drivers finish their orientation period and training, they will have to be evaluated on the job.
Henceforth, the main purpose of on the job evaluations is to recognize and evaluate the driving skills of the trucker. On the job, evaluations will help trucking companies to see whether the new truck drivers can adhere to company’s policy.
