Towne Air Takes Driver Recruiting Into The Here And Now

June 11, 2013

photoHow An “Old School” Owner Operator Company Bet On A Millennial. And Won.

Amber Egierski’s first job after earning a 2008 degree in Business Management was as Marketing Director at an Orlando car dealership. When she joined Towne Air Freight in 2011, she had no previous driver recruiting experience. And yet, in less than two years, she convinced the 50-year-old company to abandon long-held biases about how to successfully recruit truck drivers today.

1

Amber Egierski

Which leads to a pretty obvious question: What happened?


Tech-Savvy Drivers: The New Reality
“The simple answer would be,” says Towne Air’s VP of HR Jerry Scott, “that Amber convinced us Owner Operators were more technically-savvy than we thought they were. Most of us who’ve been with the company for a long time would freely admit to having an Old School mentality. At the same time, we realized something important: We recognized that we didn’t know what we didn’t know; particularly when it came to interactive recruiting media.

“Amber helped us catch-up quickly to what a leading-edge company in this industry does today. Having grown-up with technology all her life, she was a lot more comfortable in that arena than we were. Just as importantly, she was, and continues to be, very passionate about it.”


Exploring Alternatives To Traditional Advertising
Even more importantly, it might be argued, Amber did her homework. “When I joined Towne Air, I saw real growth potential for my place in the recruiting department. I was certainly aware of the explosion of Mobile among my own age group—where it’s almost like, if you don’t have a Smart Phone, you don’t exist. So I started researching alternatives to traditional print advertising.”

“Since Owner Operators are independent contractors, I figured there would be a high penetration of Smart Phones among that group—which also meant they would be more likely to conduct job searches either online or through mobile apps.”


Turning A Budget Upside Down. And Succeeding.
Scott continues, “Once we bought-in to Amber’s argument about Owner Operators’ technological savvy, we basically turned our media-buying budget upside down. Two years ago, we spent 95% of our budget in print publications. Today, we’re down to 10%—and the rest is in online advertising and mobile.”

Result? “In 2012, we had the best recruiting year in our company’s history.”


Because Success Takes More Than Empty Promises
So does that mean that interactive and mobile alone led to Towne Air’s phenomenal success? “Far from it,” says Scott. “We also modernized our package of pay, benefits and retention incentives. In short, we put meat behind our advertising message. We didn’t just tell drivers what they wanted to hear. We found ways to give them what they wanted and needed.”

Proof, once again, that there are no easy answers in successful recruiting.

FOR FURTHER READING

How NOT To Recruit Owner Operator Drivers (Part 1)

Driver Recruiting Ads Should Focus On What Matters To Truckers

CR England Automates Truck Driver Recruiting. Should You?

Leave a Comment » | Advertising, Benefits, Digital Marketing, Driver Pay, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention, Media Advertising, Owner Operators, Recruiters | Permalink
Posted by francishare

How NOT To Recruit Owner Operator Drivers (Part 1)

March 19, 2013

Truck Driver in Semi Truck

Six Tips From Three Experts

It’s no secret that recruiting Owner Operators is harder than ever. By some industry estimates, the total number of Owner Operators in the market is 1/3 what it was just before the recession began in 2008.

Not only that, says CareersInGear.com’s Carol Gibson, Owner Operators are less likely to switch companies now than they were just last year. “Freight’s good for Owner Operators now, so why would they leave—particularly if they’re with companies who took care of them when freight was down?”

Which made me think that now might be a good time to ask a few experts (including yours truly) for specific lessons they’ve learned—either from others, or from experience—in recruiting Owner Operators over the years.


FRANCIS HARE - TalkingTruckers.com

1)  Don’t underestimate the challenge. You have to invest more to attract Owner Operators than you do to recruit Company Drivers. Particularly if you’re just now entering the Owner Operator market. That starts with developing a powerful brand message that sets you apart from the competition. A message that’s communicated consistently, from your print and online ads to the “talking points” your recruiters use during telephone interviews.

If your brand isn’t well-established, the only way to overcome that disadvantage in the short term is with a truly superior offer, IE: Significantly higher pay or sign-on bonuses; or maybe an especially competitive Lease Purchase program. And don’t even think about recruiting Owner Operators without a solid referral program.

2)  Don’t change your message in mid-stream. One of the most important reasons to think through your messaging strategy is because it takes time to establish that message in the market.

Common ad-world wisdom holds that someone has to see your message three times before it sinks in—so if you change your message, it’s like starting over from scratch. Particularly with online job boards—where every content change drops you down the queue in maximizing your job posts’ prominence on the web, and frequent changes will pretty much keep you stuck at the back of the line.

Bottom line: Develop a strong selling message and offer. Then give it enough time to start working. And don’t panic if it doesn’t generate immediate results. You’ll only make the situation worse.


JEFF GRAY - Randall Reilly

3)  Don’t limit your advertising to one medium. Different generations access information differently. While there’s been a decided movement in spending toward online job boards, Gray notes that the truck driving population is aging. “The youngest Boomers will be 50 by the end of 2004, and studies clearly indicate that older drivers (who are typically not computer savvy) are much more apt to seek job info from print sources.”

4)  Don’t under-spend on your ad budget. Gray notes that when Randall launched the Owner Operator Network in 2011, the company committed a huge investment in search advertising to reach Owner Operators. “And remember,” Gray says, “that was two years ago, when the pool of Owner Operators was larger than it is now.”


JEREMY KELLETT - Oakley Trucking

5)  Don’t “sell”. More importantly, don’t over-sell. No company is right for every driver, says Kellett—so it’s important to determine first if there’s a good match between a prospect and your company. “If you try to make an opportunity sound better than it really is, or if you try to place a driver in a position he won’t like, you’ll end-up losing that driver. And you’ll probably hurt your reputation in the process.”

6)  Don’t expect to hire drivers on the first call. Hiring Owner Operators is like any business sales cycle, Kellet notes: It takes multiple contacts. “It’s a process of building a relationship, and mutual trust—and that takes time.” Conversely, Kellett cautions against hiring drivers who are ready to start work with you immediately. “Whenever we hear from a caller like that, a red flag goes up. And we almost always find-out there’s a good reason we were suspicious in the first place.” 

COMING SOON: PART TWO

FOR FURTHER READING:
Five Steps For Recruiting Owner Operator Truck Drivers

Better Branding Maximizes Truck Driver Recruiting Effectiveness

4 Ways Oakley Maximizes Driver Recruiting And Retention

2 Comments | Advertising, Benefits, Branding, Communications, Driver Incentives, Driver Pay, Driver Recruitment, Driver Referrals, Driver Retention, Media Advertising, Owner Operators, Recruiters, SEO | Permalink
Posted by francishare

How Con-way Recruits Young Truck Drivers With Apprenticeships

February 27, 2013

A well-run apprenticeship program can be an excellent way to replace your aging fleet with loyal young drivers whose skills you know you can trust.

David May, a driver-sales representative for Con-way Freight, is a well-known industry advocate and ambassador. He’s written a heartfelt piece that looks back at his past—and ahead to trucking’s future. Here are the highlights:

After graduating high school in 1976 I was living in an old steel/manufacturing town where there were few employment possibilities. The only things at that time that interested me were truck driving and serving in the military. If I entered the military, they would train me to drive a truck, and when my enlistment was up I would be 21. So that’s the course I took, serving my country and being a truck driver in the military.

How to Attract the Next Generation.
I have been a professional truck driver for 28 years now, and increasingly I ask myself: How do we attract the next generation to the trucking industry? Simple. Take a page out of the past, invite them to join as an “apprentice”—where they can learn and experience the profession through paid, on-the-job training.

How to Structure Your Apprenticeship Program.
At Con-Way, apprentice drivers are offered a part-time 20 hour week working on the dock to provide them with income. The other 20 hours will be spent learning the industry’s rules, safety regulations and how to drive a truck—at no cost. When the candidate successfully completes the program, they’ll be offered the opportunity for promotion to full-fledged Con-way Driver.

Additional Benefits: Producing Well-Trained, CSA Compliant Drivers.
This program is designed to do much more than fill the seats of Con-way Freight’s trucks. When the student completes the program, not only will they have their Commercial Drivers License (CDL), they will have learned how to be CSA 2010 compliant. They’ll be among the best trained, safest and most knowledgeable drivers in the industry.

Click on the following link to  read the original article, “A Driver’s Story – Encouraging the Next Generation”, in its entirety.

Too Expensive For You?
Maybe you’ve decided that developing an in-house apprenticeship program is too costly. You could ask your local trucking school if they’d be interested in co-sponsoring a program with your company.

That might be a reasonable option, as long as you have an agreement protecting your investment. Here’s one idea: If a quality graduate from the program declines your offer and accepts a comparable offer with another company, maybe that individual would owe you the amount of money you invested in subsidizing his or her tuition. Here’s a better idea: Get suggestions from the fine folks in your legal department!

Get your company profiled in an article! Just send me an email outlining any recruiting and/or retention issues you deal with. CLICK HERE for contact info.

2 Comments | Benefits, Company Drivers, Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

Crete’s Healthy Approach To Truck Driver Recruiting & Retention

February 6, 2013

1Crete Carrier Corporation’s Sleep Apnea and Wellness program is paying solid dividends in word of mouth among drivers.

Tim Aschoff, Vice President of Risk Management for The Lincoln, Nebraska-based carrier, estimates his company will invest roughly $1.5 million in the program during its first two years. “We’ve always said that our drivers are Crete’s most valuable asset,” says Aschoff, “and we’ve always stood behind those words, by investing in them. Not just with better pay, but with better benefits as well. We see this program as an excellent extension of those benefits.”

Improving ROI While Reducing Turnover.
“From a business perspective, we believe the program will ultimately deliver a return on our investment. We’ve received consistenty solid feedback from drivers who’ve gone through the program. And keeping drivers happy reduces turnover. At the same time, by positively impacting driver health, we’re reducing our healthcare costs. And theirs.”

Generating Positive Publicity. And Early Success.
Driver Health Magazine labeled Crete’s initiative “one of the most effective health and wellness programs in the trucking industry.” One reason for its success: An effective communications campaign. “Before the program’s rollout,” Aschoff says, “we worked long and hard developing informative messages for our drivers—explaining exactly what the program was, and how it could help them.”

Now, any driver interested in the program can visit (free of charge) any number of locations for sleep disorder testing. In addition to its permanent Sleep Labs in Dallas or Salt Lake City, Crete’s strategic partner, Sleep Pointe, operates a number of mobile trailers at company terminals. If a sleep disorder is indeed diagnosed, Sleep Pointe will work with the driver to develop a specifically tailored program of treatment.

Growing Word Of Mouth.
While the program was initially met with some skepticism, it’s caught on. In its first eight months alone, the program (launched in 2010) treated 465 drivers. An impressive number, to be sure, but even more rewarding are the individual success stories Aschoff is hearing.

“I had one driver call me personally to tell me he’d lost 40 pounds, that he felt better than he had in years, and that he never would have done it in the first place if it hadn’t been for our program.” No wonder Aschoff himself is sleeping better these days.

Get your company profiled in an article! Just send me an email outlining any recruiting and/or retention issues you deal with. CLICK HERE for contact info.

2 Comments | Benefits, Communications, Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention, Health and Fitness | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

A Former Military Driver-Recruiter’s Advice For Hiring Former Military.

December 19, 2012

1If you really want to hire military veterans:
Don’t just say it. Show it!

By far, the most-read article I’ve written since launching this blog in late 2010 is Truck Driver Recruiting: Look To The Military For Superior Candidates. So it was a genuine, and unexpected, pleasure when I opened a recent email from my friend Jim Reed.

A military veteran himself, Reed is one of the recruiting industry’s truly original thinkers—as evidenced by the business model he’s created for CDL-Link. And by the novel advice Jim offered me in his email (completely unsolicited) for recruiting military veterans:

Create military structure and camaraderie
“Here’s the main reason I had a difficult time initially adjusting to civilian life: I missed the military’s structure and rules. I missed the camaraderie. I missed the sense of duty. So if I owned a trucking company and truly wanted to hire former military, I would create units, platoons, squadrons, etc.”

Pay drivers based on rank and achievement
“In the military, the path to advancement (much like drivers earning increased pay and better runs) is clearly defined. For my former-military drivers, I would have squadron newsletters, quarterly meetings with rank presentations, and medals for achievement. I would have a purpose for the unit that’s clear and genuine.”

Define the mission for your military unit(s) by rank
“For starters, emphasize that every delivered load contributes to the global mission. Have higher ranking individuals train and mentor lower ranking members (NCO to E-4 or less). Then create team-wear (t-shirts or jackets) with rank, name, and unit logo.”

Display name and rank on trucks
“Look at nearly any former-military car: You’ll find a sticker or license plate-cover denoting the service and/or unit they belonged to. So why not place a former-military driver’s company rank and name right on the door of his or her truck. What a great recruiting tool at truck stops:

‘Hey, what’s with “Staff Sergeant” beside your name on the truck?’

‘Well, I’m with X platoon at XXX Trucking. And when I get 5,000 more accident-free miles, I’ll make Tech Sergeant and earn a bonus.’”

It’s got to be real
“Everyone can spot a phony. Military people are trained to believe in sense of duty, responsibility, and pride of work. The unit and mission hold troops accountable. They eat, breathe and live their missions. Provide that to former-military people, and you have a winner!”

Jim Reed: I salute you.

Photo credit: United States Marine Corps Official Page / Foter / CC BY-NC

6 Comments | Benefits, Communications, Driver Incentives, Driver Pay, Driver Recruitment, Driver Referrals, Driver Retention, hiring from the military, Recruiters, Schedules | Permalink
Posted by francishare

Don’t Just Recruit Owner Operators. Make New Ones.

September 5, 2012

Five Fundamentals Of A Successful
Lease Purchase Program.

In the first eight months of 2012, Alabama-based flatbedder WTI Transport signed over 100 new Lease Purchase agreements. That’s an exponential increase over the few dozen WTI had at the beginning of the year. Which should tell you two things.

1) With the difficulty of finding banks to finance truck purchases, Lease Purchase programs are quickly becoming the only way ambitious drivers can become Owner Operators.

2) The folks at WTI are doing something right. Particularly when you consider how many of their Lease Purchase drivers successfully take title to their trucks. “The main thing is, we don’t treat our program as a profit center,” says Lease Purchase Director Jason Quinn. “We created it because we really do want to see more drivers become Owner Operators.

“Our President Rendy Taylor has always said, ‘We can’t consider ourselves successful until a driver gets his title.’ That’s our philosophy. And drivers know that.” So what’s WTI’s secret? It’s no secret: They actually help their drivers succeed.

HERE ARE THE FIVE FUNDAMENTALS OF WTI’S PROGRAM.

1) Minimize The Down Payment.
Better still, says Quinn, don’t require any money down.

2) No Balloon Payments.
It’s pretty simple, Quinn continues: If a driver can’t afford a large down payment, he certainly can’t afford a huge balloon payment. After all, Quinn notes, that’s where so many Lease Purchase drivers at other companies lose their trucks.

3) Pay A Decent Wage. And Make Payments Affordable.
As of August of 2012, WTI was paying its Lease Purchase drivers 70% of gross. That’s as high as you’ll find in the industry. It’s why driver Andre Davis left another company for a Lease Purchase agreement with WTI: “With that other company, I had to run a minimum of 4000 to 4500 miles a week just to make any money for myself. Plenty of weeks, I owed them money.”

4) Offer A Fuel Routing Program.
A successful Fuel program combines maximum fuel surcharge with solid MPG practices, says Quinn.

5) Teach Drivers Good Business Practices.
“We think this is one of the real cornerstones of our program,” Quinn explains. “There’s a huge learning curve for anyone taking the leap from Company Driver to Owner Operator, so we created a Business Planning support system, to monitor our Lease Purchase drivers’ success in several key areas. Each Fleet Manager regularly reviews, with his drivers, a chart he keeps on those areas. Over time, the areas he’s marked red (problem) and yellow (potential problem) start turning green.

“So I guess, Quinn concludes, “you might say we aren’t really successful until our Lease Purchase graduates consider themselves successful Owner Operators.”

Good conclusion.

Leave a Comment » | Benefits, Company Drivers, Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention, Owner Operators | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

Integrated Recruiting: If You Knew It, You’d Do It

May 11, 2012

In an excellent piece for BusinessWeek magazine, Steve McKee explains why it’s so important for all your recruiting efforts to work together.

While McKee’s original column addresses the broader issue of marketing, his points are directly applicable to driver recruiting. Here are the key points I pulled from his piece—adapted to your specific needs as a recruiter:

New marketing channels pop up every day, from apps to publicity stunts and beyond. Audiences (and attention spans) are becoming increasingly fragmented. That reduces the chance any message has of getting through.

How do you overcome fragmentation? Integration. That means communicating a consistent identity from message to message, and medium to medium. More importantly, it means consistently delivering on that identity.

Everything you do to attract, convert and retain drivers should be integrated—including your human resource practices, your training programs, even your compensation and employee evaluation metrics.

So why don’t more companies implement integration strategies? They don’t start with a strategic messaging foundation, and they don’t have the patience to see it through.

Companies that maintain healthy growth over time tend to have more durable messaging strategies and longer-lasting campaigns, while those that struggle tend to change direction more frequently.

That’s exactly what’s happening in the cola wars. Coke has remained focused and consistent for years, and is winning market share, while Pepsi recently fell to an embarrassing No. 3  in the market behind Coke and Diet Coke. That’s why Pepsi is now reexamining everything about its brand.

What’s the first step?
Take a close look at all of your company’s messages to prospective and existing drivers. Compare those messages with what your drivers experience once they sign-on with you. If it doesn’t all connect for you in some meaningful fashion, it won’t for your prospective and existing drivers, either.

If your messaging strategy is weak (or off the mark), you may need to do what Pepsi is doing, and reexamine everything.

It may be that your problem is more a matter of execution: You’re simply not doing what you’re promising.

Or it could be that you haven’t pulled the trigger because you haven’t seen a flawless plan for integrating all your recruiting and retention efforts.

Here’s the good news: There’s no such thing as a perfect integration plan. Over the long haul, the companies who have the real recruiting advantage simply do it better than their competitors.

Steve McKee is the author of When Growth Stalls: How It Happens, Why You’re Stuck, and What to Do About It.

Click Here to read his original article in its entirety.

Leave a Comment » | Advertising, Benefits, Branding, Communications, Company Drivers, Digital Marketing, Dispatchers, Driver Incentives, Driver Pay, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention, Media Advertising, Recruiters, Social Media | Permalink
Posted by francishare

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