Truck Driver Recruiting: Four Tips For Boosting Referrals

May 14, 2013

Create an effective referral pipeline by making your drivers believers.

It All Starts With Effective Messaging.
Selling a qualified candidate on your company is the end goal of any recruiting interaction. If your message isn’t compelling enough, you’re losing sales.

Yes, each driver has his or her own unique perspective on the company. But every driver should be aware of, and believe, your core selling points. And those points should be listed on the referral cards your drivers carry.

Four Steps To A More Effective Referral Program:

  1. Involve drivers in message development: Have you ever asked your drivers what attracted them to the company, and why they like working with you? You may be surprised what you hear. And if what you hear from your drivers bears scant resemblance to what you (and your recruiters) are telling prospects, you need to change your message.
  2. Make sure you have driver Buy-In: A client of ours once told us Referral Programs were useless, because their drivers were convinced more drivers meant less work for them. The truth was, the company had never effectively communicated the fact that more drivers enabled them to take that many more loads—which meant more work for everybody. We helped them develop convincing communications to that effect—and guess what: Referrals are now the company’s top source of new drivers.
  3. Hold periodic referral contests: Set specific beginning and end dates. Two or three months is a reasonable period. And remember: Prizes and rewards are only part of the formula for success. A genuinely effective referral contest keeps drivers engaged.
  4. Give drivers personalized referral cards. Sure, personalized cards (custom-printed with drivers’ names) cost more than mass-produced cards. But your drivers will  be a lot likelier to hand them out. Which means, in the long run, those cards are a lot likelier to pay for themselves.

Finally: An Important Warning
I hinted at it earlier: Drivers have to believe in the company’s selling points. Which means they have to believe in the company. If you’ve earned a reputation for treating drivers poorly, you don’t need to worry about improving your selling points. You need worry about improving your company. Otherwise, that great referral campaign will just become a pipeline fueling your turnover rate.


For Further Reading:

Driver Recruiting Ads Should Focus On What Matters To Truckers

How To Competitively Recruit Truck Drivers Without Appearing Negative

4 Ways Oakley Maximizes Driver Recruiting AND Retention

2 Comments | Branding, Communications, Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Referrals, Driver Retention, Recruiters | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

How NOT To Recruit Owner Operator Drivers (Part 2)

April 4, 2013

Truck Driver in Semi TruckSix More Tips From Three More Experts

If there’s one thing I heard at MATS this year, it’s that recruiting Owner Operators is tough as it’s ever been. Which shouldn’t surprise anyone. After all, as I noted in my first post on the topic, the total number of Owner Operators in the market is (by some estimates) 1/3 what it was just before the recession began in 2008.

Which is why, more than ever, it’s important to avoid the mistakes that can make or break an Owner Operator’s decision to join your company. And why I received enough responses to one simple question (“What are the common mistakes you’ve either made yourself, or seen others make?”) to fill two posts.

Which leads to our second six tips:

CAROL GIBSON CareersInGear.com

1)  Don’t ask for Social Security Numbers online. In this age of Identity Theft, Gibson notes, people are constantly being warned not to give-out their Social Security numbers—particularly online. “Asking for that information on your job app will automatically run-off a significant percentage of prospects.”

2)  Don’t make your only application a long one. Owner Operators know they’re in great demand. And, Gibson notes, they’re typically pressed for time. “Think about it: If a driver’s looking to make a switch, how likely is he to take the time to fill-out a 10 to 15 page app (much less several), when he can answer a few key questions in a short form?” The point is to facilitate contact, because what you really want to do is get a driver on the phone.

JAMIE ADCOCK Target Media Partners

3)  Don’t focus on pre-qualifying drivers. Too many recruiters, Adcock notes, are pressured to fill seats—rather than focusing on driver-prospect needs. “Retention is just as important to your numbers as recruiting. So by focusing on making quality hires, you’re ultimately building quantity.”

4)  Don’t overlook “the little things”. Again, Owner Operators are busy. So anything you can do to make it easier to switch from their current company—from helping fill-out their paperwork to buying their plates—increases your chances of success. And, it goes without saying, doing the so-called “little things” (like offering annual hire-date recognition and rewards) can make all the difference in retention.

ERIN WHALEY Hare Communications

5)  Don’t rush the hiring process. The hiring Life Cycle for an Owner Operator is a relationship-building process that usually takes weeks, even months. Good recruiters understand that, and avoid pushing drivers to make on-the-spot decisions during initial conversations. That tactic scares-off a lot more Owner Operators than it attracts.

6)  Don’t make vague promises. Owner Operators are reflexively skeptical of companies—because nearly every driver will tell you he’s been burned in the past. So be upfront with the details—starting with your advertising. Make your ads and job postings specific—particularly where pay, home time and miles are concerned. And don’t be afraid to admit, during conversation, that your company isn’t perfect. Nobody is. The best Owner Operators know that. They’ll respect you for being honest. And earning a driver’s respect is the first big step toward a successful hire.


FOR FURTHER READING:

How NOT To Recruit Owner Operator Drivers (Part 1)

Five Steps For Recruiting Owner Operator Truck Drivers

Better Branding Maximizes Truck Driver Recruiting Effectiveness

4 Ways Oakley Maximizes Driver Recruiting And Retention

Leave a Comment » | Advertising, Communications, Digital Marketing, 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

The Truth Behind Interstate Distributor’s Driver Retention Numbers

March 7, 2013

1
From Recruitment to Fleet Management to Payroll, drivers get the truth. And nothing but.

Interstate Distributor’s Tracy Caffrey doesn’t mind telling you something about her company that a Senior Recruiter rarely volunteers without being prompted. “We’re not perfect.” At the same time, having worked as both an independent recruiter and a staff recruiter for any number of companies over the past 15 years, she’ll just as quickly point out that no company is perfect.

“The difference with Interstate is, we’re always working on our problems—particularly where drivers are concerned. Our leaders believe we can be the best company in the country—and I do too, by the way—as long as we never forget that Drivers, not Money, are the driving force behind Interstate.”

A Permanent Retention Committee
Toward that end, the Tacoma-based company (with a fleet of some 1900 drivers) has established a permanent Retention Committee. With representatives from Recruiting, Payroll, CSA, Customer Support and Fleet Management, the committee meets weekly to identify and discuss ideas for improving the overall driver experience.”

When the committee identifies problems that need fixing, and issues that need addressing, they take action. Consequently, Interstate enjoys an annual turnover rate of 40%—more than 60% lower than the current industry average for large fleets.

“Lots of companies, including places I’ve worked in the past, talk about putting drivers first—but when they’re confronted with legitimate driver complaints, they just sweep them under the carpet. And if there’s one thing drivers hate more than anything, it’s being lied-to by recruiters who make promises they know the company can’t keep.”

Eliminating The Motivation To Over-Promise
“So many companies today pay recruiters on a commission basis—and that’s where the problems start. When recruiters are paid just to get drivers in the door, without any concern about what happens once they’re hired, they’re a lot likelier to lie. And when that happens, the company just becomes a revolving door. That’s why our recruiters are paid on salary.”

So How Do You Keep Recruiters Motivated?
“We have a unique system for our recruiters that takes into account a number of factors—including retention. And because everybody knows where everybody stands in the recruiting department, as far as the numbers go, the number one benefit is, it promotes a healthy competition among all of us.”

And by “all”, Caffrey’s referring to a department with a grand total of seven recruiters—an extremely low number for a company as large as Interstate. Which raises the question: How does a recruiting staff of seven manage to fulfill all of Interstate’s needs?

“When you have really good recruiters who know how to talk to drivers, you don’t need a large department.” And that’s the truth.

FOR FURTHER READING:

Recruiting & Retaining Women Truck Drivers Starts With Honesty

Improve Truck Driver Recruiting by Listening to Your Drivers

 

Leave a Comment » | Communications, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention, Recruiters | 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

How Your Safety Policies Impact Truck Driver Recruiting

November 29, 2012

The current Hours Of Service limitations means drivers are more concerned than ever with safety policies. Particularly where driver fatigue is concerned.

Everybody knows it by now: Where the FMCSA’s 15-hour “driving + on-duty” limit formerly applied strictly to On The Job time, the current law—passed last December—imposes a limit of 14 hours, period.

Which means exhausted drivers can no longer pull off the road and “clock-out” in the middle of their shifts for much-needed naps—then clock-in, refreshed and ready to go, without counting that downtime as part of their newly-reduced HOS total.

Which also means we’re probably now seeing a lot more drivers trying to push their way through exhaustion in order to maximize their earnings potential during those 14 hours. Not to mention an increase in the number of drivers tempted to falsify logs.

So what’s the solution for recruiting? Full disclosure.

Make Your Policies Transparent.
Cliff Abbott, a longtime industry veteran (and author of the highly-recommended book, Chronicles of an American Trucker), notes, “Our industry has a long tradition of rewarding drivers for NOT accurately reporting their hours. Too many drivers have learned to maximize their available driving time, which they are paid for, while not recording time spent in non-driving activities—like loading, or inspecting their vehicle.”

Publishing your safety policies is one way to weed-out drivers with bad habits—saving you the trouble of learning about them the hard way.

Create A Plan For Improving Driver Quality of Life.
Driver health has a huge impact on fatigue. Poor health, especially obesity, can create sleep problems like sleep apnea—so Abbott recommends companies thoroughly screen its new drivers on the front end. “I’d also recommend physical capabilities testing—to make sure that drivers meet certain minimum capabilities standards. Then, provide training in fatigue management and hours of service. And, of course, you should always stress overall safety as a core value of your company.”

Still, even healthy drivers get sleepy—which is one reason why Truck Stop shelves are lined with Energy Drinks and Energy Shots. “Ideally, drivers should avoid using any kind of stimulant,” says Abbott. “It goes without saying that companies should be against illegal stimulants, but even legal stimulants like caffeine can compound existing health issues—particularly high blood pressure.

“The best answer for driver fatigue,” Abbot concludes, “is rest.” Too bad the best answer now comes with a Federally mandated penalty. Call it a tax on common sense.

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.

Leave a Comment » | Communications, Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention, Government Regulations, Health and Fitness | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

Boost Driver Recruiting And Retention With A Satisfaction Guarantee

November 12, 2012

Create a Satisfaction Guarantee that holds both parties accountable, to strengthen driver recruiting, loyalty and on-the-job performance.

Plenty of trucking companies guarantee satisfaction for their customers. Why not extend it to driver candidates?

Don’t get me wrong, I understand truckers can be a notoriously hard-to-please lot. But you can make a Satisfaction Guarantee work with the right wording. Establishing clearly understood conditions. With shared responsibilities between the trucker and the company.

The important point in offering a Satisfaction Guarantee is to create one where the company and the driver have responsibilities to make it work. That way, you’re creating a mutual commitment. And in the process, you’re not only strengthening your driver recruiting efforts, you’re building driver loyalty and on-the-job performance.

Daniel J. Smith, a contributor to RecruitingBlogs.com offered some interesting ideas for using a guarantee in a 2011 article.  Here are highlights:

How Do You Guarantee Satisfaction?

  • Listen intently to candidates, and understand what they want from a position.
  • Address all the concerns they might have.
  • Demonstrate that you understand all the information given, to produce satisfactory results.

Check In Regularly After The Hire.
Satisfaction is something many people talk about providing. What you do after a hire ensures that your goals are met.  Start by picking-up the phone, and checking-in with your drivers from time to time. It costs you nothing, and it shows drivers you care.

The more you care, the likelier you are to create a bond with drivers—and the better your chances are of creating long-term driver loyalty.

And when a driver has issues, address them immediately—or at least as soon as possible. Don’t let problems fester and grow.

In short, “Satisfaction Guaranteed” should be more than just a motto. After all, in today’s environment, if you don’t deliver satisfaction, your competition will.

Click on the following link to read Daniel’s article, Satisfaction Guaranteed.

1 Comment | Driver Incentives, Driver Recruitment, Driver Retention, Recruiters | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by francishare

4 Ways Oakley Maximizes Driver Recruiting AND Retention

October 30, 2012

Tips for improving communications effectiveness.

Little Rock-based Oakley Trucking maintains a turnover rate less than 1/3 the current industry average for fleets the American Trucking Associations categorize as “large” (above $30 million in revenue). How? Pretty simple, actually. “You’ve got to take care of the ones you have before you go get more,” says Oakley recruiting director Jeremy Kellett.

“After all, our drivers have always been our best recruiters—and a happy crew means more referrals.” On the other hand, “If you don’t take care of them, they can hurt you, and your reputation. Not only among other drivers, but with your customers.”

ONE: Be Honest.
“Dry bulk hauling is harder work than a lot of trucking jobs,” Kellett continues. “It can be dirty and hot. Our Owner Operators have to learn fairly technical loading and unloading techniques. And they have to invest in specialized equipment for their trucks when they lease-on with us.

“So if anything, we make the job sound even harder than it is during our recruiting conversations. That way there are no unpleasant surprises. Once we get drivers in here, we take very good care of them.”

TWO: Be Consistent.
Kellett will tell you that the toughest part of effective communications is ensuring that every department is on the same page. With every load. For example: “We give drivers specific training guidelines regarding optimal pressure for unloading. But we have customers whose silos can’t handle that kind of pressure. If a dispatcher neglects to clearly communicate one of those customer’s specific requirements, the driver and the company ends-up looking bad.

“It doesn’t take many bad experiences like that to get a driver thinking he’d be better off working somewhere else. That’s why we’re constantly reminding each other to give drivers all the information they need.

“It’s also why we encourage drivers, from their first day of orientation, to call their recruiter if they’re having communication problems with their dispatchers.” In fact, Kellett notes, “our recruiters probably spend as much time talking with existing drivers as we do with prospects.”

THREE: Listen. Really Listen.
Ask any driver what they like about Oakley, and they’ll inevitably mention the Open Door policy. “If I need to do, I can talk to anybody in this company,” says Andy Keesling “And that includes Dennis Oakley (CEO).” Antoinette Calder, one of two women in the company’s Sand division, agrees. “Oakley believes in their drivers. They’ll listen to you. And they always tell you the truth.”

FOUR: Set The Bar High.
“The big thing we focus on,” Kellett says, “is helping our Owner Operators do well in their business. Sometimes that means praise and encouragement. But sometimes that means pushing a little harder. If a guy calls in to say he’s going home after a light week, his dispatcher is going to make it clear that he’ll be looking at a small paycheck next week.

“Drivers don’t always like to hear that, but we know they really won’t like hearing what their wives have to say when they’re sitting down to pay bills. And there’s no quicker way to lose a driver than to make his wife mad.”

Leave a Comment » | Communications, Driver Recruitment, Driver Referrals, Driver Retention, Owner Operators, Recruiters | Permalink
Posted by francishare

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