Unlike many office jobs or 9 to 5 positions, looking for CDL drivers can prove to be especially difficult. Most job sites focus on more traditional employment. But hiring the right employee also requires a unique set of skills and requirements. Therefore, it’s crucial that you and your hiring department think differently when looking to fill open positions in your company.

6 Helpful Tips To Remember When Looking for CDL Drivers

To help you with the hiring process, there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind when looking to hire CDL drivers.

Be Specific About the Vehicle

Some truck drivers are more experienced or comfortable driving certain vehicles. That’s why it’s crucial to list the exact specifications of the truck that they’ll be tasked with driving. It’s also important to make mention of what they’ll be transporting, how far they’ll be driving, and if there are any time constraints they need to keep in mind.

The more information you provide in the job description, the more likely you’ll receive applicants who fit your exact criteria.

Consider Additional Benefits

Salary is generally the main driving force behind attracting top truck drivers. But other benefits can also entice them to apply to your company over your competitors. Driving long distances for extended hours can take a toll on anyone. So it’s a nice addition to provide your drivers with a few extra perks to show your appreciation.

For example, you might add extra paid leave or vacation days, tuition reimbursement, or health insurance. You can also consider monetary benefits, either by the length of employment or by project completion!

Use the Right Job Board

Many job board sites focus on listing more traditional types of employment, like office jobs. That can make looking for CDL drivers particularly challenging. If you’re not sure you’re advertising your job to the right audience, then it might take you weeks or even months to find a truck driver worth hiring.

Leverage the Power of Social Media

The truck driving industry is a tight-knit community, and it’s quite possible to tap into those groups to look for new employees. Facebook is an excellent resource for finding potential truck drivers. There are many organized groups where you can advertise your open job. All you have to do is look on Facebook for CDL or truck driving groups in your city, post your job description stating that you’re looking for CDL drivers.

Another option is to join a generic job seeker group and to post your open position there. You never know if one of their members has CDL certification and is looking for bigger and better employment opportunities!

Ask for Employee Referrals

Your next star employee could be the friend, relative, or past colleague of someone who’s already working for your company! Consider creating an employee referral program to incentive current drivers to refer other CDL drivers. It’s an affordable option for hiring that could potentially lead to a reliable employee.

If their referral results in a new hire, then you can reward them with a small monetary bonus. If budget is a concern, you can also get creative with the referral prize by offering an extra vacation day, paid lunch, or even a gift card.

Write a Custom Job Description

When writing your job description, it’s crucial that you make a note of things that truck drivers care the most about. A general job description is likely not going to speak or attract top-level drivers.

For instance, you’ll want to include salary, benefits, route, and company culture. In addition, you should write a detailed description about their driving schedule (dayshift vs. nightshift, weekends, extended shifts, etc.) and how much how time they will have when they aren’t driving.

More Ways to Hire CDL Drivers

Hiring a dependable and trustworthy CDL driver may be a challenging task. But as a recruiter, it’s worth putting in the extra effort to have a qualified driver on board with your company. Besides ZipRecruiter, you may also consider looking for CDL drivers on these other truck driver job websites.