I have lost count of how many truck drivers I have hired in my career. I know I have crossed paths with more than 10,000 drivers, and I’ve got a pretty good record when it comes to both recruiting and retaining them.

The question is, where do you find good drivers to begin with?

I asked a bunch of drivers in my network where they look for jobs and it was mainly Indeed and referrals. In my experience, Indeed is reasonably priced and will attract a lot of eyeballs, but you have to sort through a lot of crap to find the good drivers. There are lots of unqualified people (despite vetting questions) and there are a lot of people who apply to every job they see.

Referrals are always a fantastic way to recruit. Strong driver retention and a positive company culture (combined with safe equipment and fair pay) should create an environment to which people want to refer their friends.

Some companies will incentivize their drivers with a referral program; my concern with this is they may be referring others for the wrong reasons. While I believe a driver should receive an acknowledgement for the referral, I do not think this needs to be in the four-figure range.

LinkedIn limitations

One great thing with referred drivers is they can lean on their friend for assistance once they get started and they are less likely to burn a bridge on the way out if it is not a fit.

LinkedIn is an option for finding drivers, though it isn’t great. It doesn’t seem like the majority of drivers are on LinkedIn, so everyone is chasing the same drivers.

I must be getting old, as I’m not knowledgeable enough to comment on whether Instagram or TikTok are viable ways to attract good drivers.

I used to be anti-agency until the last couple of years, when I began to see some advantages. First of all, agencies are great for temporary drivers.

If a full-time driver is on a medical leave without a known return date, a temp driver can fill in for them and you don’t have to worry about a messy severance.

You can also hire agency drivers to drive for you full-time, but they remain employed and paid through the agency. Holly Boyle, who has been in transportation staffing for more than 25 years, says agencies are able to touch more drivers than trucking companies as they have a variety of different positions available at any time.

They can reach more drivers, and the benefit of working with many different companies and specialties gives them the ability to work as industry consultants.

Agency advantage

They know the market and what your competitors are doing to attract and retain drivers and have their finger on the pulse of trends in the industry.

They know what your competitors pay and the work they are offering. They have industry connections for references, and they are experts at screening candidates.

Partnering with trucking schools is an option if you can hire new drivers. Not every company can get insurance for new drivers and some companies don’t want the hassle.

What has been my secret sauce over the past decade? It is a combination of Facebook, recordkeeping and relationships.

I have a work Facebook account that has more than 1,000 drivers as friends. I also have access to many different Facebook groups, some that have upwards of 10,000 members, mainly comprised of A/Z-licensed drivers.

Over the years, I have engaged with countless drivers on Facebook and feel like I have successfully immersed myself in their communities. It is a give-and-take relationship.

Sometimes I posted about roles I was hiring for, sometimes I asked questions that pertain to drivers and sometimes I would give advice to drivers looking for help. Over time, a trust was formed and most drivers know they can come to me for an honest conversation.

It’s important to keep track of who you talk to and what you talk about. My system for tracking has evolved over the years, but essentially, I keep track of their name, where they live, and what type of work they are looking for. If I am looking to fill a position based in London, Ont., I can call the drivers that live near London. If I am looking to fill a long-haul position going to California, I call the drivers that have “California” or “long-haul” in their contact information.

Lastly, maintaining relationships with drivers is very important to the recruiting process. I have some drivers that have followed me from company to company. There are others that I have never worked with directly, but have let me know what sort of work they are looking for.

Staying in touch

I reach out to some drivers once every couple years to check in or because I have a run that may interest them. If you reach out to all your contacts for every position you have, you start to be annoying. But if it is targeted, you are more likely to get their attention.

An added bonus to these three methods is that you can find drivers that aren’t actively looking for roles. They might be passively looking or not looking at all, but if your opportunity is really good then they would consider a change.

Different recruiters have different ways of doing things. These are just methods that have worked for me over the years. I welcome feedback from drivers and recruiters alike to see what works (or doesn’t work) for them.