Recruiter Khroud ensures easy hiring process

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Going the extra mile to ensure a rapid and smooth transition into her organization helps Ravneet Khroud recruit and retain professional drivers.

When truckers apply for a job, they want the paperwork and formalities processed quickly so they can hit the road and start working. “There is pressure when you find the right candidate, and it is hard to hold on to the driver. If you do not communicate and are not quick, they will choose another company,” said Khroud, a driver recruiter for Eassons Transport.

Picture of Ravneet Khroud
Ravneet Khroud, driver recruiter at Eassons Transport, at the carrier’s facility in Mississauga, Ont. (Photo: Leo Barros)

Khroud looks for candidates who possess a good driving record, positive attitude, are reliable and have communication skills. Drivers must also be willing to learn and use new technology as trucks are equipped with ELDs (electronic logging devices) and the company uses online training portals and digital applications.

A recruiter’s workday is filled with screening applicants, selecting qualified candidates, scheduling them for interviews, reviewing documents, booking road and drug tests, and orientation. Attending job fairs, seminars and conferences are also a part of Khroud’s job description.

Eassons Transport’s head office is in Nova Scotia and Khroud who is based out of its Mississauga, Ont. facility, takes care of recruitment in the Greater Toronto area. She also helps recruit shunt truck drivers, dock workers and forklift operators.

Time management

Work can sometimes become repetitive and time-consuming. Along with hiring targets, deadlines approach quickly, and time management is the key in a fast-paced work environment.

Khroud has been part of the trucking industry since 2016 and loves the opportunities and growth it provides. She came to Canada as a student in 2013, after earning her Bachelor of Technology – Computer Science degree in India. Here, she completed her advanced diploma in computer science, but it was a struggle to find employment in that sector.

Someone suggested she explore jobs in the trucking industry and Khroud found work as a safety coordinator in a third-party safety and compliance firm. She received on-the-job training in recruiting, checking logbooks and permits, and carrying out audits.

“Don’t say no to anything. If you get a chance to learn an extra skill, say yes!”

Ravneet Khroud, Eassons Transport

“Don’t say no to anything. If you get a chance to learn an extra skill, say yes! If you get extra support, if you can afford to learn something extra, go for it,” she advises.

Three years later, she joined another company as a driver recruiter and moved to Eassons Transport in 2021.

Along the way, she has acquired certifications that include assessing driver behavior, drug testing and screening.

As new immigrants and students who have completed their education seek work in trucking, Khroud encourages them to learn about labor rules so that they are not exploited by unscrupulous employers.

More women in trucking

Trucking is a male-dominated industry and Khroud feels more women should become part of it. Women can offer a different perspective, are detail oriented and if they are present in management roles, provide a good work environment, she said.

“If a woman joins as a truck driver, she will get fair and equal pay. I don’t care if the driver is female or male, you do the same job, have the same experience, you get the same pay.”

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Leo Barros is the associate editor of Today’s Trucking. He has been a journalist for more than two decades, holds a CDL and has worked as a longhaul truck driver. Reach him at leo@newcom.ca