Small-to-Midsize carriers have been the most impacted by the driver shortage.
Without the same resources, it often feels like you are fighting an uphill battle recruiting from the same driver pool as large carriers.
However,
Small-to-Midsize carriers have many advantages that attract drivers to their company.
Here is how small-to-midsize carriers can win at driver recruiting:
- Build a Personal Relationship With Your Drivers
- Promote Your Company as an Alternative to the Large Carriers
- Guerilla Driver Recruiting
- Develop a Strong Web Presence
Build a Personal Relationship With Your Drivers
“Sometimes the thing you thought to be the most brutal aspect of the virus, actually turns out to be the chink in its armor. (Mother Nature) loves disguising her weaknesses as strengths.”
You may think recruiting against large carriers is an impossible task.
But just like the virus in World War Z, large carriers have disguised their weaknesses as strengths.
Employing thousands of drivers across the nation and having unlimited resources seems like a strength.
However, this size can be a weakness.
Large carriers employ too many drivers for company leaders to have personal relationships with all of them.
By making sure all of your company leaders are building personal relationships with your drivers, you are offering something the large carriers cannot.
These relationships ensure that the drivers do not feel like they are viewed as “meat-in-seat”.
Also, positive relationships boost your retention rate and increase the number of referrals your company receives.
Meramec Solutions has a client where the average driver stays with the company for 7 years. This incredible retention is because the owner of the company goes out of their way to know their drivers.
Promote Your Company as an Alternative to the Large Carriers
For different reasons, many drivers do not want to work for large carriers.
Maybe a driver has driven with a large carrier for a decade and is looking for a different experience. Or, a driver could have been raised by parents who drove for small carriers and that is the career they want.
Either way, there is an audience of truck drivers who prefer working for smaller companies.
Reach out to these drivers by advertising your company as an alternative to the large carriers.
Guerilla Driver Recruiting
Large carriers are advertising their jobs on every mainstream outlet you can think of.
Some carriers even run ads during NBA games.
Unfortunately, small-to-midsize carriers do not have the resources to match this level of exposure.
To compete against this large exposure, you need to implement Guerilla Driver Recruiting. Guerilla Driver Recruiting is the act of recruiting drivers in unexpected ways. This creates the element of surprise.
Guerilla recruiting campaigns are not as difficult to run as they may seem.
Ask yourself:
“How are drivers EXPECTING to be recruited?”
The answer to this question will tell you exactly what NOT to do.
Once you know what to avoid, you can come up with a strategy that catches drivers off guard.
Catching drivers off guard is something that large carriers are incapable of doing because of their wide exposure.
Furthermore, an example of an easy to execute guerilla campaign is paying for every driver’s meal at a favorite diner.
Develop a Strong Web Presence
As you implement the strategies mentioned above, more drivers will begin to notice you. Naturally, they will be curious and search for your company online.
Having a weak web presence will turn away many interested drivers.
All of the large carriers have a strong web presence. This means that drivers can easily find out what it is like working for a large carrier.
If it comes down to your company, and a large carrier, the information the driver finds online may be the deciding factor.
Develop a strong web presence so that your company is easy to find online and your content further convinces drivers to work for you!
Being a Small-to-Midsize carrier does not mean you are doomed to struggle at recruiting. Yes, you lack the resources larger carriers have, but being smaller comes with its advantages.
Implement these four strategies to win at driver recruiting!
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