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Are you ready to switch trucking carriers and put in your application at a new trucking carrier? If you want to stand out to driver recruiters and consultants at top trucking companies, there are a few ways you can make your application pop.
Failing to put your best foot forward when you’re being recruited can result in a less than stellar outcome. Aka, you won’t get the job.
As a driver consultant with Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), I spend my time looking at driver applications and talking to drivers. So I can tell you exactly what recruiters like me are looking for when we peruse hundreds of driver job applications each week.
I have all the insider tips regarding things that impress recruiters at top carriers (and not just me at ATS) and things that are obvious red flags.
By the time you’re finished reading this article, you’ll understand how being thorough, honest and overly communicative can help you stand out as a truck driver candidate.
Step 1: Fill Out The Application With Accurate Information
First thing’s first: the new driver application. The job application is your first chance to make a great impression with trucking carriers.
Take your time; fill it out thoroughly and with accuracy. If you have autofill turned on on your device, double-check all your information before you send the application in. Ensure that an address you lived at three years ago isn’t the one going on your application and that you’re using your most up-to-date phone number.
It’s never fun to call a wrong number. If we can’t contact you, we can’t hire you. Unless you’ve left another way to contact you (an email address, another phone number), we won’t be able to reach out.
Too much information is better than very little information when it comes to driver job applications. Fill in your complete work history — don’t leave gaps. Recruiters can tell when drivers rush through the application.
Recruiters will review your application before they call you. They’ll look at your work history to get an idea of your work experience, your longevity with companies or your tendency to job hop, your accident history and more.
Even if you don’t remember the specific dates of accidents or when you started or quit a job, you should still put it on your application. It’s okay if you don’t have the exact dates.
Errors on your application begin to sow seeds of doubt in the recruiter. If your application is missing information or it’s riddled with errors, they’ll still call you but they could be a bit skeptical if it’s obvious that you weren’t honest on your application.
Step 2: Answer Your Phone and Emails
When a recruiter calls you, answer your phone. If you aren’t available, do your best to call them back as soon as you can or shoot them a quick follow-up email or text to arrange a call. It doesn’t look good for you if a recruiter has to chase you down; they’re busy, and so are you. If you call back and the recruiter doesn’t answer, leave a voicemail.
You give a good impression if you are prompt in returning phone calls and emails. Even if you fit within hiring guidelines, a recruiter won’t hire you if you have a bad attitude and you’re impossible to reach.
There’s nothing worse than when a recruiter nails down an orientation date with a driver and then the driver simply ghosts the recruiter. You should be in close communication with your recruiter right up until your orientation date. You can expect them to call you or email you almost daily the week before orientation to arrange travel details.
Keep in mind that you aren’t hired on with a trucking company until you complete orientation and receive your certification. Gaps in your communication won’t reflect well on you. You may even lose your orientation spot and you may have to wait weeks to get another one.
Don’t ghost your recruiter. If you have a change of heart and don’t want to pursue that carrier anymore, let them know. They’ll understand if you’re honest with them. This can especially help you down the road if you go with another carrier but choose to pursue this one again. You’ll have built up a good reputation with the team already.
Step 3: Be Honest and Communicative
There’s a reason they say that honesty is the best policy: Because it’s true. You should be honest and overly communicative during the recruitment process if you want to stand out.
From the jump, you should communicate your desires out of a trucking company. Explain your negotiables and non-negotiables. What do you need to be satisfied? What are your career goals? Talk about the programs you’re interested in, the pay you’re looking for and how often you expect to get home.
If you determine in the middle of a phone call that you probably aren’t a good fit for the company and what it’s offering, don’t be afraid to admit it. It’s better to be upfront than to pursue a carrier that you won’t be happy with in the long run.
You should also be honest about your potential shortcomings. If you’ve had accidents on your record, be upfront about them. Don’t leave them off your application. When you’re recruiter asks about them, be honest and explain both sides of the story. If you’ve hopped from job to job, explain your reasoning. You are your own advocate.
Carriers are willing to give you a chance. Communicating very well from the start will increase your chance of getting hired.
However, if you fail to communicate about accidents, moving violations and other red flags, your recruiter will find out when they run background checks. Failing to disclose this information ahead of time reflects poorly. And if you’ve already quit your job and the recruiter finds out that you no longer fit into the company’s hiring guidelines, you’ll be out of a job and scrambling to find something.
Sometimes you may be out of hiring guidelines but a moving violation is about to drop from your safety score, which would put you within guidelines. If you’re communicative about the violation from the jump, recruiters can save a spot for you when you are eligible for a driving position.
Your honesty and openness with your recruiter will help you build a strong relationship from the start.
Step 4: Have a Great Safety Score
Driver candidates with good safety scores stand out to recruiters.
If you have a clean safety record and longevity with a company, recruiters will be fighting amongst themselves to see who can call you first.
Maintain a clean driving record by practicing what you were taught in trucking school. Do your inspections, keep it under the speed limit, limit distractions and keep a safe following distance.
Step 5: Research the Company
Before you press send on your application or pop it in the mail, spend some time reviewing the companies you’re applying to. Talking to a driver candidate who has no clue who’s calling or what the trucking company is about can be incredibly frustrating for a recruiter.
You don’t have to know for certain which driving program you’d like to pursue, but it helps if you at the very least know which programs the company offers.
For instance, if you’re applying at a company to be a hazmat hauler but they don’t haul that kind of freight, you’re clearly applying at the wrong place. You’re not taking the time to explore the company’s website and social media platforms before you’re applying.
When you take the time to learn a little more about the companies you’re applying for, it shows the recruiters that you’re serious. Do your due diligence before you apply.
Fill Out That Application!
Ready to dive right in and send out your first application?
Don’t forget to take your time. It’s obvious when an application is rushed. A thorough application will stand out to recruiters and they’ll be happy to see you put thought into your application.
Be ready to answer the phone when your recruiter calls (unless you’re driving, of course). You can expect recruiters from most trucking companies to call you within one business day of you putting in your application.
If you’re ready to fill out an application at a top-paying carrier like ATS, you can easily fill out an electronic application on our website. Or, fill out a contact form to speak with one of our recruiters to decide if ATS is the right fit for you.
Keep in mind that ATS isn’t a training company, so we do not hire drivers right out of trucking school. We require verifiable over-the-road driving experience.
You can also check out these great resources to guide you in the hiring and orientation process:
- 4 Key Considerations When Switching Trucking Companies
- The Truck Driver Hiring and Orientation Process: What to Expect
