Finding drivers for older trucks

You’ll find someone. Not many people like myself who doesn’t want anything to do with a new truck. Everyone wants new stuff. Driver comfort and all that stuff. That stuff doesn’t bother me. I want to be behind the wheel or sleeping. Not hanging around a truck stop

 

Welcome to hiring drivers.

If trucking keeps going to crap you'll start to find guys that maybe hung the keys up but dont mind working part time in older iron. However, your stereotypical newer age Regional or OTR driver expects nothing but the very best.

The older iron guys may also have idea on how you should run your business. LOL.

 

Where are you and what kind of trucking is it?

 

Worked in a few fleet shops, I'll give you 2 examples of breakdown calls. We had a steady supply of new drivers, and ex owner ops who wanted to slow down but still drive. So they went company

Breakdown calls

1. My truck broke down in a whiney voice.

2. You truck broke down, call when you have a solution.

Also one would call and tell you what seemed to happen, and what they tried to remedy it with.

One knew nothing.

Just saying, maybe look for older drivers trying to take a step back and still wanna drive.

 

Yup sounds about right. Sadly my generation and younger nowadays are conditioned to want the latest and greatest. Not always but a lot. And its not just them anymore either, lot of old timers who are just fed up with it all and wont settle for less then new in the mistaken thought that new=better.

That said you will find someone, there are many myself included who prefer old iron and would see a fleet of well maintained iron as a positive rather then a negitive. Sure its not as smooth comfy or creature comfort equiped as even my bare bones 579. But it bloody works.

One thing however to try that may get some bites from the younger crowd though is to sell the trucks as not old worn rigs but as say "a chance to drive a legend" or "our fleet is X% of the legendary 3X9s, come drive the classics" or something else silly to an effect like that. You would be amazed just how much rewording the exact same thing woth pretty words can change a negitive to a positive in peoples minds. It goes from "worn out old junk" to "Cool! I get to drive a classic!" Just be cautious with that as your going to get a lot of bottom feeders nibbleing that way.

 

Location?

 

Can’t blame a Driver for wanting a comfortable Truck. Makes all the difference, especially day after day. You’ve gotten feedback from Drivers. Maybe you should upgrade.

 

The type of work would be more the deciding factor for me. I'd hop into a 25 year old Freightliner with no A/C long before a brand new W900 if it meant I could sleep in my own bed almost every night.

 

Great advice.

Maybe advertise it so you get the right applicants. Right now your not getting the people who like old trucks because they don’t know you have old trucks. But, you are getting run off the mill people who likely don’t like them.

(Replying towards OP)