Why don't they call you back???

Somehow I knew a chicken would come into this somewhere.........always does where drivers are involved.

and it did.....

buck buck....

 

Recruiters work on a commission basis. They get a commission when you deliver your first load after training.

With that in mind, put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter. At any one moment you may have a few dozen prospects that have contacted you or been assigned to you. Of that maybe 20% actually got into orientation, from which you expect a handful to actually deliver that first load.

Now ask yourself how do you stand out from all the other prospects? I'm sure the recruiter prioritizes call backs, initial background checks, and other work according to their educated guess regarding how likely you are to actually make it through the gauntlet to deliver a load. If you have any issues that may preclude you from successfully completing orientation, like felonies, prior drug use, spotty work history, etc. then you will likely be low priority.

If you present yourself as a motivated person that wants to work and don't mind going OTR for weeks at a time, then I'm guessing you will be moved to the top of the priority list. When I contacted the recruiters I flat out told them I want to be on the road for weeks at a time, I want to work, and they are going to get a great deal from me as a profitable employee. I had call backs within minutes and no more than a couple hours.

 

What company was this ?

 

You're right. It is childish and inconsiderate. I think HR Departments and Recruiters need to understand that the job applicant may be juggling other applications and may be turning down job offers while waiting to hear back from their first choice of employers. It's more rude and harmful make someone wait with no answer than send out a quick message saying, "Thanks for your interest, but we're going with another candidate." At least then you know you're okay to accept an offer from another employer. Multiple industries need to remember that.

 

I would agree but include an explanation. I got an email back saying they were pursuing other candidates only to find out after I called that they narrowed their hiring area because they had too many students in line and not enough instructors. Would have saved some time on both sides.

 

Problem I believe is the companies them selves due to operations. In many case they want a reserve pool of drivers to have in case they win a contract. In other cases they want a reserve pool on hand to draw from if they make a management decision that fail to go over with their drivers, such as a cut in pay, reduction of benefits, or policies such as a change in home time. Face it any company that has a turn over rate of say 80% or higher has to maintain a reserve to draw upon.

 

Any company with a turnover rate of 80% to 100% plus does NOT sound like a company to try to work for until retirement.

 

^^^ true that...

... however, in today's trucking job market there aren't enough job openings in companies with low turnover rates to absorb all the new drivers. In most cases new drivers will need to hire on to one of the "notorious" mega's in order to get their 6 months to 3 year experience required by upper tier companies. While many folks on this forum rightly point out that it is possible to get hired right away by a small and very well run company, the fact is that there just aren't enough openings available.

While mega's have very high turnover rates, I would wager that much of that turnover is due to newbie drivers getting into a career without a clue what is involved in trucking.... especially OTR trucking, which is the requirement for any new driver. Lot's of newbies on this forum, and in orientation at mega's, are under the assumption that they will be able to get onto a dedicated account or otherwise have frequent and long home time. That isn't the case. Everyone goes into OTR with expectations to run for weeks at a time. Many people wash themselves out of their job because they can't handle the expectations.

 

Why brian991219 that sounds like a big "Lie A Bill lit T" to me!: and this is one reason that the prospect job seeker) MUST now play all his/her cards(meaning employee protections) to the FULLEST. This is what these trucking companies are doing to us drivers! The pre hiring questions you ask and answers received are crucial. As for me I am darn sick and tired of being sick and tired of the blatant FASCISM that this US Government /Corporate America IS. It is laughable the out dated hiring process that a Truck Driver must go thru in 2013.
I am currently in the job hunt myself. I ask and take notes from each company recruiter a series of 40-50 questions off my check list; taking all names, tel # etc... Got every company organized in my truck-o-nel files and I give them one week to respond. If they do not want to reply, I now throw the dogs at their "NO GOODED back-sides": ima gettin the VA involved (discrimination towards a US Veteran, the US Army (emotional issues from serving), Rev Al Sharpton & Jesse (possible discrimination based on other reasons), my local work force solutions or job assistance agency, the unemployment office and the other on site VA rep located there, and any other job placement offices in my area; and if the Company is locally based, it is a good idea to get the journalist in your area involved and aware of what is going on here. Burns me up, when I see CERTAINS, early in the mornings hanging around 7-11, waiting to get picked up for a days work for a days pay, when a darn US CITIZEN, truck driver is getting turned down by some obnoxious trucking firm (with 20 -50 empty trucks sitting in their yard) somewhere in this US doggone of A. And I ain't apologizing for responding like this! No offense brian991219.... Aim High! (And I ain't even started on what & who these warehouse have been hiring circa 2005-present!!!!) And who is financing the training of these street cleaner blower crews, construction workers, home and landscapers etc etc... Sum-thin snake key goin on in AmeriCA, But a Trucker gotta go thru hell to get a driving job.