How do you find drivers?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by scoobertdoo, Dec 4, 2021.

  1. scoobertdoo

    scoobertdoo Road Train Member

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    Been looking for a driver for otr for a year at low effort. Can't even get phonecalls. I know there are good drivers who fit the requirements I need of two years and manual transmission, but cannot locate them in north east Florida.

    Are there people I can pay to find a driver?
     
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  3. Midwest Trucker

    Midwest Trucker Road Train Member

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    It’s extremely difficult. Most everyone that says it’s not has never tried or successfully hired one. lol.
     
  4. REO6205

    REO6205 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Check with your State Employment Office. A lot of times they'll have people looking for work. Make sure you tell them your requirements as far as experience and such.
     
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  5. 50WT

    50WT Heavy Load Member

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    The good drivers aren't looking for jobs , they have jobs they're happy with.
    You have to find a good one and offer them more than they're getting now.
     
  6. bonder45

    bonder45 Road Train Member

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    Craigslist, indeed, monster.


    I get lots of applications on indeed but a lot of people just apply without reading the job ad.
     
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  7. Pamela1990

    Pamela1990 Road Train Member

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    Up here most places put an ad on Craigslist.

    Indeed seems to be a waste of time.

    You can also pin an ad to the bulletin boards of your nearby truck stops.
    Starting conversations on the trucker chat channels while out driving in the area, just letting people know that you are hiring sometimes works to.
    But mostly Craigslist.
     
    Flat Earth Trucker and TheLoadOut Thank this.
  8. Dino soar

    Dino soar Road Train Member

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    I think that's such a difficult proposition especially now. I don't mean to put a damper on your situation I do hope you find one.

    Even in times when there are not a lack of drivers and companies competing for how much they can pay for drivers, it's a difficult proposition.

    If you are one guy that has bought a second truck or you have maybe 2 trucks how can you compete with a larger company that has contracts and brand new trucks and health insurance and 401K, how-do-you-do that?

    For example in my area dump trucks do really well. And although I'm trying to plan my exit out of trucking I have considered going into dump trucks.

    But for example I have a guy that's down the street from me that has 20 brand new Trucks and he pays health insurance and he pays for 401K and whatever else he pays.

    Very difficult to compete with that. And even more importantly I don't know that economically you can compete with that even if you try to pay a wage that offset that or if you tried to offer the same thing starting out.

    It seems to me that there's a certain hump you have to get over to be a certain size of business and then it seems to get easier.. Not that it's easy but let's say that you started with one truck and you had some cousins and a brother-in-law and and whoever and you could get 3 or 4 trucks rolling at that point I think it's a lot easier to begin hiring people. And offering benefits and all of that stuff also.

    I will say that if you find the right unicorn that likes working for a small company and that likes being part of building a business that maybe in the future you can promote them or take care of them in some way beyond what you take care of the others because they got you rolling I suppose that's possible, but not easy.

    Honestly as the expenses and headaches grow I'm not sure that the money is commensurate with that.
     
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  9. TheLoadOut

    TheLoadOut Road Train Member

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    Gotta get out there and knock on some...tents
    [​IMG]
     
    Capacity, D.Tibbitt, 86scotty and 14 others Thank this.
  10. bonder45

    bonder45 Road Train Member

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    I was a 1 truck operation that turned into 5 and had health insurance, disability and PTO from near day 1….once you actually look into it, it’s not at all that expensive.
     
  11. Lunatic Fringe

    Lunatic Fringe Medium Load Member

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    Yes.

    Centerline Drivers
    TransForce

    The problem is EVERYONE wants an experienced driver with full endorsements, no tickets, accidents or criminal history willing to slip seat in an ancient truck with more than 2 million miles held together with wishful thinking and duct tape with a driver facing camera, a lift gate, a minimum of 3 weeks out and no vacation, retirement, breakdown pay or detention pay willing to start at 37 cpm (only paid while fully loaded, driving westbound during daylight hours on a weekday). The job boards must charge extra for putting these details in the driver wanted ads because none of the ads list the details of a driving job. They all want drivers to call someone to get the gory details. Why waste time calling every outfit you've never heard of to find a job?

    The question is, why should a driver want to drive for you? What are you offering that they can't get elsewhere? What do you do to make the job more attractive for a driver? Better yet, post one of your ads so we can see what the bait looks like.

    One of your problems is the manual transmission. The megas have been training drivers with auto restrictions for the last 5 years or so. The majority of drivers trained in the last few years have auto restrictions.
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2021
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