Input on What Makes a Good Driver Profile or Job Description

You get what you deserve. If you put up a trash ad, you deserve trash drivers. I’m looking at pay first. Then I’m looking at why your job is different than any of the other thousands of postings. Usually by then I’m gone. Because you’re under paying and offering the same thing as everyone else. If I’m still there I’m interested and I’ll look at what else would be a benefit to me. I want to know the truth. And if you lie to me and trick me into a job somehow, I will quit.

 

Well for example how big of pain or how much of help will the company be. I want to know if I need a hotel, rental car, flight, maintenance, that stuffs getting taken care of. I don’t want to jump through hoops. BS can be spotted a mile a way from any drivers who you want working for you. An ad should be short and sweet with zero filler. Me personally I want options. For the benefits and 401k. I’d personally rather self insure and provide my own retirement. I don’t need yours, unless they’re really good. My health insurance at the current company cost me how hundreds a month?! And covers nothing anyways?! Plus I will never use it?! I’ll self insure please, but allow me to do that and compensate me for costing you less money.

And my home time is just that. I will take as much or little as I need. If the company in any way messes with that it’s a one strike policy. I spend a minimum of 20 hours a day in your truck, so if I want to get out for 1 -2 weeks at a time, I will. Because your pay is average or below, and I can replace your job any day of the week.

 

I ignore company web sites for the most part. They claim irrelevant info (our top 10 drivers average $96k/year) while they have 300-3000 drivers.

They make the standard "safety & happiness of our drivers are our top priority". Now drive this load 60 miles and wait 11 hours to unload.

I ask the working drivers at a company to describe their pay, insurance, schedule, company policies and then I decide if that info is what I want to experience. The credibility of employers, ESPECIALLY on a company web page is below that of Congress.

 

I want to know if I choose fuel stops or company picks them. I want to know which truck stop chains I will need to fuel at, not just "we fuel at various truck stop chains." I want to know the pay of the last 100 drivers the company hired, not fleetwide avg & not avg of the golden drivers. I want to know about PrePass, if company requires apps on MY phone. I want to know do you deliver often to grocery warehouses or pick up at ports. What is the process for truck & trailer repairs & how backed up or ineffective the shop is. I want to know if truck has APU & 2,000 watt inverter or generous idle policy. I'm not freezing or sweating instead of sleeping so the boss can buy a 2nd boat. How much of your freight is from load boards & brokers or direct customers. What is company norm for driver schedules, 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks out before getting home for how long. Is it work 6.5 days per week & squeeze in a 34:01 reset you call a weekend. How much does benefits package cost me and who is provider. What is pet/passenger policy & restrictions. Do you pay based on hub miles, contracted miles with customer, or per load or per hour. Do you expect me to answer phone while I drive/sleep.

There are many more questions to be asked, it's a long conversation not a brief glance for me. I only worked at companies that friends or family were already working at so I knew what I was walking into. I don't value company web pages more that spam email.

 

- Pay - small accurate range
- Benefits -costs and options
- Mileage/percentage/houly/salary/weekly minimum
- zip code pay or actual mileage
- dispatchers experience level
- Truck type
- Truck amenities
- idling policy
- slip seat or dedicated truck
- Governed speed
- Truck cameras - in cab specifically
- Fueling locations - choices - a lot of places suck to fuel at
- fuel card - can I buy washer fluid without making a phone call or digging into my own pocket?
- who pays for reserved parking?
- how often do I need to talk to my boss or bosses? Daily, weekly, rarely
- Facilities at the OC
- actual hours worked
- actual running lanes
- reset/recap/options
- time off
- maintenance/breakdown procedures/options
- is my phone mine, or do I have to share it with the company (apps required?)
- any perks
- uniforms/dress code, boots/shoes
- any allowance’s
- will someone answer or call me back if I need help?
- is there anything that makes this job more desirable?

 

What I would look for 1st is compensation, primarily $$ and any contributions a carrier puts in an HSA or 401k.

Biggest eye roll, "competitive pay". This simply means they pay the same as anyone else.

The upload CDL and driving record means nothing to me. In those rare instances that I might change carriers, I will simply sit down with them in person before committing. If they cannot do this, it is a deal breaker.

 

If a person is a military vet, can use the VA for healthcare.

1. Most Veterans qualify for cost-free health care services, although some Veterans must pay modest copays for health care or prescriptions.

Eligibility For VA Health Care | Veterans Affairs
~
Douglas A. Collins - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
He streamlining the VA to make it more efficient for veterans. Firing all non-essential employees; the ones that just sit around and complain. Doug Collins is retired Army and also did a hitch in the Navy.