What are some red flags when talking to a recruiter

When they open their mouth.

In all serious though: Simply follow the golden rule: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

 

When they open their mouths and sound that is translatable to something that you get free here... No Sir nothing is free here, take it with a grain of salt, you are in the right place to see what they really mean, There are going to be those that are mad about everything they do, but you should be able to figure out what is not exactly the truth and what sounds like a lie, For example if they say "You have to go out with a trainer and log 30000 miles under your belt before you can test out to go solo" and then they say "This amount of mileage can be done in 4-5 weeks...Figure it up it is normal for a solo truck to go 10000-12500 a month, if you are truly training meaning the trainer is in the passengers seat while you are driving and he is TRAINING YOU it is going to take longer then the said amount of time, This is just one example! I wish You Well this is a Great Industry, just don't get on the down side with no return in sight, the attitude determines your altitude in Trucking!!

 

1. When they give you that 'be treated like a person not a number ' speech
2. They show up to recruit you at your driving school
3. They won't tell you the turnover rate at their company.
4. If when asked if they ever were a driver, they answer, "No". How can a person that's never driven a truck tell you about a 'good trucking job and what good pay is?

 

Reminds me of when I asked a idle policy question to a recruiter at a truck stop years ago... He proclaimed they had no idle policy, as all their trucks had APU's... Then, one of their trucks pulled on to the fuel island, with clearly NO APU on it. I asked the recruiter to please show us the APU on this truck... Moron didn't know what to say. Thanks, but no thanks in that situation.

 

Try to go to a nearby truck stop and talk to drivers from they company. Dont just talk to one or two but talk to a few and then average it out. Different personalities have different needs. Also don't just rely on here as some post when they are mad and some recruiters post falsely in here.

 

It's not always so much what the recruiters say, it's what they DON'T tell you that can bite you hard. Recruiters are trained to build up the good points and say just enough about stuff that isn't so good so that you hopefully won't pick up on it. Some carriers' philosophy is if the driver doesn't ask about it, then we don't have to divulge anymore than we have to.
A good thing to do is sit down and make up a list of things you want to ask your recruiter. Don't worry if you think it might sound stupid to ask certain questions either. Remember, the only stupid question, is the one not asked and that especially applies in this business. These carriers will try to get away with anything they can if possible. Do your homework, take your time, and make an educated decision on a carrier and make sure you get ALL your questions answered ahead of time. otherwise, you'll be setting yourself up for alot of trouble and frustration right out of the gate.

 

Recruiters posting false information in here? Surely you gest!!!!! That would NEVER happen!!!!!

 

This is money advice right here !!! The more they talk about what they will do for you, the less they will actually do.

I know very little about freight companies, or long haul or recruiting. It's a little different up here in Canada and with what I do. But the promises, and ultimately, lies, come from them all.

If you do your job good, then hopefully you are rewarded. That is really all you can hope for, otherwise you will drive your self crazy bouncing from one company to another. You may luck out and find a good one. Good luck in your quest.

 

What would happen if I finish talking to a recruiter and tell him to put it all down in writing? Would it be binding, or would I need to confirm with the company when I show up for orientation? Or would they just laugh at me as I hit the door on the way out?