What to ask a recruiter??

How long is their training program? ( 2 weeks or 6 weeks or longer? )
How much experience do trainers have to have before being a trainer?
( some let drivers train after only 6 months )
How are trainers compensated while training?
( If they are getting paid mileage as well as a cash bonus as incentive then you will be trained in a real world hectic environment. This can be great but it can be very stressful to new drivers who are swamped with tons of new things all at once.)
How do you graduate from the company training program and into your own truck? Do you pass road tests and skills tests? Or do you just get a good rating from your trainer and jump in a truck of your own?
Is there 'forced dispatch' ? If you are forced to go into New York or other places that you may not wish to then that is a BIG factor in job happiness.
How difficult is it to get days off?
Can you park your truck near your home when you have OFF TIME or do you have to return to the company yard?
How close do you have to live to the company yard?
Do they have IPASS accounts? ( YES is a good answer - some companies force you to avoid toll roads)
What about PREPASS accounts for weight stations? ( They are great.)

 

As a former recruiter im going to give you this insight...READ BETWEEN THE LINES! You can ask a good recruiter a bad question and his response will be a good answer.

Example:
Driver: What happens if I am laid over for a day?
Recruiter: We pay layover, but when you are running 2500 miles a week, they keep you planned up.

See what he did was answer your question, but rebuttled with a response letting you know you were getting miles and they planned you up.

In my years of recruiting, I have had almost every question asked to me, what brand and size of the tires are on the trucks, do we run caps, what make trailers do we use, you name it, i have been asked it!

 

How much to pay a lot lizard??? lol. sorry for the bad quip

 

Check this thread out - http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...-a-potential-new-company.295854/#post-4796945

 

Boaz, Do you think it is a good idea to go and visit the company before signing on to get a look at the school, equipment, and training grounds? I have never taken a job without going to the place.

Thx

 

I think you should try to get as much information as possible before speaking with a recruiter. So many of the carriers today need warm bodies now that most of the recruiters are a bit cynical and just try to get you into orientation. I have always felt it was orientation where you got your information anyway. In other words don't depend on the recruiter to give you good information, this way your not disappointed if said recruiter does lie.

 

Oh yes, if its available to you by all means, go talk to them, talk to the drivers, talk to the management, I am pretty good at reading people, and when someone looks me in the eye talking to them I can get an idea on who they are, on the phone they can bluff all day long.

 

Here's another - http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/questions-to-ask-companies.254584/

 

Reading between the lines and translated - Layover pay is on the books but fat chance in hell if we ever pay it to you.

Reading between the lines and translated - Our stated "goal" is to get you 2500 miles a week, but we have figured out every reason on the world why we are not going to get it to you. Our planner likes to check Facebook when your miles get up to 1500 and at 1700 he leaves the office. By 1900 miles he leaves on vacation, and since the average length of haul is 350 don't expect to get any more miles when the planner has left the office. If you call up asking for layover see the first part of the sentence translated.

Yes he has diverted your attention. Now instead of screwing you out of the layover he promised, he has got you multiplying the Miles by the CPM, and spending the cash. And since you are a budding super-trucker, like all those calling the recruiter, you are sure you are good for more miles then the average truck slob you went to school with. As a super-trucker you keep the door shut, unlike every other slob that drives a truck, you must be good for 3000 or 3500 miles when you hear they plan you for 2500. And this guy has successfully signed another one.

Yes, every budding super-trucker knows the only key to outsmarting the CPM system. If you just have the right this or that in a company, the CPM driver will be rolling in cash.